Kidney Stones

I’m relating from the point of view of one who has witnessed family members experiencing this problem.

As I understand it, kidney stones are formed from a build-up of unprocessed cells or bacteria and various minerals in our bodies. When the concentration of these minerals in the urine gets too high, crystals can form and become stones. Some common types you may have heard of are:

Calcium oxalate stones, (most common type), are due to an abnormal concentration of foods high in oxalate in our digestive system. Some foods high in oxalate are chocolate, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and dark green vegetables. You may have to eat these in moderation and take a calcium supplement. Doc said switching from black pepper to white pepper when preparing meals can also help.

Uric acid stones are formed when the pH of the urine becomes too acidic. Some highly acidic foods include alcohol, coffee, vinegar and beef. Adding more alkaline foods to the diet can help such as broccoli, lettuce, parsley and cucumber.

Struvite stones may occur due to recurring urinary tract infections. Surgery is the primary way to remove these types of stones. You can have UTI anywhere along the urinary tract. It may be in the bladder, kidneys, and urethras or even in the ureters. If you suffer from recurring UTI’s you should talk to your doctor about this.

Men, I’m sorry but you are more likely to get kidney stones than women. Also, once you have had one you have about a 75% chance of them recurring. It’s possible you may have had them and passed them when urinating and didn’t even know it. That means the stones were probably as small as a tiny grain of sand that didn’t cause you any pain during urination.

If the stones are larger then, watch out, you may be in for a day or two of really excruciating pain. You may feel it in your lower back, your side, the groin area, your thigh or even up an entire leg. You see the large stones can block the urethra and as the stones move along they damage the lining of the organ thereby causing the pain you feel. It may also cause a little blood to appear in the urine. A doctor can administer an injection to soften the stone to lessen or eliminate the discomfort during the process.

Most of these stones pass naturally but if you are experiencing severe pain, you can do as a member of my family did. Family member X went to see his doctor, who administered an injection, gave him some pain medication and told him to drink at least 12 cups of water throughout the day to help to speed up the process. After a couple days of this he apparently passed the stone without knowing he did.

You should try to catch the stone when it passes so that your doctor can have it analyzed to see what it is made of. How do you do that? Try urinating into a container for the duration. With the results of the composition of the stone, you will have a better idea of what foods to minimize or eliminate from your diet and the foods you need to include.

By my ramblings I am by no means saying that you should stay home and treat yourself. You should seek the advice of your doctor in case you have complications and definitely if you see mucus excretions which could be a sign of infection.

Here's a picture I took of a calcium stone measuring 2mm in diameter

2mm Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stone