Kidney Stones: Causes, Ayurvedic Treatment & Remedies

Imagine a scenario where everything is going well in your life. You are healthy and happy, your days are busy, and your nights are full of joy and relief. Then, suddenly, one day, an excruciating pain grows in your abdominal region. It moves around your back, stomach, and nearby areas. And the worst part - it doesn’t go away at once. Instead, it returns and disturbs your daily life.

That is how painful and inconvenient kidney stones can be.

If you are reading this blog to remedy your kidney stone, you may identify the above description as a toned-down version. However, if you are here to help your loved one(s), your will might have strengthened.

In all cases, this blog will help you find Ayurvedic treatments for kidney stones, along with useful tips to manage kidney stones pain

What is a Kidney Stone? Types of Kidney Stones

A kidney stone is a solid mass composed of the mineral and salt deposits inside the kidney, specifically in the ureter and bladder. Kidney stones obstruct the outflow of toxins, leading to more serious complications if not removed timely.

Smaller stones do not obstruct the urinary pathways and ‌leave the body through urine. However, as the deposits build up and take the form of large, hardened stones, the patient experiences severe pain, bleeding, and the frequent urge to urinate.

Smaller kidney stones can be flushed out of the body with the help of a certain diet, exercise, hydration, and herbal remedies. Large stones may require invasive surgeries or extensive flush therapies.

Kidney stones can be classified into four types, depending on the size and the mineral deposit.

Calcium Oxalate is the most common kidney stone found in 80% of the cases. The rare types include cystine stones, struvite stones and uric acid stones.

Causes of Kidney Stone

Here are some of the common factors that may make reason for kidney stone(s):

Low Water Intake

To keep your organs and internal functions in order, drinking 4 litres of water a day is important. Drinking inadequate water makes it difficult to flush out the toxins and dilute the minerals in the urine, leading to kidney stones.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Lack of exercise is the root cause of many diseases. People who work out and eat healthily have healthier urinary pathways than people who don't.

Too Much Protein and Sodium in the Diet

Protein and sodium can lead to stones if you are not drinking enough water to dilute them. If you have had kidney stones before, it is advised to reduce protein and sodium in your diet.

Obesity

Obesity‌ affects organ function and causes various health complications. For example, people who are obese are far more likely to develop kidney stones than those who lie on the normal BMI spectrum.

Medication

Chronic medication can have a myriad of side effects. For example, it is not uncommon for individuals to develop kidney stones because of chronic medication or an underlying condition.

Aerated Drinks

No matter how much you want to avoid that can of Cola, it's a trap that you almost always fall for. Aerated drinks can harm your kidney function and lead to mineral stones in the ureter or bladder.

Daily alcohol and caffeine intake keep you chronically dehydrated, which leads to the formation of kidney stones.

Signs of Kidney Stone

Are you or a loved one experiencing strong bouts of pain in the lower abdomen? It could be kidney stones, but most times, it's not. Here are a few telltale signs showing a kidney stone problem. Knowing these symptoms is critical to preliminary diagnosis and treatment.

Extreme Pain

Kidney stones can cause severe pain in the lower abdomen, which often moves around in the stomach and back region.

Change in Urine Colour and Consistency

With kidney stones, the urine becomes cloudy with a foul odor, and the colour may turn light red or brown due to blood in the urine.

Burning sensation

Kidney stones cause pain and a burning sensation while urinating. However, you may also experience similar symptoms from a urinary tract infection.

Other symptoms of kidney stones include:

• Nausea and/or vomiting with pain  
• Blood in the urine   
• Inability to urinate.
• Frequent urination.   
• Foul smell in urine and cloudy appearance

Ayurveda’s Take on Kidney Stones

According to Ayurveda, when there's an imbalance in the Vata Dosha levels, the body's Kapha composition may dry out. This can lead to kidney stones.

In Ayurveda, kidney stones are referred to as 'Ashmari.' This Sanskrit word is made by joining two words - 'Ashma,' and 'Ari,' where Ashma means stone and Ari means enemy.

