What are Kidney Stones?

A kidney stone develops when certain chemicals in your urine form crystals that stick together. The crystals may grow into a stone ranging in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. Most stones form in the kidneys.

Very small stones (called gravel) can pass through the urinary system without causing problems. However, larger stones, when traveling from the kidney through the ureter to the bladder, can cause severe pain.

What causes Kidney Stones?

There are 3 types of stones depending on their composition. The main cause for all three is dehydration. When you become dehydrated, the salts, minerals, and other substances in the urine can stick together and form a stone.

Most stones (70 to 80 percent) are made of calcium oxalate. This can be caused by:

• Taking certain types of supplemental calcium which are not well absorbed by the body (such as calcium carbonate).
• Taking large amounts of antacids (often high in calcium carbonate).
• Not having enough magnesium in your diet. (Magnesium is required in the proper utilization of calcium)
• Taking large doses of Vitamin C (4 grams or more daily), as Vitamin C may increase oxalate excretion.
• Regular consumption of foods high in oxalate content such as; spinach, beets, parsley, swiss chard, vegetables in the cabbage family, rhubarb, blueberries, eggs, nuts, black tea, cocoa and chocolate.

A smaller percentage of kidney stones are made of uric acid or cystine. “The most important risk factor for uric acid crystallization and stone formation is a low urine pH (below 5.5)” (Ferrari & Bonny, 2004).

The pH of urine is usually slightly acidic, around a 6 (anything below 7 is considered acidic, the lower the number the more acidic it is). However, certain types of food can cause it to become more acidic, such as large amounts of proteins (meat and cheese) and whole wheat products. 

Cystine stones are cause by an inherited kidney disorder involving the excretion of the amino acid cystine.

What are the signs and symptoms of Kidney Stones?

Severe pain that usually starts suddenly in the small of the back under the ribs or in the lower abdomen and may move to the groin. Pain may last for minutes or hours, followed by periods of relief.  

In addition to pain, other symptoms include;

 

• Blood in the urine.
• Nausea and vomiting.

How common are Kidney Stones?

According to the Kidney Foundation of Canada “one out of ten Canadians will have a kidney stone at some point in their life. Kidney stones occur much more commonly in men than in women."

http:..www.kidney.ca/page.aspintNodeID=22132 06/09/06.

What health problems are caused by Kidney Stones?

Pyelonephritis is a bacterial infection of the kidneys. It causes chills, fever and pain as well as urinary frequency. Chronic pyelonephritis is often associated with a kidney stone which narrows the urinary passageways, if left untreated it can eventually lead to renal failure.

What can be done to help with Kidney Stones?

From a dietary point of view, reducing consumption of foods that are known to increase the formation of stones will help reduce the risk of kidney stones.  

Ensuring that the urinary system is functioning properly greatly reduces the chances of stone formation. Making sure that area is sterile and alkaline is also plays a vital role. This can be done using the following product.

• Total Kidney Cleanse is a 30 day, two part cleansing program designed to cleanse, sterilize, and alkalize the urinary system.

NOTE: If you currently have kidney stones, do not take Total Kidney Cleanse. It can be used after the stones have passed to avoid future stone formation.