symptom of kidney stones : Nutrition and Chronic Kidney Disease

I have been told I have early kidney failure. What does this mean? What can I expect?
This means that your kidneys are not doing as good a job as they should to help keep you healthy. Your kidneys normally remove waste products and extra fluid from your blood. These waste products and fluids come from the foods you eat and liquids you drink. If you have early kidney failure, some of the waste products and extra fluid remain in your blood. Sometimes, early kidney failure may progress to total kidney failure. However, if you follow your doctor's orders carefully, you may be able to slow down this process.

How can a special diet help?
A special diet can help to control the buildup of waste products and fluid in your blood and to decrease the workload of your kidneys. This diet may also help to slow down the loss of kidney function. The main goal of the diet is to keep you healthy. Your doctor may recommend a special diet, depending on the stage of your disease. If and when this diet is ordered for you, your doctor may want you to see a renal dietitian, who has special training in diet for kidney disease.

What is the diet like?
In general, the diet used for the early stages of kidney disease controls the amount of protein and phosphorus you eat. Usually, sodium is also controlled. Getting enough calories to maintain a healthy weight is very important at this time. The following information tells you where these nutrients are found in foods.

What about protein?
Your body needs protein every day for growth, building muscles and repairing tissue. After your body uses the protein in the foods you eat, a waste product called urea is made. If you have lost kidney function, your kidneys may not be able to get rid of this urea normally. You may need to reduce the amount of protein you eat to avoid buildup of urea in your body. Protein is found in two types of foods:

in large amounts in foods from animal sources such as poultry, meat, seafood, eggs, milk, cheese and other dairy products.
in smaller amounts in foods from plant sources such as breads, cereals, other starches and grains, and vegetables and fruits.
While you may need to limit the amount of protein you eat, it is important that you eat the right amount of protein. This helps to keep your body healthy.

What about phosphorus?
Your kidneys may not be able to remove phosphorus from your blood. This causes the level of phosphorus in your blood to become too high. A high blood phosphorus level may cause you to lose calcium from your bones. This may weaken your bones and cause them to break easily.

To help control the phosphorus in your blood, you should eat fewer foods that are high in phosphorus. Phosphorus is found in many foods but is especially high in the following foods:

dairy products such as milk, cheese, pudding, yogurt and ice cream
dried beans and peas such as kidney beans, split peas and lentils
nuts and peanut butter
beverages such as cocoa, beer and cola soft drinks
Using non-dairy creamers and recommended milk substitutes instead of milk is a good way to lower the amount of phosphorus you eat.

What about sodium?
You may need to limit the amount of sodium in your diet. This is because high blood pressure, kidney disease and sodium are often related. Learning to read labels can help you make lower sodium choices. Sodium is found in many foods, but is especially high in the following:

table salt and foods with added salt such as snack foods, soups and processed cheese
some canned foods, prepared foods and "fast foods"
foods pickled in brine such as pickles, olives and sauerkraut
smoked and cured foods such as ham, bacon and luncheon meats

© 2006 National Kidney Foundation,

symptom of kidney stones : Kidney Disease

The kidneys are bean-shaped organs, normally paired, that lie deep within the abdomen on either side of the lumbar spine. They play a critical role in filtering the blood and in helping maintain normal physiologic levels of important minerals and electrolytes and also help govern total body water content. The kidneys also contribute hormones into the circulation that can affect blood pressure. The kidneys have collecting systems for gathering urine and are connected to long muscular tubes, called ureters, that transmit urine into the bladder for storage and later excretion.

Many different kinds of diseases can affect the kidneys, ureters and bladder as well as the vessels that supply blood to and drain blood from these organs. These include acute and chronic infections, autoimmune diseases, clotting disorders that can affect the renal arteries or veins, cancer (both primary and secondary), trauma, kidney (renal) stone disease and a host of developmental and congenital disorders. Medical imaging continues to play a critical role in both the initial diagnosis and treatment follow-up for most diseases. Pre-surgical planning is greatly aided by the use of imaging, especially in patients being considered for renal donation (transplant), surgical resection for cancer, ureteral obstruction, and kidney stone disease as well as in the evaluation of patients who have already received a transplanted kidney.

