Kidney stones and Homeopathy

              Kidney stones and Homeopathy

   Kidney stones are small masses of salt and minerals that form inside the kidneys and may travel down the urinary tract. Kidney stones are hard collections of salt and minerals often made up of calcium or uric acid. They form inside the kidney and can travel to other parts of the urinary tract. 

   Stones vary in size. Some are as small as the period at the end of this sentence a fraction of an inch. Others can grow to a few inches across. Some kidney stones can become so large they take up the entire kidney. 

   A kidney stone forms when too much of certain minerals in your body accumulate in your urine. When you aren't well hydrated your urine becomes more concentrated with higher levels of certain minerals. When mineral levels are higher it's more likely that a kidney stone will form. 

 About 1 out of every 11 people in the United States will get a kidney stone. Stones are more common in men, people in men, people who are obese, and those who have diabetes. 

 Smaller kidney stones that remain in the kidney often don't cause any symptoms. You might not notice anything is amiss until the stone moves into your ureter, the tube that urine travels through to get from your kidney to your bladder. Kidney stones are typically very painful. Most stones will pass on their own without treatment. However, you may need a procedure to break up or remove stones that don't pass. 

Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Stones: 

Pain in the back, belly or side: 

  Kidney stone pain is also known as renal colic, is one of the most severe types of pain imaginable. Some people who've experienced kidney stones compare the pain to childbirth or getting stabbed with a knife. The pain is intense enough to account for more than 1 million visits to emergency rooms every year. Usually, the pain starts when a stone moves into the narrow ureter. This causes a blockage, which makes pressure buildup in the kidney. 

 The pressure activates nerve fibers that transmit pain singles to the brain, kidney stone pain often starts suddenly. As the stone moves the pain changes location and intensity. Pain often comes and goes in waves, which is made worse by the ureters contracting as they try to push the stone out. Each wave may last for a few minutes, disappear, and then back again. You'll feel the pain along your side and neck, below your ribs. It may radiate to your belly and groin area as the stone moves down through your urinary tract. 

 Large stones can be more painful than small ones, but the severity of pain doesn't necessarily create the size of the stone. Even a little stone can be painful as it moves or causes a blockage. 

Pain during urination: 

 Once the stone reaches the junction between the ureter and bladder, you'll start to feel pain when you urinate. Your doctor might call this dysuria. The pain can feel sharp or burning. If you don't know you have a kidney stone, you might mistake it for a urinary tract infection. Sometimes you can have an infection along with the stone. 

Urinary urgency: 

 Needing to go to the bathroom more urgently or frequently than usual is another sign that the stone has moved into the lower part of your urinary tract. You may find yourself running to the bathroom, or needing to go constantly throughout the day and night. 

Blood in the urine: 

 Blood in the urine is a common symptom in people with urinary tract stones, this symptom is also called hematuria. The blood can be red, pink, or brown. Sometimes the blood cells are too small to see without a microscope (called microscopic hematuria), but your doctor can test for this symptoms. 

Cloudy or smelly urine: 

 Healthy urine is clear and doesn't have a strong odor. Cloudy or foul-smelling urine could be a sign of an infection in your kidneys or another part of your urinary tract. One study found that about 8 percent of people with acute kidney stones had a urinary tract infection. Cloudiness is a sign of pus in the urine or pyuria. The smell can come from the bacteria that cause urinary tract infections. An odor may also come from urine that more concentrated than normal.

Going a small amount at a time: 

 Large kidney stones sometimes get stuck in a ureter. This blockage can slow or stop the flow of urine. If you have a blockage, you may only urinate a little bit each time you go. Urine flow that stops entirely is a medical emergency.  

Nausea and vomiting: 

It's common for people with a kidney stone to have nausea and vomiting. These symptoms happen because of shared nerve connections between the kidney and GI tract. Stones in the kidneys can trigger nerves in the GI tract, setting off an upset stomach. 

