How To Treat Kidney Stones With Kerala Ayurveda

Introduction

A kidney stone is a hard mass of crystals (deposits of minerals and acid salts) that can form in the inner surface of the kidneys. Kidney stones are also known as Nephrolithiasis. Kidney stones are not hereditary and generally affected 10-12% of the world population.

According to Ayurveda, a Kidney stone is known as Vrukka Ashmari (Vrukka means Kidney and Ashmari mean stone). Kidney stones treatment is different according to the body type of the patient.

Ayurveda says that Tridosha (Vata, pitta, and Kapha) aggravation is the major cause of Kidney Stones.

Vata Dosha: Due to Vata dosha Vata is accumulated in the Vasti (Urinary bladder).

Kapha Dosha: Excessive intake of foods that increases Kapha in the body leads to formations of soft stone with a whitish color.

Pitta Dosha: Under Pitta dosha, black stones are forming due to highly acidic urine.

Main Causes Of Kidney Stones

Major causes of Kidney stones are:

• Inadequate consumption of water is a general cause of Kidney stones.
• Consumption of alcohol leads to Kidney stones because alcohol consumption dehydrates the body.
• Consuming more raw tomatoes causes Kidney stones. Tomatoes contain oxalate which is another reason for forming stones in Kidneys.
• Imbalance of Ph in urine (calcium stones, uric, and Cystine stones). Because people with low Ph in urine lead to acidic urine which promotes Cystine stones.
• The intake of certain antibiotics leads to the deposits of calcium stones.
• People who suffer from Gout have chances to develop Kidney stones too. Because uric acid in the blood is increasing in Gout patients.
• Working for long periods in direct sunlight contributes to stone formations.
• Excessive consumption of caffeine intake causes increased urinary calcium excretion.
• Hypothyroidism is another reason for Kidney stones because of the increase in calcium levels.

There are various reasons which lead to Kidney stone formations. Kidney stones may happen because of certain diseases, certain medications, less intake of water, certain foods, imbalance of Ph in urine, etc.

Remedies For Kidney Stones

Helpful remedies to control Kidney stone disease are:

• Drink more water every day

  Excessive water intake dilutes the substances in urine that cause kidney stones.

• Exercise regularly

  Doing exercise regularly helps to move the stones along naturally.

• Avoid raw foods with seeds

  Seeds are rich in oxalates; hence consumption of raw foods with seeds causes Kidney stones.

• Drink more barley water to dissolve stones

  Barley water helps to remove toxins from kidneys and also helps to maintain Ph levels in the body.

• Consume more calcium-rich foods

  Consume more calcium and oxalate-rich foods because dietary calcium binds to oxalate in your intestines and thereby decreases the amount of oxalate that gets absorbed into the bloodstream and then excreted by the kidney.

• Consume less sodium

  A diet with high calcium increases the chances of calcium kidney stones. Consuming less salt lowers the urine calcium.

There are certain home remedies to prevent Kidney stones such as drinking plenty of water, consuming less salted foods, consuming more calcium-rich foods, avoiding raw foods with seeds, etc. These measures can control Kidney stones to an extent.

Favorable Food List To Prevent Kidney Stone

• Basil juice

  Basil juice is considered a fine remedy to control kidney disease. Basil juice is rich in acetic acid which helps to break down kidney stones and reduces the pain.

• Lemon juice

  Lemon contains citrate, a kind of salt in citric acid that binds to calcium which blocks stone formations.

• Rajma

  Rajma is also known as Kidney beans are rich in Vitamin B helps to dissolve stones and improves the overall functioning of the Kidney.

• Coconut water

  Coconut water is rich in Potassium which helps in urine alkalizing and prevents the formation of stones.

• Watermelon

  Watermelon is rich in potassium and water which helps the healthy functioning of the Kidney.

• Celery juice

  Celery juice is a traditional medicine that helps to remove toxins that cause kidney stones.

• Pomegranate Juice

  Pomegranate is rich in antioxidants which help to flush stones from kidneys.

• Dandelion root juice

  Dandelion root juice is effective in preventing Kidney stone diseases.

• Wheatgrass juice

  Wheatgrass is rich in proteins and antioxidants which increases urine level and helps to remove stones naturally.

• Plenty of water

  Consuming plenty of water dilutes the substances in urine that cause stones.

To control Kidney stones, consumption of certain foods can help like drinking more water, consuming juices of lemon, basil, watermelon, celery, wheatgrass, pomegranate, etc.

Foods To Be Avoided To Control Kidney Stone

• Salt

  Consume less salt, because a more sodium-rich diet leads to an increase in the amount of calcium in the urine.

• Canned foods

  Canned foods contain more oxalate sticks to calcium causes the formation of Kidney stones.

• Tomato seeds

  Tomato seeds contain a rich amount of oxalate which causes Kidney stones.