Copyright © 2006 RIA.

symptom of kidney stones : lower back pain in kidney

If you're feeling pain in your lower back, then you should immediately consult your physician and make sure you aren't ending up with another kidney stone infection.

Pain in your lower back side of the body is the most common and accurate symptom of a kidney stone somewhere in your urinary track. The stone may be in your kidneys, or passing through kidneys to the urinary bladder, or itself in the urinary bladder. If you also feel pain while you urinate, then this is a very strong symptom of some kidney stone in your urinary track. Take an action immediately before the pain intensifies and you have intense unbearable pain in your lower back.

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symptom of kidney stones : Why The Need For A Kidney Cleanse?

The kidneys make a tremendous effort in trying to keep the body clear of toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury and other impassable pollutants. They also maintain fluid and electrolyte balance and regulate the pressure from the heart that forces the blood through their filtering system. Kidney stones greatly impair this ability, which consequently increases the amounts of heavy metals and raises the body’s general level of toxicity. This can lead to infection, high blood pressure, heart disease, brain disorders, cancer and many other diseases.

The following signs indicate the presence of crystals and stones in the kidneys or bladder: A dark or whitish color under the eyes; puffy or swollen eyes, particularly in the morning; deep wrinkles under and around the eyes; tiny whitish, tan-colored or dark lumps under the eyes, which can be felt or made visible when stretching the skin outwards towards the cheekbones; overlapping of the skin of the upper eyelid; chronic pain in the lower back; swelling of feet and legs; constant fear or anxiety. There are a number of herbs that can effectively dissolve kidney stones within a period of 20-30 days (see the updated kidney cleanse protocol in the book The Amazing Liver & Gallbladder Flush (www.ener-chi.com); you can purchase the herbs from The Present Moment Herbs and Books in Minneapolis, tel. 800-378-3245 (ask for the "Moritz Kidney Tea") or other herb stores. Whether someone has been diagnosed as having kidney stones or not, doing a kidney cleanse once or twice a year produces tremendous curative and preventive benefits. The kidney cleanse not only improves physical health but also reduces stress, fear and anxieties.

by Andreas Moritz

symptom of kidney stones : Functions of the kidney stone

Kidney Stones

The main functions of the kidneys are to keep the blood pure and healthy and maintain proper fluid balance in the body. To accomplish this difficult feat, the kidneys constantly monitor normal blood volume and filter from the blood the right quantity of urine to keep it balanced. There are many influences that can disrupt this mechanism and cause congestion in the kidneys. They include overstimulation, dehydration, fatigue, overeating, gallstones, blood pressure disturbance, medical or narcotic drugs, vitamins, digestive disorders, etc. When the kidneys are incapable of sufficiently separating the urine from the blood, part of the urine continues to circulate throughout the body, depositing urinary waste products in the blood vessels, joints, tissues, and organs. Skin diseases, strong body odor, sweating of palms and feet, water retention, intestinal swelling, high blood pressure, etc. are all signs of toxic blood caused by crystals and stones in the kidneys.

Stones in the kidneys begin as tiny crystals and can eventually become as large as an egg. The tiny crystals are too small to be detected by X-rays and since they do not cause pain, they are rarely noticed yet they are big enough to block the flow of liquid through the tiny kidney tubules. Crystals or stones are formed in the kidneys when urinary constituents, which normally in solution, are precipitated. Precipitation occurs when these particles occur in excessive amounts or when urine becomes too concentrated. The crystal particles or stones are usually full of sharp angles, which may cut and wear away the inner surface of the urinary canal (ureter) during their passage from the kidneys to the bladder. This causes severe pain in the loins or lower back. There may even be blood in the urine, pain running down the legs, numbness in the thighs and a difficulty in passing urine.