Ayurveda takes a holistic approach to managing and treating kidney stones. The following section shares some of Ayurveda's most effective kidney stone remedies.

Drink More Water

Water is a critical part of our lives, and its significance grows when a person is dealing with kidney stones. Drinking more and more water ensures that your body is hydrated and also helps flush out wastes and toxins from the body. When such toxins and wastes are not eliminated regularly, they may combine to form kidney stones. Water can also act as a medium for the stones to pass out from the body.

Stick to an Ayurvedic Diet

According to Ayurveda, smaller kidney stones can be eliminated by sticking to a suitable sattvic diet, consuming more water, and taking preventive measures.

Concerning the diet, increase consumption of the following vegetables, cereals, and fruits:

• Carrot   
• Karela (Bitter gourd)
• Potatoes
• Radish
• Pumpkin  
• Banana 
• Apple
• Apricot
• Lemon
• Plum
• Almonds
• Barley
• Moong dal
• Horse Gram

Apart from that, it’s also advisable to reduce your consumption of the following foods:   

• Fine wheat flour (Maida)
• Oatmeal
• Bran
• Amla  
• Black grapes
• Kiwi
• Chikoo 
• Strawberries

In more complex cases, larger kidney stones can be removed by flush therapy or invasive surgical methods.

Add these Liquids to Your Routine

Start consuming the following liquids in moderation to manage a kidney stones condition:

• Barley water (morning and evening)
• Buttermilk
• Coconut water (in the morning)
• Lemon water
• Sweet lime juice (once a day, preferably after lunch)
• Pumpkin soup

Consuming these liquids in adequate quantities daily may help flush out kidney stones and also provide kidney stone pain relief.

Kidney Stones Home Remedies in Ayurveda

Here’s a list of some of the most effective kidney stone home treatments:

Eat Sugarcane

Sugarcane comes with a wide range of health benefits. It is said that consuming sugarcane regularly can help get rid of smaller kidney stones. You can consume sugarcane in any of the following ways to flush out kidney stone(s):

• Drink sugarcane juice mixed with cardamom twice a day on an empty stomach. 
• sugarcane with Tulsi (basil) seeds and milk. 
• Eat sugarcane with cumin seeds and honey.
• Eat fennel seeds, coriander, and sugarcane.

Eat Watermelon

Watermelon fruit is 92% water and contains nutrients and antioxidants. Consuming watermelon at least once daily may help manage kidney stones and aid their natural removal from the body.

Eat Amla, Drink Amla Juice or Add Amla Powder to Your Food

Amla (Indian Gooseberry) is an Indian fruit with high vitamin C and antioxidant contents. As a result, it can be of great help for pacing up the body’s detox process. Similarly, it can help flush out small kidney stones and may help break larger ones.

Having one to two Amlas a day can help manage kidney stones. However, the fruit’s taste may sometimes appear too strong or bitter. In such cases, one can add Amla powder to their food and reap its health benefits.

You can also explore Prakruti products, such as K-AAYU tablets.

Ayurvedic Herbs for Kidney Stones

Ayurveda suggests several Ayurvedic herbs that may help treat and manage kidney stones. However, only their suitable use can create the right results. Hence, it's advisable to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner before starting the dosage.

Moving further, here’s a list of herbs that are said to help manage kidney stones:

• Punarnava (Boerhaavia Diffusa).
• Shigru (Moringa Oleifera).
• Varuna (Crataeva nurvala).
• Kantkari (Solanum xanthocarpum).
• Kushmanda seeds (Benincasa hispida).
• Pashanabheda (Bergenia ligulata).
• Coriander (Coriandrum Sativum)
• Jasmine (Jasminum auriculatum).
• Bakul (Mimusops Elengi).

Apart from these herbs, Prakruti health Care  herbal formulation, K-AAYU, can be a helpful recipe for managing kidney stones. It’s a powerful diuretic that may drain excess sodium salts from your body, helping prevent kidney stones.