Kidney Stone: Causes, Symptoms, Investigations, Interesting Facts, Home Remedies, Ayurvedic Medicines

      Stones inside the Urinary tract or simply you can say a single or multiple stones inside the kidney or the urinary bladder or in passages of ureter or in the urethra are calls as Renal Stone or Renal Calculi. Living with stones is very painful. These things are curable and somehow preventable too.

       The people who are suffering form this can tell you the amount and severity of pain. In modern age due to availability of investigating tools, the diagnosis became very easier for us. Kidney stones or renal calculi are solid tiny particles made of crystals. Kidney stones originate in our kidneys, but can found at any point in your Urinary tract. There are four types of stones commonly seen around the globe.

1. Calcium Oxalate stone (Most Common and Most Painful). 
2. Calcium Phosphate stone. 
3. Uric-acid stone (Often associated with Gout). 
4. Triple Phosphate stone

        Among them calcium oxalate is the most common type of stone. Some stones are very common particularly in some families. However, renal stones are more likely to occur if you make less than one litter of urine a day, which means if you are drinking less fluid then you might be the next victim.

     Our kidneys are basically super filter which is more sensitive and accurate in filtration than our aqua-guards and which used to serve us without any repairing or replacing filter candles throughout our life. However, we are responsible for making those vital organs dirty. Simple words those dirty things used to accumulate in one place day after day, layer by layer and finally turn to stones. People, who are not taking balanced diet, often suffers from an imbalance in digestion and metabolism and in that condition more waste products starts to produce. Actually, the salts in the urine solidify and we termed those as calculi.

        Though we are the most intelligent and efficient animal in earth buy our daily habit is more responsible for the formation of renal stones. Do you know excessive Tomato Sauce can also cause renal stone? There are so many such foods around us, which we used to take regularly and may be unknowingly but those are actually causing us such diseases. Again, protein rich diets in excess cause deformity in protein metabolism causes uric acid stone formation. Here we will discuss about all types of stones in a gross under one heading.

Symptoms:

• Pain in the back mainly the renal angles (Back side of the abdomen)Pain even occurs while you try to sleep. Patients feels a pain like some thing piercing with a needle in there back sides even in walking or riding or running this pain can be felt.
• Change in colour of the urine. It may be yellow or reddish. Some times little amount of whitish particles comes out after urination, this whitish particles are sedimentation of urine and mucous and it often associated with cystitis.
• Painful urination ( may be burning), here patients complaints pain during or after urination and always fears of urination and takes less amount fluid which worsen  the case further.
• Pain in Loin, umbilical area, pubic area.
• Pain in urethra,  is seen when the stones stuck some where in the urethra and commonly when any stone is about to come out. In male patients pain is too much and he feels pain in the head of the penis and testicles. Where as in women pain feels around the vagina and the severity of  pain is less in women due to shorter urethra.
• Fever with chill and rigor may present if Urinary tract Infection occurs due to stones.
• Frequent desire for passing urine but only few drops comes out (burning may be present or may not be) and few minutes after patients again develops the same desire use to rush towards washrooms in hurry.
• Haematuria is a condition when blood mixed urine passed by the patients. It is most common in Calcium Oxalate stones because of the structure of the stone. The stone having multiple sharp horns and that causes damage in the mucosal layers of ureter or urethra and the damaged are starts to bleed.
• Weakness is a common symptom when associated with other disorders.
• Indigestion is a very common symptom develops in such cases and often requires a proper attention.

Causes:

• Less intake of fluid throughout the day. (Some people used explain that they use to drink plenty amount of fluid in the early morning but takes very less in the remain hours, which not so much beneficial as it look like, taking an average amount throughout the day is more beneficial than one time huge intake)
• Excessive Calcium rich diet causes the formation of calcium oxalate stone formation. (People who having the history of oxalate stone formation should avoid calcium tablets unless it is advised by physician).
• Excessive fast food and Tomato sauce with meals may cause the formation of stones.
• Excessive red meat and protein rich diet consumption is a major cause of renal calculi.
• Patients suffering from gout can develop uric acid stone very easily if they drink plenty fluid and do not take proper medications.
• Patients suffering from urinary tract infection can easily acquire some stones if they remain untreated for a long time.
• Often seen in women that they used to retain the urine for a prolong time for the unavailability of washroom or social causes which habit pushes them few steps ahead to renal calculi. Therefore, retention of urine can be considered as a major cause of stone formation.
• Urinary stasis is condition where urine can passes smoothly due to narrowing of the urethra or ureter that helps the sedimentations to deposit and helps them to bind together, which further turns to calculi.
• Some families having the trends towards developing renal stones in such families it is common but some protective measures can prevent it.
• Certain drugs also responsible for stone formations.