Most crystals or stones originate in the kidneys, although some may also be formed in the bladder. If a large stone enters a ureter, urine flow becomes obstructed. This can lead to serious complications, such as kidney infection or kidney failure.

By Andreas Moritz

symptom of kidney stones : Water Retention and Kidney Damage

The Renin-Angiotensin (RA) system is activated when there is a water shortage in the body. This system is used to direct the body to hold on to water wherever possible. It instructs the kidneys to inhibit urination and tightens the capillaries and the vascular system, particularly in areas that are not as vital as the brain and the heart muscles. At the same time, it stimulates an increase in the absorption of sodium (salt), which helps the body to retain water. Unless the body returns to its normal level of hydration, the RA system remains activated. But this also means that the pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels remains abnormally high, causing the damage that is known as cardiovascular disease.

Hypertension and the retention of urine in the kidneys lead to kidney damage. Conventional treatments for this condition consist mostly of diuretic (urine forming) drugs and restricted salt consumption. Both may have severe drawbacks Diuretic drugs, which are used to normalize the blood pressure, as well as reduced salt intake strongly undermine the body’s emergency efforts to save the little water it has left for cell functions. The resulting stress response causes a further increase in dehydration and the vicious cycle is complete. There are so many kidney replacements made today that result from chronic dehydration, caused by something as simple as not drinking enough water or overstimulation of the nervous system.

By Andreas Moritz

symptom of kidney stones : Medications

Medicine you can buy without a prescription, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), may relieve your pain. Your doctor can give you stronger pain medicine if needed. NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen (such as Motrin and Advil), and ketoprofen.

If you get more kidney stones despite drinking more fluids and making changes to your diet, your doctor may give you medicine to help dissolve your stones or to prevent new ones from forming. You may also receive prescription medicine if you have a disease that increases your risk of forming kidney stones. Which medicine you take depends on the type of stones you have.

Medication Choices

Medicine to prevent calcium stones

About 80% of people who have kidney stones have calcium stones. 1

Thiazides (such as hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone) and potassium citrate (Urocit-K) are commonly used to prevent calcium stones.
Orthophosphate (Neutra-Phos) and cellulose phosphate (Calcibind) are sometimes used. They have more side effects than thiazides or potassium citrate.
Calcium carbonate or citrate (Tums, Citracal) and cholestyramine (Questran) may be used to prevent calcium stones if you have high levels of oxalate in your urine.
Medicine to prevent uric acid stones

About 10% of kidney stones are made of uric acid, a waste product that normally exits the body in the urine. 1

Potassium citrate (Urocit-K) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) prevent the urine from becoming too acidic, which helps prevent uric acid stones.
Allopurinol (Lopurin, Zyloprim) makes it more difficult for your body to make uric acid.
Medicine to prevent cystine stones

Less than 1% of kidney stones are made of a chemical called cystine. 1 Cystine stones are more likely to occur in families with a disease that results in too much cystine in the urine (cystinuria).

Penicillamine (Cuprimine, Depen), tiopronin (Thiola), and captopril (Capoten) all help keep cystine dissolved in the urine, which makes cystine-type kidney stones less likely to form.
Potassium citrate (Urocit-K) prevents the urine from becoming too acidic, which helps prevent cystine kidney stones from forming.
Medicine to prevent struvite stones

About 10% to 15% of kidney stones are struvite stones. 1 They can also be called infection stones if they occur with kidney or urinary tract infections (UTIs). These types of kidney stones sometimes are also called staghorn calculi if they grow large enough.

Urease inhibitors (Lithostat) are rarely used because of their side effects and are usually only a treatment method if stone removal procedures cannot be used or fail to remove the stone
What To Think About

If you have uric acid stones or cystine stones and are taking medicine to prevent more stones from forming, you will usually have to continue taking that medicine for the rest of your life.

Some struvite stones (staghorn calculi) form because of frequent kidney infections. You will usually need antibiotics and surgery to cure the infection and help prevent new stones from forming.

symptom of kidney stones : Types of kidney stones

There are four main types of kidney stones.

