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Kidney Stones
The formation of stones in the kidneys or urinary tract is a fairly common
disorder. The stones are formed from the chemicals usually found in the urine
such as uric acid, phosphorous, calcium and oxalic acid. They may vary in
consistency from grit, sand and gravel-like obstructions to the size of the
bird’s eggs. Stones may form and grow because the concentration of a
particular substance in a urine exceeds its solubility. This disorder occurs
more frequently in middle age, with men being afflicted more often than women.
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, lying below the waist on either side
of the spinal column on the back wall of the abdomen. They are soft, reddish
brown in colour, and, on an average, measure 10 cm. in length, 6 cm. in width
and is 2.5 cm. thick at its centre. They are filtering plants for purifying
the blood, removing water and salts from it which are passed into the bladder
as urine.
Symptoms
Kidney stones usually cause severe pain in their attempt to pass down the
ureter on their way to the bladder. The pain is first felt in the side and
thereafter in the groin and thighs. Other symptoms of kidney stones are a
desire to urinate frequently, painful urination , scanty urination, nausea,
vomiting, sweating, chills and shocks. The patient may also pass blood with
the urine. Sometimes, large stones may remain in the kidneys without causing
any trouble and these are known as silent stones.
Causes
The formation of stones in the kidneys is the result of defects in the
general metabolism. They usually occur when the urine becomes highly
concentrated due to heavy perspiration or insufficient intake of fluids. They
are aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle. The other causes are wrong diet,
excess intake of acid-forming foods, white flour and sugar products, meat,
tea, coffee, condiments and spices, rich foods and overeating. Lack of vitamin
A and an excessive intake of vitamin B may also lead to formation of stones.
Types of Stones
Chemically, urinary stones are of two categories, namely, primary stones
and secondary stones. Primary stones are ordinarily not due to infection and
are formed in acidic urine. They usually result from alcoholism, sedentary
life, constipation and excessive intake of nitrogeneous or purine-rich foods.
Secondary stones are due to local infection and are formed in alkaline urine.
Most kidney stones are composed either of calcium oxalate or phosphate, the
latter being most common in the presence of infection. About 90 per cent of
all stones contain calcium as the chief constituent. More than half of these
are mixtures of calcium , ammonia, and magnesium, phosphates and carbonates,
while the remainder contain oxalate. Uric acid and cystine stones represent
about four percent and one per cent respectively of the total incidence of
stones.
Treatment
A majority of patients suffering from kidney stones can be treated
successfully by proper dietary regulations. These regulations will also
prevent a recurrence of the symptoms. Only a few cases require surgery. The
patient should avoid foods which irritate the kidneys, to control acidity or
alkalinity of the urine and to ensure adequate intake of fluids to prevent the
urine from becoming concentrated. The foods considered irritants to the
kidneys are alcoholic beverages, condiments, pickles, certain vegetables like
cucumbers, raddishes, tomatoes, spinach, rhubarb, water-cress and those with
strong aroma such as asparagus, onions, beans,cabbage and cauliflower, meat,
gravies and carbonated waters. In calcium phosphate stones, over -secretion of
parathyroid hormone causes loss of calcium from the bones resulting in a high
blood level of calcium with increased excretion of calcium in the urine. An
abnormally high intake of milk, alkalies or vitamin D may also result in the
formation of calcium phosphate stones. For controlling the formation of
calcium phosphate stones, a moderately low calcium and phosphorous diet should
be taken The intake of calcium and phosphates should be restricted to minimal
levels consistent with maintaining nutritional adequacy. The maintenance level
of calcium is 680 mg. and of phosphorous 1000 mg. In this diet, milk should
constitute the main source of calcium and curd or cottage cheese, lentils and
groundnuts should form the main sources of phosphorous. Foods which should be
avoided are whole wheat flour, Bengal gram, peas, soyabeans, beets, spinach,
cauliflower, turnips, carrots, almonds and coconuts.
When stones are composed of calcium and magnesium phosphates and
carbonates, the diet should be so regulated as to maintain acidic urine.
Insuch a diet, only half a litre of milk, two servings of fruits and two
servings of vegetables ( 200 grams) should be taken. The vegetables may
consist of asparagus, fresh green peas, squash,pumpkins, turnips, cauliflower,
cabbage and tomatoes. For fruits, watermelon, grapes, peaches, pears,
pineapple, papayas and guavas may be taken. On the other hand the urine should
be kept alkaline if oxalate and uric acid stones are being formed. In this
diet, fruits and vegetables should be liberally used and acid-forming foods
should be kept to the minimum necessary for satisfactory nutrition. When the
stones contain oxalate, foods with high oxalic acid content should be avoided.
These foods include almonds, beetroots, brinjal, brown bread, cabbage, cherry,
chocolate, French Beans, potatoes, radish, spinach and soyabeans.
Uric stones occur in patients who have an increased uric acid in the blood
and increased uric acid exertion in the urine. Since uric acid is an end
product of purine metabolism, foods with a high purine content such as sweet
bread, liver and kidney should be avoided.
Kidney beans, also known as French beans or common beans, are regarded as a
very effective remedy for kidney problems, including kidney stones. It was Dr.
Ramm of Germany, who first discovered the value of kidney beans as a medicine
for kidney and bladder troubles. He employed it for over 25 years with
beneficial results. The method prescribed by him to prepare the medicine is to
remove the beans inside the pods, then slice the pods and put about 60 mg. in
four litres of hot water, boiling slowly for four hours. This liquid should be
strained through fine muslin and then allowed to cool for about eight hours.
Thereafter, the fluid should be poured through another piece of muslin without
stirring. According to Dr. Ramm, a glassful of this decoction should be given
to the patient every two hours through the day for one day, and thereafter it
may be taken several times a week. Dr. Ramm also says that this decoction will
not work if it is more than 24 hours old. The pods can be
kept for longer periods but once they are boiled, the therapeutic factor
disappears after one day. The basil, known as tulsi inthe vernacular, has a
strengthening effect on the kidneys. In case of kidney stones, basil juice and
honey should betaken for six months. It has been found that the stones can be
expelled from the urinary tract with this treatment. The celery is also a
valuable food for those who are prone to stone formation in the kidneys or the
gall bladder. Its regular use prevents future tone formation. Research has
shown the remarkable therapeutic success of vitamin B6 or pyridoxine in the
treatment of kidney stones. This treatment has to be continued for several
months for obtaining a permanent cure. The patient should take a low protein
diet, restricting protein to one gram per kg. of food. A liberal intake of
fluid upto 3,000 ml. or more daily is essential to prevent the production of
urine at the concentration level where the salts precipitate out. The patient
should be given a large hot enema, followed by a hot bath with a temperature
of 100 o F,
gradually increased to 112 o F. The head should be kept cold with cold application. Hot
fomentation applied across the back in the region of the kidneys will relieve
the pain. Certain yogasanas such as pavan-muktasana, uttanpadasana,
bhujangasana, dhanursana and halasana are also highly beneficial as they
stimulate the kidneys.
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