• Chocolate

  Chocolates are high in oxalates which in turn lead to the formation of Kidney stones.

• Excess consumption of milk

  Excessive calcium intake causes more chances of formation of Kidney stones.

• Red meat

  Consuming more quantity of red meat leads to an increase in the level of uric acid causing kidney stone formation.

• Tiny seed foods

  Seeds are rich in oxalate and lead to the formation of calcium oxalate stones.

There are certain foods that we need to avoid to control Kidney stones such as consumption of red meat, consumption of tiny seed foods, excess consumption of milk, consumption of canned foods and chocolates, excess consumption of salt, etc.

Symptoms Of Kidney Stone Are

Common symptoms of Kidney Stores are,

• The frequent sensation of urination

  People who suffer from Kidney stones have the frequent sensation of urination because the stone moved into the lower part of the urinary tract.

• Heaviness in breathing

  Kidney stone or kidney failure builds fluids in the lungs which leads to heaviness in breathing.

• Nausea and vomiting

  Nausea and vomiting is a common symptom of people with kidney stones because of the nerve connections between the kidneys and GI (Gastrointestinal) tract.

• Feeling bloated

  When the stone passes through the narrow ureter and beyond, causes pain which leads to gastric discomfort.

• Restlessness

  People who suffer severe Kidney stones always feel restlessness because of the intense pain which lasts for long hours in the back and abdomen.

• Fever and chills

  Fever and chills are another symptom of Kidney stones and occur when there is an increase in a Kidney infection.

• Acute pain in the abdomen or back region

  When the stone is stuck in the ureters which prevent the smooth flow of urine that causes severe pain in the abdomen or back region.

• Urinary bleeding

  Urinary bleeding is common in people who suffer urinary tract stones.

• Yellow or reddish-yellow colored urine

  Urochrome is a pigment that is filtered out by the Kidney from the bloodstream and exists in urine is the major cause of yellow-colored urine.

• Pain in the bladder and Urethra

  When stones move into the narrow ureter, people feel pain in the bladder and Urethra.

• Burning sensation during urination

  When the stone reaches a point where the ureter and bladder meet, we may feel a burning sensation during urination.

There are various symptoms in which we can identify Kidney stones very easily. Some of them are Pain and difficulty in urination, burning sensation during urination, urinary bleeding, acute pain in the abdomen or back region, fever and chills, pain in the bladder and Urethra, etc. If you find any of these symptoms, consult a medical practitioner immediately.

Different Types Of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones can be of different types. They are,

• Calcium stones

  Calcium stones are the most common type of stone formed from calcium combined with oxalate and phosphate.

• Uric acid stones

  Uric acid stones are comparatively softer than other stones and arise due to high purine intake drugs or high cell turnover especially found in patients with gout.

• Struvite Stones

  Struvite stones are arisen due to chronic urinary tract infections.

• Cystine stones

  Cystine stones contain high sulfur content, so Cystine stones are very difficult to find out through X-rays. The stones look like crystals and are very rare.

Calcium stone, Cystine stone, Struvite stone, and Uric acid stones are different forms of Kidney stones.

Diagnosis Of Kidney Stones

General ways to detect Kidney stones are,

• Urine Test

  A urine test helps to detect stone-forming minerals in your urine that can form Kidney stones.

• CT scan

  CT scan is more advanced and can take a picture from different angles. CT scan is more used in emergency cases mostly.

• X-ray

  X-rays can find out stones in Kidneys to an extent.

Urine tests, CT scans, and X-rays are the common methods to detect Kidney stones.

Ayurveda Treatment Of Kidney Stones

The treatment of Kidney stones is based on the size and type of stone. Small stones can be treated easily by drinking plenty of water.

Larger stones cannot be removed easily because the stones are stuck in the rental tube.

Ayurveda recommends certain medications that have specific pharmacological properties of Chedana (Cutting /Breaking), Bhedana (Splitting), Lekhana (Scarification), and Mutrala (Diuretic) for alleviating pain and disintegrating the stones. These include:

• Ghrita (Medicated ghee)

  Ghrita is an herbal cow ghee form is used in Panchakarma as well as chronic diseases like a kidney stone.

• Taila (Medicated oil)

  Consuming medical oil with a mix of various herbs can cure Kidney stones to an extent.

• Paneeya Kshara (medicated Alkali preparation)

  Paneeya Kshara reduces crystal formation in the urine of uric acid.

According to Ayurveda, proper control of Ahar (healthy diet) and Vihar (lifestyle) can also prevent the occurrence of Kidney stones.

Small Kidney stones can be controlled through proper management of Ahar (diet) and Vihar (Lifestyle). If the size of the stone is very big, Ayurvedic remedies are there for treating Kidney stones are Ghrita, Taila, and Paneeya Kshara.

Conclusion

All the information above is collected from various Ayurvedic books and always consult an Ayurvedic practitioner before starting any herbs or herbal medicines.