KIDNEY STONES - HOME REMEDIES
Kidney stones develop when the concentration of minerals in the urine like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, uric acid oxalate or xanthine becomes too high thus resulting in a build-up of their crystals (which are normally flushed out of the system during urination) in the urinary tract. The signs and symptoms differ according to the size, shape, consistency and position of the stone and there can be cases where the renal calculi may be present for years together without giving rise to any kind of symptoms or signs. But more commonly, the stone formation can lead to an obstruction in the flow of urine and the patient may complain of pain in the back or the loin, which radiates round the flank to the groin and sometimes into the testis and is increased by any kind of movement. The patient also complains of a frequent desire to urinate, painful and scanty urination, nausea and vomiting, fever and occasionally red cells, white cells, proteins, sand or deposits in the urine. This is usually more common in males than females and heredity and a sedentary lifestyle plays an important causative factor. The person is asked to take strict bed rest and an application of warmth to the painful area is advised. The patient is advised to increase the consumption of water and other fluids, which helps in increasing the production of urine and thus help in flushing out of the stone and the bacteria.
1. Avoid excessive intake of calcium or oxalate or proteins in your diet (i.e. avoid beef, cabbage, cashew nuts, cauliflower, cheese, chickoo, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, custard apple, eggs, figs, gelatin, herring, khus khus, kidney, liver, milk and milk products, molasses, paneer, pear, salmon, sardine, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, yeast, etc.).
2. Avoid taking beans and pulses in any form. Yellow variety of pumpkin, colocasia and lady's fingers are to be strictly avoided. White variety of pumpkin and gourd are useful for this condition.
3. Take in more of barley (jau) water, coconut water, fruit juices, limejuice etc.
4. Imbibing four to five bottles of strong, dark beer, heated almost to simmering, is a useful remedy for kidney stones.
5. Make a decoction of kidney beans (Rajmah) and consume within twenty-four hours.
6. Remove the beans from inside the pods, then slice the pods and put about sixty grams in four liters of hot water and boil them slowly for four hours. This liquid is then strained through fine muslin and then allowed to cool for about eight hours. Then the fluid should be poured through another piece of muslin without stirring. A glass of this decoction should be given to the patient every two hours throughout the day for one day and thereafter it may be taken several times a week.
7. A few drinks of lemon juice daily will help reduce the uric acid stones.One teaspoonful each of holy basil (tulsi) leaf juice and honey should be taken daily for six months.
8. Take two glasses of cranberry juice daily.
9. Juice of watermelon should be taken daily for fifteen to twenty days since it is rich in potassium salts and is one of the safest and the best diuretics. Watermelon seeds are also useful for renal calculi.
10. A regular intake of celery leaves (ajwan-ka-patta) is necessary (especially in those prone to stone formation) to prevent further stone formation.
11. Aloe vera juice helps to reduce the size of the stone.
12. The juice of the fig fruit or a decoction made out of figs (anjeer) helps to dissolve the stones.
13. Ripe fresh apples and grapes are useful for renal calculi.
14. Pieces of sugarcane chewed frequently help the stones to melt.
15. The seeds of both sour and sweet pomegranates (anar) are a useful medicine for kidney stones. A tablespoonful of the seeds are ground to a fine paste and is given along with a cup of horse gram (kulthi) soup (two tablespoonfuls of horse gram should be used for preparing the soup) to dissolve the kidney stones.
16. Chew two to three cloves of garlic daily in the morning.
17. Chew about two to three cardamoms (elaichi) thrice daily after meals.
18. Parsley, Red Clover, Uva Ursi, Pumpkin seeds and Watermelon seeds are useful herbal remedies for dissolving kidney stones.
19. Take half a glass of radish juice daily for fifteen to twenty days in the morning.