Fever and Chills: 

 Fever and chills are signs that you have an infection in your kidney or another part of your urinary tract. This can be a serious complication to a kidney stone. It can be a sign of other serious problems besides kidney stones. Any fever with pain requires urgent medical attention. 

Cause of kidney stones: 

. Hyperexcretion of relatively insoluble urinary constituents such as oxalates, calcium, uric acid, cystine and certain drugs.
. Physiological changes in urine such as urinary pH, colloid content, decreased the concentration of crystalloids. Urinary magnesium/calcium ratio. 

. Alternate urinary crystalloids and colloids: 

 a. Either there is an increase in the crystalloid level or a fall in the colloid level. urinary stones may be formed. 
 b. If there is any modification of the colloids e.g. they lose their solvent action or adhesive property, urinary stones may develop. 

The decreased urinary output of citrate: 

Vitamin A deficiency: 

  The desquamated cells from nidus for stone formation. This is more applicable to bladder stones. 

Urinary infection: 

 Infection disturbs the colloid content of the urine, also causes abnormality in the colloids. Infection also changes urinary pH and also causes an increase in the concentration of crystalloids. 

Urinary stasis: 

 It causes a shift of the pH of the urine to the alkaline side, predisposes urinary infection, and all allows the crystalloids to precipitate. 

Hyperparathyroidism: 

 Due to overproduction of parathormone, the bones become decalcified and calcium concentration in the urine is increased. This extra calcium may be deposited in the renal tubules or in the pelvis to form renal calculus. 

Prolonged immobilization:

Nidus of stone formation: 

Predisposing factors: 

Environmental and dietary factors: 

. Low urine volumes
. High ambient temperatures
. Low fluid intake. 
. Diet
. High protein intake
. High sodium
. Low calcium
. High sodium excretion
. High oxalate exertion
. High urate excretion
. Low citrate excretion. 

Other medical conditions: 

Hypercalcemia of any cause, ileal disease or resection(leading to increased oxalate absorption and urinary excretion). Renal tubular acidosis type I. 

Congenital and inherited conditions: 

Familial hypercalciuria
Medullary sponge kidney
Cystinuria
Renal tubular acidosis type I
Primary hyperoxaluria

Types of renal calculi: 

Basically, the renal stones can be divided into two major groups
. Primary stones
. Secondary stones. 

Primary stones: 

They appear in apparently healthy urinary tract without any antecedent inflammation. 

. Calcium oxalate. 
. Uric acid calculi
. Xanthine calculi
. Indigo calculi

Secondary stones: 

They are usually formed as the result of inflammation. 

. Triple phosphate calculus.
. Mixed stones. 

Investigations: 

. Blood examination
. Urinalysis
. Radiography
 1. Straight X-ray
 2. Excretory urogram.
. Ultrasonography.
. Computed tomography. 
. Renal Scan.
. Cystoscopy.
. Stone analysis. 

The following investigations are appropriate in bilateral and recurrent stone formers: 

. Serum calcium, measured fasting on the three occasions to exclude hyperparathyroidism. 
. Serum uric acid. 
. Urinary urate, calcium, and phosphate in a 24-hour collection. The urine should also be screened for cystine. 
. Analysis if any stone passed. 

General management: 

 The general measures or advice which should be given to the patient regardless of the type of stone are: 
. Fluid intake should be high at all times. Fluid should be taken at bedtime so that nocturia will occur. This will prevent dehydration. 
. Avoidance of milk, cheese and a great deal of calcium should be advised. If renal function is satisfactory, sodium cellulose phosphate 5 g. T.D.S. with meals should be prescribed to reduce calcium absorption. 
. Urine should be kept acid all the time. Alkalies should be prohibited or used in lesser quantities in those patients who are suffering from peptic ulcer. 
. Vitamin D should be stopped or used in very low quantity. Patient with hyperuricemia should avoid red meats, offal, and fish, which are rich in purines, and should receive treatment with allopurinol. 
. Eggs, meat, and fish are high in sulphur containing proteins and should be restricted to a patient with cystinuria. 