Interesting Facts About Renal Stones:

• The largest known kidney stone weighed 1.36 kilograms.
• Chances of stone in men is one in ten. 
• Chances of stone formation in women is one in thirty five.
• If u got a stone there is always 5 to 10 percentage chance of re occurring in the next year.
• The shape and size of the stone may tell something about how it was formed.
• Till date over 200 components have been found in renal calculi.
• Most people experience their first kidney stone between the ages of 20 and 40 years.

Helpful Investigations:

• Urine Routine Examination (see crystals and look for red blood cells). 
•  Stool Routine Examination. 
• Ultra Sonography of whole abdomen. 
• Blood for calcium, phosphorus, and electrolyte estimation. 
• Serum Uric Acid. 
• Serum Urea. 
• Serum Creatinine. 
• X-KUB. 
•  I.V.P (Intravenous Pyelogram. 
• Retrograde Pyelogram. 
• CT Scan of Abdomen.
• MRI of Abdomen (Kidneys). 
• Examination of the stone to determine the type

Complications:

• Constipation.
• Hydronephrosis. 
• Sever Haematuria.
• Pain and Anuria. 
• Hypertension. 
• Nephrites.
• Polynephritis.
• Urinary Tract Infection Associated with cystitis and Fever. 
• Changes in normal daily life. 
• Depression seen in complicated and prolong standing cases.

Home Remedies:

• 10 ml Juice of Pashanbheda twice daily. 
• Plenty amount of fluid orally 4/5 litters per day.
• 20 ml Juice of Muli is very effective when taken with Ajwin. 
• 15 ml Punarnava juice is very useful in the cases associated with nephrites or hydronephrosis or urinary tract infection.
• 30 ml Juice of cucumber and carrot is very useful when taken in the morning in empty stomach followed by a healthy diet.
• Kulathi decoction is mentioned in Ayurvedic classis as a fine remedy for renal stones.
• Sugar cane juice is very effective and good for health (not indicated for diabetic patients). 
• Coconut water plays a good rule as a microelement supplement and water source.

Contraindicated Foods & Habits:

•  Tomato, Palak, Cabbage, Spinach, Chikko etc. 
• Strawberry. 
• Chocolate in excess amount.
• Milk Products (as they are rich source of calcium). 
• Red meat. 
• Calcium supplements. 
• Excessive protein (who having gout or diagnosed case of uric calculi). 
• Tobacco smoking. 
• All as a preventive measure should avoid suppression of Urine and Stool.

Medicines:

          The diagnosed cases, where the stone sizes are more than 6 mm in diameter or the stones remains lying in middle or far from calix or kidney outlets or there is a chance of blocking of urine flow then go for surgery. Surgery is the most suitable option for above-mentioned reports.

       However, bellow 6mm and the nearby stones, which having the chances to come out within the normal renal passages can be treated with some medicines. Such medicines act in different mood and use to stop the formation of stone. They also help in the reduction of size of the stones and with the flow of time the stones trends to break in small stones and ultimately they wash out through urine. However, one thing to remember that if fruitful results doesn’t seen even after use of two months then shift the gear and go for some operative measures. The good thing is that in most of the cases there is no need of surgery. Some of the best collections of useful drugs are described here. Nevertheless, before starting medication take an opinion from your concern physician.

• Chandrapravha Vati.
• Yavaskhara
• Punarnavastak Kwath. 
• Shilabadar Churna. 
• Trivikaram Ras. 
• Vrikkasulantak Vati. 
• Sarvatobhadra Vati. 
• Punarnavadhi Mandur. 
• Punarnava risti. 
• Gaukshuradhi Guggulu.
• Swettaparpati. 
• Kaishore Guggulu. 
• Syp. Needing. 
• Tab. Needing. 
• Syp. Flow rine.
• Syp. Alka 5
• Syp. Zotastone. 
• Syp. Flush. 
• Tab. Calculus. 
• Tab. Cyst one. 
• Tab. Distone

Conclusion:

         If we maintain a good balanced diet and a good ratio of food and fluid then we can somehow prevent the renal stones. But in diagnosed cases where the stone is less than 6 mm in diameter with a good position for coming along with all values ( Serum Urea Serum Creatinine level) and Investigations shows no abnormality (Such as Hydronephrosis)  then only go for oral medications. It is a lengthy treatment procedure and not recommended when you are in danger zone.  Otherwise, consult with an Urologist or Nephrologist for better management.

*** Start oral medicines after proper consultation with an Ayurvedic Doctor.