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Home Remedies to Help Pass Kidney Stones

The kidneys are located to the right and left side of the abdomen and their primary function is to filter urine before it passes into the bladder. If the urine is normal, minerals and calcium will be diluted within the urine and pass through your body. If the urine is concentrated, the minerals and calcium will stick together and remain in the kidneys, forming kidney stones. Kidney stones are painful and sometimes difficult to pass, but must be passed through the ureters, into the bladder and out of the body in order to expel this waste.

  1. Change Your Drinking Habits

    • In order to pass a kidney stone, the urine must be as diluted as possible. Distilled water is the best choice for passing kidney stones because it contains no additional impurities that will add to your urine. If you don't have distilled water available, spring water will suffice. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Crush up some fresh lemons and put them in your water. Lemons contain citric acid that may help to break up the kidney stones into smaller pieces. In addition to water, drink two glasses of carrot juice per day, which contains citrates. Citrates help eliminate the buildup of calcium and uric acid.

    Change Your Eating Habits

    • While trying to pass a kidney stone, avoid eating foods that contain sugar. Sugar will add impurities to the kidney stones and cause your urine to become more concentrated. If at all possible, stick to lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and limit your intake of carbohydrates, which will turn to sugar quickly once digested in your body. Try to stick to raw vegetables and if necessary, lean chicken or fish, which will digest easily and not interfere with your urine production.

    Exercise

    • Exercising is an important step in order to pass kidney stones. Exercising, even as little as a few minutes a day, can stimulate urine production and keep your kidneys in working order. Try to get at least 20 minutes per day of aerobic exercise in order to get the best results. If you are in pain due to passing a kidney stone, do gentle stretches from side to side by putting your arms over your head and bending over at your waist. Do not run or do any strenuous activities if you are experiencing pain from passing kidney stones.

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