Homeopathy Treatment: 

 Homeopathy treats the person as a whole, it means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. The homeopathic medicines are selected after a full individualizing examination and case-analysis, which includes the medical history of the patient, physical and mental constitution etc. 

 A miasmatic tendency is also often taken into account for the treatment of the chronic condition. The medicines given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete and definite guide to the treatment of this condition. the symptoms listed against each medicine may not be directly related to this disease because of homeopathy general symptoms and constitutional indications are taken into account for selecting a remedy. To study any of the following remedies in more detail. 
 None of these medicines should be taken without professional advice. 

Argentum Nit: 

 " Nephralgia from the congestion of kidneys or passage of calculi, Dull aching in small of the back and over the bladder. Urine dark contains blood or deposit of renal epithelium and uric acid, passed often and little at a time, it drops. Urine burns while passing and urethra feels swollen, face dark, dried-up look. Arg-nit craves sweet and sugar, which disagree. Suffers from anticipation, hurry, flatulent dyspepsia. 

Belladonna: 

 renal calculi with sharp, shooting pains. Come suddenly, crampy straining along ureter, during the passage of calculus. Feverish and excitable, irritation and clutching and spasm where there are little circular fibers in small canals-as in gall-stones or in renal calculi. Bell is red and hot and dry hypersensitive, especially to jarring. Bell pains come and go suddenly. 

Benzoic - Acid: 

 Nephritic colic with offensive urine. Urine deep-red, of strong odor-dark brown, smell cadaverous, putrid. Urine alternately thick like pea-soup, then clear like water. But patient feels better when it is clear and scanty. Highly intensified curious odor.  

Berberis: 

 Excellent remedy for renal calculi, pains shoot, radiate from a point. Cannot make the least motion, site over to the painful side for relief. Sharp darting pains the following ureter and extending down into legs. Pains runup into kidneys and down into the bladder. Formation of little calculi like pin-heads in the pelvis of the kidney, start to go down to the bladder, with great suffering. You will be astonished to know how quickly berberis will relieve this particular colic. Anything that is spasmodic can be relived instantly, kent, burning and soreness, lumbar, in the region of kidneys. Cannot bear any touch. Urine dark, turbid, with copious sediment, slow to flow, but constantly urging. May be associated with biliary calculi. 

Calcarea Carb: 

 Gravel, urinary calculi, in a calc. patient, chilly cold sweating feet, sweating face, head sweats at night. Often fat, flabby and weak. Lethargic longs for eggs. 

Cantharis: 

 One of the best remedies during the paroxysms of renal colic. Pain and excitement found in no other remedy. Pains lancinating, cutting, stabbing, like knives, shoot off in different directions. Burning pain, with intolerable urging to urinate. Tenesmus sits and strains and gets no relief if he could only pass a few drops more urine he would get relief, but no relief comes. Intolerable urging, before with and after urination. Violent pain in the bladder (cystitis). Thirst, with an aversion to all fluids. The burning pain and intolerable urging to urging to urinate point to canth. in all inflammatory diseases of others parts. 

Chimaphila Umb: 

 Constant pain in the region of kidneys, fluttering sensation in kidneys. Catarrh of the bladder caused by a stone. Smarting pain from the neck of the bladder to end of the urethra. Great quantities of thick, ropy, bloody mucus in urine. urine color of green tea. Queer symptoms, feel as if sitting on a ball. Worse damp weather, washing in cold water. 

Hydrangea: 

 Has been used for the intense pain of gravel and calculus, relieves distress from renal calculus, with soreness kidney region and bloody urine. The thirstiest plant is known(diabetes). 

Hydrastis: 

 Dull aching in kidney region, intense pain in left ureter, frequent, scanty urination, with burning at the end of it. Thick, ropy, mucous sediment in urine. 

Ipomea Nil: 

 For the passage of stone from the kidney to bladder, with severe cutting in either renal region, extending down the ureter, pains excite nausea. 

