|  | Conditions Treatments | Kidney Disease

Cures for Getting Rid of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are deposits of minerals and salt that become stuck together to form stones in your urinary system. Although kidney stones can become large--making it painful to expel them from your body--medical treatment is not necessarily required, according to the Mayo Clinic. However pain medications are quite common. There are home and medical treatments that can be utilized to help pass kidney stones and measures that can be taken to prevent the development of new stones.

  1. Home Treatment

    • The most widely recommended home treatment for kidney stones is the consumption of water, reports the Mayo Clinic. Drinking water flushes your system and helps to dilute the amount of minerals that can lead to the formation of kidney stones. You should consume more than 2.5L of water a day. Your urine should be light yellow or clear, which indicates that your body is hydrated.

      Additionally, reduce the amount of salt that you consume, limit how much pasta you eat and do not take antacids with calcium in them. All of these factors can contribute to the development of kidney stones. If you are currently suffering from kidney stones, be sure to see a doctor to err on the side of caution.

    Medical Treatment

    • There are two primary procedures for treating kidney stones medically. For people with a severe case of kidney stones, an extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is recommended. An ESWL sends shock waves through the body, specifically the kidney region, to help dissolve the kidney stones. This process helps you pass the stones naturally, reports St. Joseph's Hospital.

      ESWL is not always enough to dissolve large kidney stones; therefore you may need to have a percutaneous nephrolithotomy performed. During a percutaneous nephrolithotomy, a small incision is made into your back and an instrument called a nephroscope removes the stone, reports the Urology Channel.

      If a kidney stone becomes stuck in your ureter, a ureteroscopic stone removal can be performed. During this procedure, an instrument is put into the ureter and ultrasound energy shatters the stone.

Kidney Disease - Related Articles