Calcium stones

Nearly 80% of all kidney stones are made of calcium compounds, especially calcium oxalate. 1 Calcium phosphate and other minerals also may be present. Conditions that cause high calcium levels in the body, such as hyperparathyroidism, increase the risk of calcium stones. High levels of oxalate also increase the risk for calcium stones.

Certain medicines may prevent calcium stones.

Uric acid stones

About 5% to 10% of kidney stones are made of uric acid, a waste product normally passed out of the body in the urine. 1 You are more likely to have uric acid stones if you have:

Low urine output.
A diet high in animal protein, such as red meat.
An increase in how much alcohol you drink.
Gout.
Inflammatory bowel disease.
Certain medicines may prevent or dissolve uric acid stones.

Struvite stones

About 10% to 15% of kidney stones are struvite stones. 1 They can also be called infection stones if they occur with kidney or urinary tract infections (UTIs). These types of kidney stones sometimes are also called staghorn calculi if they grow large enough.

Struvite stones can be serious because they are often large stones and may occur with an infection. Medical treatment, including antibiotics and removal of the stone, is usually needed for struvite stones. Women are affected more than men because of their higher risk of urinary tract infections.

Cystine stones

Less than 1% of kidney stones are made of a chemical called cystine. 1 Cystine stones are more likely to develop in families with a condition that results in too much cystine in the urine (cystinuria).

Cystine stones may be prevented or dissolved with medicine, but this may be difficult and not very effective. If the stones cause blockage in the urinary tract or are too large, then removal of the stone will be needed.

Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved.

symptom of kidney stones : Kidney Stones 2

Kidney stones are small compounds found inside the kidneys or ureters. Small kidney stones leave the body through urine but if they grow in size, they can cause acute pain in the lower abdomen and groin. The size of a kidney stone can be as small as a grain or as large as a golf ball. Kidney stones are also known as nephrolithiases.

The most common type of kidney stone is calcium oxalate. It is formed due to excessive intake of calcium. This, however, does not mean that a low-calcium diet is a guarantee against kidney stones in the body.

There are several other types of kidney stones, such as calcium phosphate, cystine, struvite, etc. Kidney stones are generally asymptomatic. One often comes to know about their presence in the body in wake of urine disorders. Some of the common symptoms that indicate the presence of kidney stones in a human body include acute renal colic (it is one of the most severe pains that a patient can suffer), restlessness, vomiting, nausea and fever caused by an infection. Sometime patients come to know about them only when their urine turns red due to presence of blood.

With the help of technology it is not difficult to diagnose and treat this problem. A few basic tests, which include culture of a urine sample and blood tests, are conducted. As far as treatment is concerned, smaller kidney stones are made to pass through urine. If their size is bigger, then the patient may have to undergo invasive or non-invasive surgery to remove kidney stones.

As a preventive measure, one should avoid diets rich in proteins, sodium and nitrogen, and drink lot of water. But even after all the precautions, they have a tendency to reappear in a patient's body.

By Seth Miller

symptom of kidney stones : Bladder Infections And Pregnancy

Pregnant women are not more likely than others to get a bladder infection, though if one occurs, there are more chances that it will travel to the kidneys. According to some unconfirmed reports, about 3 to 4 percent of all pregnant women develop a urinary tract infection.

According to doctors, frequent hormonal changes and shifts in the position of the urinary tract during pregnancy make it much easier for bacteria to travel up the urethra to the kidneys than under normal conditions. Due to this reason, it is recommended that the urine of pregnant women be tested periodically.

A pregnant woman who develops a bladder infection needs prompt treatment to avoid premature delivery of her baby and other risks such as high blood pressure. Moreover, it must be kept in mind that some antibiotics are not safe for use during pregnancy. Various factors need to be considered before finalizing the treatment, such as the drug's effectiveness, the stage of pregnancy, the mother's health, and potential effects on the fetus.