Lachesis: 

 Stitches in kidneys extend down through ureters, pain in the left lumbar region, pain and tenderness left the iliac region. Intolerance of pressure. Lifts clothing from the abdomen. Extremely sensitive to touch, especially about throat and abdomen. Left side ailments. Worse for sleep, worse on waking, sleeps into an aggravation. 

Lithium Carb: 

 Kent's repertory gives lithium-Carb, in black type for renal calculi. Curious symptoms, pains in the heart when urinating, when bending over, heavy deposits, urine, dark, reddish brown. Soreness and sharp sticking pain right side of the bladder. 

Lycopodium: 

 Usually, right-sided pain extends along ureter and ends in the bladder, not down leg,back-ache > by urination. The lathic acid in urine. Red sand in clear urine. Characteristics of Lyc. The desire for sweets and hot drinks.All symptoms< 4-8 p.m. hunger but fullness after a little food. Distension must loosen clothing. 

Nitric Acid: 

 Urinary calculi when the urine contains oxalic acid, and for oxalic acid calculi. Fetid urine of intolerable odor, or smells like a horse's urine. May feel cold as passed. Typical Nit-ac craves salt and fats. Has splinters pains < touch. 

Nux-Vomica: 

 Indicated in renal colic when one kidney(especially the right) is the seat of the disease. Pains extend to genitalia and down leg, with nausea and vomiting. renal colic, especially when each pain shoots to the rectum and urges to stool. Must strain to urinate, the bladder is full and urine dribbles away, yet when he strains it ceases to dribble. Renal colic is caused by a stone in the ureter, which by its irritation causes a spasmodic clutching of the little circular fibers of the canal, the proper medicine relaxes these fibers, and the pressure from behind forces these calculi out at once. The Nux patient is hypersensitive, mentally and physically, choleric irascible, quick and active generally lean, chilly. 

Ocimum can: 

 Renal colic where there is a considerable hemorrhage. Urine has brick-dust sediment and considerable blood. Clarke says used in Brazil as a specific for diseases of kidneys, bladder, and urethra. Renal colic with violent vomiting every fifteen minutes wrings the hands and moans all the time. Urine saffron color, or thick purulent, with an intolerable smell of musk. 

Pareira Brava: 

 Renal colic. Excruciating pain radiates from left kidney to the groin, follows the course of the ureter. Excessive pain in kidneys shoots down the left ureter, urine passes drop by drop with violent tenesmus, nausea, vomiting of bile. Constant urging to urinate pain extorts screams. Must go down on all fours to urinate. Almost touches the floor with forehead in order to be able to pass urine. With treaing, burning pains at the point of the penis. The copious sediment of uric acid and blood. Thick, stringy, white mucus, or red sand. 

Phosphorus: 

 Dull pain in renal region. Renal calculi, congestive and inflammatory symptoms, with purulent, chalky or sandy sediment. Phos craves cold food, ices, salt can't lie on left side. Fear of thunder darkness. 

Sarsaparilla: 

 Excruciating neuralgia if the kidneys. Renal colic, passes gravel, vesical calculi. Tenesmus without sensation. While sand in scanty, slimy is flaky urine or red sand in clear urine. Renal and vesical calculi. Kent says this medicine has many times dissolved a stone in the bladder, it so changes the character of the urine that it is no longer possible for the stone to build up, and it grows smaller by continually dissolving off from the surface. Curious symptom, urine only passes freely when standing, hot food and drink aggravated all the complaints but wants heat applied externally. After the remedy has been given there is a deposit of sand in the urine, which should not be stopped. 

Silicea: 

 Renal and vesical calculus, involuntary discharge of urine after urination. Constant urging. Nightly incontinence. Silicea is a weak mind and body lacks grit. Worse cold feet, damp feet, checked sweat. Often offensive foot-sweat or suppressed. 

Tabacum: 

 Pains down the ureter with deathly sickness and cold sweat. Nausea with burning heat in the abdomen the rest of the body is cold. Patient persists in uncovering the abdomen. Such sickness suggests tab, in renal colic.