Kidney Stone Home Remedies: 8 Tips That Work Better Than Beer For Passing Out Kidney Stones

Kidney stones can occur because of dehydration

Did you know that you can prevent and treat kidney stones with lifestyle changes? Kidney stones are essentially caused by build-up of dissolved minerals in inner lining of kidneys. Kidney stones are usually made up of calcium oxalate. The stones can be small and pass unnoticed. But sometimes, they can cause extreme pain as they leave the body. Lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho recently took to Instagram to talk about kidney stones and how changes in lifestyle can help in managing kidney stones. He talks about early signs and symptoms of kidney stones that you must take note of, and how you can break down or pass kidney stones with the help of effective home remedies.

Lifestyle changes to manage kidney stones

Kidney is the organ which filters out excess waste, salt, calcium and toxins from the body. Cumulation of salts, minerals, calcium and uric acid can result in formation of hard stones known as kidney stones. A kidney stone can be as small as a dot, but they may grow in size because of more build-up of uric acid and other minerals.

Kidney stones can travel from kidneys through the ureter to the bladder. Once the stone enters the bladder, it results in fevers, chills, urinary tract infection (UTIs) and a lot of pain, especially in the belly area or at the back.

Kidney stones can cause debilitating pain in the back and on the sides
Photo Credit: iStock

Stones of smaller sizes can be passed through urine without causing much pain. But passing of larger stones can be a painful process. 

Also read: This Is By Far The Best Diet If You Are Suffering From Chronic Kidney Disease

Kidney stones: Symptoms you need to watch out for

1. If you have pain on the sides, at the back and belly area, do check for kidney stones.

2. Burning sensation or pain while urinating can also be an early sign of kidney stone or UTI.

3. If you see blood in urine, then you must get a urine test as it can be a symptom of kidney stones or other serious complications.

4. The urgency to urinate could also be a sign of kidney stones.

5. Cloudy urine with a foul smell is another symptom you need to watch out for risk of kidney stones.

6. Small spurts of urine could also be a sign.

7. Fevers, chills, nausea, vomiting are common symptoms.

Also read: 10 Signs Of Kidney Disease That You Must Never Ignore

What you can do about it?

Firstly, you need to get a proper diagnosis in order to find out the size of kidney stone. Timely diagnosis is important because stones in kidney can cause serious damage to kidneys and may even damage them. Following are some tips that can help you ger rid of them:

1. Have kidney beans: Kidney beans can help in breaking down kidney stones. Boil soaked (8-12 hours) kidney beans with some hing or asafoetida. Fibre in kidney beans can help in flushing out kidney stones. Have it at least once a day to manage stones in the kidney.

2. Apple cider vinegar: ACV breaks down into acetic acid in the body, which can break down into a stone that is formed by calcium oxalate and other minerals. Have 1 tbsp of ACV 30 minutes before lunch and dinner can help in breaking down kidney stones and ease their passage.

Also read: Got Kidney Stone? Try Apple Cider Vinegar: Here's How It Works

3. Dried basil leaves: Boil 1 tbsp of dried basil leaves in water to make a tea. Have this tea thrice a day. It breaks down into acetic acid and helps you to break down kidney stone.

4. Drink sufficient water: Being dehydrated can lead to formation of kidney stones. Make sure you drink sufficient water to prevent and treat stones.

Drink sufficient water to prevent kidney stones
Photo Credit: iStock

5. Pomegranate juice: Drink it regularly and can helpin flushing out kidney stones.

6. Dandelion root: This acts as a diuretic, which can be beneficial in breaking down and flushing out small-sized stones in kidneys.

7. Celery juice: Drink regularly to naturally flush out stones.

8. Lemon water: Citrate in lemon, like acetic acid, has the ability to break down stones.

You can try these remedies over and above what your doctors have suggested as part of kidney stone treatment.

(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach - Integrative Medicine)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.