Bladder infections during pregnancy require immediate attention and should never be ignored. The infection can become especially complicated by blockage of normal urinary flow and infection elsewhere in the body. It can also become complicated by alarmingly low blood pressure. Any medical conditions during pregnancy that impair the normal urinary flow, such as kidney stones or diseases of the nervous system leading to bladder weakness, can lead to more complicated and severe bladder infections. If the root cause of the infection goes untreated, this group of patients is at risk of kidney damage.

By Eddie Tobey

symptom of kidney stones : Remedies for Gout Relief

There is no cure for gout, but it can be controlled and treated. Usually, the pain associated with gout will subside within 24 hours after treatment has begun. The main objectives of treatment are pain relieving and prevent future attacks of gout.

Although gout is well known, it is not a typical arthritic condition. Gout is caused by an accumulation of uric acid crystals in joints, causing joint pain and inflammation.

Colchicine is a traditional drug used since the 1800's as a treatment for gout. Although Colhicine produces desirable results, it does have side effects of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are also used to treat gout, which does not have the side effects of colhicine. Indomethacin is a widely used NSAID in the treatment of gout. Patients should avoid Aspirin and aspirin-containing products during the attack of gout.

Those people who have had multiple attacks or developed tophi or kidney stones should stabilize uric acid level in the blood. Probenecid is an important drug, which helps the kidney, eliminate uric acid. Another drug called Alopurinol is used to block the excess production of uric acid by the body. The drug of choice between these types of drugs depends upon the quantity of uric acid excreted through urine.

Zyloprim, is a potent treatment for gout, and is usually prescribe for gout patients with kidney stones or other kidney problems. This drug slows down the rate of production of uric acid by the body. The patients who took this drug showed side effects such as skin rashes and stomach upset. Both of these symptoms usually go away as the body began accustomed to the drug.

As we know, prevention is better than treatment; avoiding the intake of food high in uric acid can readily prevent the occurrence of gout. Reducing alcohol consumption is also often helpful.

Alcoholic beverages should not exceed 3 ounces per day. Reduce or eliminate the purine-containing foods such as organ meats (sweet breads, liver, and kidneys), shrimp, sardines, dried legumes, and anchovies.

There are many natural products available in the market. Incorporate flax seed or omega 3 oil into your diet to help reduce inflammation and tissue damage. Burdock root can help rid the body of acidic waste build up and help supports normal uric acid levels in the body.

If you suffer from gout, see your doctor and discuss a pain relief program and a correct diet to reduce gout occurrences. With correct treatment and diet, gout outbreaks can be well controlled.

By David Chandler

symptom of kidney stones : Kidney Stones In Women

Kidney stones are more common in men than women. But the incidence of kidney stones in women has been on the rise. The number of women suffering from this problem has been increasing, largely due to dietary habits. Low intakes of fruits and vegetables and high-protein diets are the most common causes of kidney stones in women. Also, like a man, a woman also has a greater chance of recurrence of this problem.

Many women feel pain in the lower abdomen from time to time before or during menstruation. Sometime the cause of the pain may be kidney stones, but the women may not be able to identify it. They should carefully observe whether any such pain has been followed by a urinary disorder, dullness, fever, and nausea or vomiting. If that is the case, get in touch with your doctor, as he or she will be able to diagnose the problem.

If the pain persists even after menstruation that could be due to kidney stones, though there could be other reasons for it too.

As almost 80 per cent of kidney stones are calcium stones, women taking calcium supplements should be careful about it. Certain medical studies have suggested that if these supplements are taken as a part of a meal rather than a "supplement" to food, the risk of kidney stones reduces drastically.

However, the medical community has yet to reach at a consensus on this sensitive issue. Though men, in general, are more likely to have kidney stones than women, various studies over the last few decades have suggested that women are more likely to have struvite stones than men. The most common cause of struvite stones is chronic urinary tract bacterial infection. These stones can seriously damage a patient's kidneys, due to their size.

By Seth Miller