10 Tips for Passing Kidney Stones
Quickly passing kidney stones is the gold medal for anyone who has experienced the unspeakable pain of a kidney stone trying to make its way out of the body. Passing kidney stones is usually a natural process, but it is extremely painful and can take days or even weeks!
Here are 10 tips that may help the process of passing kidney stones:
Passing Kidney Stones Tip #1 - Drink water
Drinking plenty of water helps flush the kidney stones because water creates the urine that carries the stone away. It is recommended we drink 6-10 glasses of water daily, kidney stones or not. When passing kidney stones, water intake may be upped a bit to encourage more urine production.
Passing Kidney Stones Tip #2 - When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
Lemons are full fiber, which works with the water to flush the kidney stones from the system. Lemons also contain citric acid which may help dissolve kidney stones that are created by excess calcium.
Passing Kidney Stones Tip #3 - Stay active
We know passing kidney stones is incredibly painful, but exercise can move the process along and also help your body deal with the pain and stress caused by this invasion. Besides all that, exercise makes you thirsty so you will want to drink that water.
Passing Kidney Stones Tip #4 - Drink your juice too
Certain fruit and vegetable juices contain citrates that can combat kidney stones. These include carrot juice, grape juice, orange juice and V8.
Passing Kidney Stones Tip #5 - Have a beer
In keeping with the liquid cure for passing kidney stones, don't hesitate to indulge in a beer or two. Beer is a natural diuretic, which essentially means it makes you go to the bathroom. And that's good for passing kidney stones.
Passing Kidney Stones Tip #6 - Treat the pain
Cut the pain of passing kidney stones with some over-the-counter pain medicine that can help ease the discomfort that comes from passing kidney stones through that tiny tube and out of your body.
Passing Kidney Stones Tip #7 - Strain the urine
Ok, we know. It sounds gross. But if you don't save the kidney stones once they are passed, the doctor can't identify what caused them. So, this is a fairly important part of passing kidney stones. There are strainers made especially for this type of thing, so you don't have to use the kitchen colander.
Passing Kidney Stones Tip #8 - Cut out the caffeine
Caffeine and other carbonated drinks are the anti-beer, meaning they do the opposite of encouraging urination. Caffeinated beverages actually dehydrate the body and discourage urine production. They can also make conditions good for new kidney stones to develop.
Passing Kidney Stones Tip #9 - Don't do it alone
Even though passing kidney stones is usually done at home, it is always a good idea to be in touch with your doctor.
Passing Kidney Stones Tip #10 - Prevention
The best way to pass a kidney stone is to pass on the development of a kidney stone in the first place. This means drinking enough water and eliminating food and drinks that can contribute to the formation of kidney stones.