Naturally Preventing and Dissolving Kidney Stones

I’ve heard it described as some of the worst pain ever experienced. Women often report it as being far worse than childbirth and men are often left screaming in agony!

Yet 1 in 20 people will experience the intense pain of kidney stones in their life. What’s even worse, once you have had one kidney stone attack, your chance of recurrence is about 70 to 80 percent!^[1] The prevalence of kidney stones should alarm us. However, it is often far too late before we consider how to avoid them.

Many times kidney stones are so small they are hardly detected. They travel down the urinary tract without a person even noticing. However, some kidney stones grow so large they eventually become lodged in the opening of the urethra. When this happens, kidney stones create awful symptoms:

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  Extreme pain
• Cramps in the back or side
• Frequent urge to urinate
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Excessive sweating

Not all kidney stones are alike. Different dietary and lifestyle choices, as well as other imbalances in the body, can contribute to the formation of these kidney stones.

There Are 4 Different Types of Kidney Stones

1. Calcium kidney stones

These are the most common. Calcium stones often occur in people with high levels of vitamin D or overactive parathyroid glands. People with chronic kidney disease are also more likely to get calcium based kidney stones.

2. Struvite kidney stones

These typically form after a urinary tract infection. They are more common in women, because women get far more UTIs than men. Struvite stones tend to be jagged or stag-horn shaped stones and can become quite big. These stones can actually cause damage to the kidneys.

3. Uric acid kidney stones

Too much uric acid in the urine forms these kinds of kidney stones. This type of stone is far more common in men. A high protein diet can raise the amount of uric acid in the body and cause stones. Because gout occurs from excess uric acid, those with gout have an increased chance of having uric acid kidney stones, as well.

4. Cystine kidney stones

Cystine kidney stones are rare because they are formed from an inherited disease called cystinuria. This condition is typically diagnosed in people at a young age and will be treated throughout their lifetime.

Prevention is key for avoiding painful and inconvenient kidney stones. And overall renal health not only prevents kidney stones, but a host of other urinary problems, diseases and kidney disorders.

Drinking Kidney Stones Away

Preventing kidney stones is neither costly nor difficult. It can ultimately come down to what you drink! The beverages you choose each day can either prevent or promote kidney stone formation.

The most common cause of kidney stones is dehydration. This makes the simple act of drinking water the most important thing you can do to prevent kidney stones! Hydration is key not only in preventing kidney stones, but also for overall healthy renal function.

Dehydration leads to higher levels of toxins and minerals in the kidneys. When there is a lack of water, minerals and toxins aren’t diluted properly and can damage the kidneys as well as form kidney stones.

In order to stay properly hydrated, you should aim to drink at least 8-10 glasses of filtered water a day. However I recommend checking the color of your urine as well to adequately assess hydration.

• Dark amber urine is indicative of dehydration and is concentrated with wastes.
• Bright yellow urine is still too concentrated and shows minimal hydration.
• Pale yellow to clear urine shows the body is adequately hydrated and the urine is properly diluted.

Many shifts in urine color can be explained simply by how hydrated your body is at any given moment. Watch your urine color throughout the day. The goal should be to have pale yellow color to clear urine. If your urine is bright yellow or amber, then you need to drink a few more glasses of water each day.

Also, look out for other characteristics in your urine. If it’s cloudy, then you may have an infection. Blood in the urine may indicate you have a kidney stone or infection.

Drinking extra water dilutes the substances in urine that lead to stones. Strive to drink enough fluids to pass 2 liters of urine a day, which is roughly eight standard 8-ounce cups.^[2]

However, there are additional natural remedies you can add to your water to boost kidney stone prevention!