Overview
If you have ever experienced kidney stone pain, you know how unbearable it is.
Kidney stones are very common and if you ever had kidney stones, the chances of having them again are very high.
The kidneys remove the excess minerals, urea, and waste from the body. These minerals can crystallize to form stones.
Kidney stones occur in the kidney(s) and other parts of the urinary tract like the ureter, urethra, or bladder.
Small kidney stones can easily pass through the urinary tract and are excreted out through the urine without showing any symptoms. Larger stones cause problems and may be lodged in the ureter or other parts of the urinary tract and cause severe pain, infection, and spasms.
Removing or flushing out the kidney stones is the only cure.
Doctors may recommend medications to dissolve the kidney stones. However, certain stones that are big in size cannot be dissolved. Doctors recommend treatments like extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) or surgery.
How are kidney stones formed and what are their symptoms?
Kidney stones are hardened, pebble-like deposits that form in the kidneys. Other names of kidney stones are renal calculi, nephrolithiasis, or urolithiasis.
In the absence of enough urine, the salts, minerals, calcium, and other waste components in the urine may crystallize and form hard stones. These are known as kidney stones.
The stones are generally brown and yellow in colour. They can be smooth or rough in texture.
Some stones can be very tiny in size like sand grains or very tiny pebbles, while others can be larger.
Small kidney stones can travel easily through the urine while larger ones can get stuck and cause excruciating pain and other symptoms. Complications include severe infection and kidney damage.
What are the common symptoms of kidney stones?
The common symptoms of having kidney stones are generally intense pain and difficulty in urination.
Here are some common symptoms:
- Sharp, abdominal cramps
- Pain in the side and the back
- Burning sensation while urinating
- Difficulty in urination
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Some men may feel some pain at the penis tip
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Cloudy urine
- Foul smell in the urine
- Blood in urine
- Fever
- chills
How quickly can kidney stones pass?
The passage of kidney stones depends on two important factors such as:
Size of the stone
The size of the stone is one of the determining factors in how quickly you can pass the kidney stone and how painful it can be.
It is estimated that kidney stones that are less than 4 mm in size can pass by themselves within 30 days. Stones that range between 4 to 6 mm in size can take 40 to 45 days to pass. Larger stones that are more than 6 mm in size may take a few months or even a year.
For larger stones, doctors may recommend a surgical removal.
Location of the stone
This is another key factor that determines whether you will be able to pass the stones naturally or not.
Kidney stones can form in the kidneys, near the bladder, the ureter, or the urethra.
Research shows that kidney stones that form near the bladder or inside the kidneys can pass quickly without intervention.
Stages of kidney stone formation and passing
The formation and natural passing of kidney stones occur in four stages. The stages vary from the initial formation of the stones to the final passage of stones from the body.
Stage 1 – formation of kidney stones
Kidney stone formation is a painless phenomenon. Most people realize that they have kidney stones when the stones detach from the kidney and try to move out. This causes spasms and extreme pain along with fever, chills, muscle pain, etc.
The spasms occur as your kidney tries to pass out the stones. Spasms can occur one to four times in an hour and will subside once the stones have moved out of the kidney. Once the stones have passed, your body will relax.
Stage 2 – passing through the ureter
Once the kidney stones exit the kidney they move towards the ureter. It is a thin tube-like structure that connects the kidney to the bladder. This is also a tough stage and can be very painful.
If the stones are as big as 2-3 mm, you can feel the passage of stones and a throbbing pain as the stones scrape the ureter walls.
If the stone(s) get stuck in the ureter, you can experience an unpleasant buildup of pressure in the urinary tract.
Stage 3 – entry into the bladder
This is the third stage when the stones leave the ureter and enter the bladder. At this juncture, the pain will subside considerably or will be gone.
At this point, your body is trying to expel the stones through urine. You will feel a continuous urge to urinate almost every five minutes.
In case, the stones get stuck in the urethral opening, you have to wait for another 5-10 minutes for the stones to return to the bladder to urinate again.
Stage 4 – the stones exit the body
This is the final stage. Here, you need to put some effort into passing the stones.
You have to push hard to bring the kidney stones near the urethral opening until they break into smaller pieces and are excreted through urine.
Exerting pressure in the bladder will help in urination. This stage is less painful.
Stop your suffering NOW
Don't just jump into a surgery because your doctor is advising you to go for it. Consult our doctors to know if you need a surgery at all. Rest assured, we WON'T recommend you surgery unless it's the last resort.
How do you feel when you pass kidney stones?
You may not notice any pain while passing smaller kidney stones. However, people who have passed larger kidney stones, often describe the pain as that of giving birth or worse.
While passing larger stones, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Sudden, severe onset of pain in the abdomen, back, or the sides
- Fluctuating pain that grows in intensity
- Pain during urination
- Blood in urine
- Frequent and urgent need to urinate
- Fever
- Chills
- Vomiting
- Nausea sensation
High fever and chills may indicate urinary tract infection and one should immediately seek medical intervention.
What can help to pass the kidney stones more quickly?
Here are a few ways that can help you to pass the kidney stones on your own:
- Drinking water and staying hydrated. Drinking lots of water helps to flush out the kidney stones more easily. It increases the liquid in the urine and prevents stone formation
- Avoid caffeinated beverages, sodas, alcohol or sugary drinks
- Drink fresh lemon juice. Squeeze some pure lemon juice in water, add some honey, and drink the juice. Lemon juice contains citric acids that break the stones and help to dissolve them
- Make movements. Since you are in pain, you may not want to move around. However, moving around or walking can help the stones to move
- Apply heat to ease the pain. Heat pads or a warm bath can relieve the pain
- OTC (over-the-counter) painkillers reduce inflammation and pain
How to dissolve kidney stones naturally?
There are some home remedies that can help in dissolving kidney stones naturally.
Lemon juice
Lemon juice along with water and honey is a great way to dissolve kidney stones. Some people also add olive oil to the juice to dissolve the stones.
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is high in citric acid and can help in dissolving the stones. It should be dissolved in water and not taken raw. The best way to have apple cider vinegar is to take two tablespoons of vinegar and add it with 6-8 ounces of water. It is best that you drink it before meals.
Basil juice
Basils are rich in antioxidants and help to reduce pain and inflammation. Basil juice can be taken with water or some green tea.
Wheatgrass juice
Wheatgrass juice has antioxidants and they help to pass the stones easily. They dissolve the stones and prevent calcium deposit formation in the urinary tract.
Celery root juice
They remove toxins and prevent kidney stone formation.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a mile diuretic and helps to flush out kidney stones through urine.
Other fruits
A lot of fresh fruits like oranges, watermelons, and cucumbers, are high in water content and help in passing kidney stones.
Final words
Preventive care is the most effective way to stop kidney stone formation. Avoid dehydration. Drink lots of fluids in your daily diet. Eat foods that are rich in fiber, magnesium, and calcium.
Natural home remedies can help in dissolving and flushing kidney stones to some extent. However, if the symptoms aggravate and it is too painful, consult a doctor without any delay.
Sometimes there are too many complications and the size of the kidney stones is larger and may need medical treatment and even surgery.
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