Kidney Problems? Kidney Stones Could Be Your Dilemma

The kidneys are the organs that filter excess protein and waste out of our bloodstream. Having kidney stones can be one of the most painful experiences any person goes through, and they are quite a common kidney problem. The pain when passing a kidney stone is often said to be second only to childbirth. The forms of kidney stones can vary and they may be formed from calcium, struvite, uric acid, and cystine. Combined with other waste products these kidney stones can vary in size, shape, and how they are formed.

The most common types of kidney stones are formed from calcium or struvite. Calcium mixed with phosphate or another substance called oxalate can form kidney stones. Calcium itself is actually a part of every healthy person’s diet and is required for the health of bones and muscles. When the kidneys are filtering the blood effectively, calcium is found in the urine. If the calcium doesn’t get out of the kidneys it can join together with waste products to form kidney stones. The amount of calcium and wastes that combine determine the size of a kidney stone. Struvite kidney stones are known as the infection kidney stone because these only form if there is an active infection in the urinary tract. They are formed from magnesium and ammonia. Some people tend to look at these types of kidney stones as a warning sign, as more severe kidney problems can occur if the urinary tract infection is not treated.

Kidney stones can be treated with medicine to attempt to break them down, but they are not easy to remove. There is a surgical procedure that smashes the kidney stones to make them smaller but to ultimately get them out of your system you have to pass them through your urine. This process can be extremely painful depending on the size of the kidney stones, but passing these stones is the only way you can get rid of them short of surgical removal. The number of stones you have can vary, and the pain usually varies based on their size, but it’s best to get rid of kidney stones if possible so other complications of the kidney do not occur.

Natural treatments for kidney stones include changing your diet to include more nutritious foods such as more vegetables and fruits, and increasing water intake. There are also certain dietary items that are associated with the development of kidney stones, such as red meat, soft drinks, and coffee, which all need to be avoided. What you put into your body affects what comes out. The kidneys are the filter of the blood which includes the nutrients and vitamins that you put in, so by making sure you watch what you put into your body you are preventing waste from building up, ultimately preventing kidney stones and other kidney problems.