One of the most common diseases nowadays is kidney stones. Mostly people between 30 years to 50 years of age experience kidney stones and these are more common in males rather than females. Kidney stones can sometimes be removed by following few home remedies including essential oils.
Lack of water is the principal reason for developing kidney stones in the human body. Also, obesity, gut problems, and poor diet can also be counted as the reasons for kidney stones.
Although kidney stones do not cause severe damage but can be very painful, fortunately, many treatments are available based on the types of kidney stones.
If a person had a kidney stone in the past, then home treatment like essential oils may be a suitable treatment.
What are Kidney Stones?
In simple words, kidney stones are small, rock-like deposits made of minerals and salts that form in the kidney walls and urinary tracts. Sometimes known as urolithiasis, these kidney stones mostly consist of calcium oxalate and solid crystal masses. Apart from the urinary tract and kidney itself, these stones can develop other areas like ureters bladder and urethra.
Kidney filters waste and extra fluid from the body to make urine. When there are too much waste and not enough liquid in the kidney, then these waste slowly build up and stick together to form kidney stones.
The sizes of the kidney stones can vary from person to person – for some; it might grow to as large as a golf ball or for some it might be as small as a grain of sand. Also passing of kidney stones through the urinary tract can sometimes be unnoticed, but they can also be quite painful.
What are the signs of Kidney Stones?
Tiny kidney stones that remain in the kidney often don’t cause any symptoms and can pass in urine without any need for treatment. But once they start moving around your kidney and enter the ureters, you are going to experience a severe pain that is known as renal colic in medical language.
Here are the signs that you may have kidney stones:
- You might get blood with your urine
- Your normal urine discharge might be decreased/reduced
- Also, you might get some painful burning sensations during urination
- Always feeling nausea along with vomiting tendencies
- Foul smelling urine
- Extreme pain in the lower abdomen and groin
- Persistent urge to urinate and end up urinating more frequently than normal or usual
- Urinating in small amounts
- In case there is some infection, then you might get fever and chills
[1]
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What are Essential oils for kidney stones?
Essential oils are mainly used in aromatherapies and are sometimes regarded as alternative medicines. As a natural treatment, use of essential oils can be a great option to treat kidney stones.
Here is the list of essential oils that can naturally treat kidney stones:
1. Helichrysum Oil:
It is a type of essential oil that is extracted from a flower named Helichrysum. The oil has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-allergenic properties. It promotes discharge of bile which neutralizes acids and decreases the symptom of acidosis. [2]
It is a natural anti-inflammatory which detoxifies the entire immune system and also helps to fight any fungal infections. It can help kidney to detoxify additional nutrients, excess water, and toxins efficiently and as a result, reduces the chances of getting kidney stones.
Note: This oil is mainly advised to use externally not internally.
2. Lime Oil:
Lime oil or lemon oil also has various beneficial impacts on human lives. Apart from boosting concentration and making you feel refreshed, lemon oil helps to decrease the chances of getting kidney stones.
It is loaded with Vitamin C and antioxidant necessary to enhance the immune system. It contains “Citrate”, which makes urine less acidic and helps to break small stones. [3]
3. Fennel Oil:
Fennel essential oil is the best known for its licorice-like flavor and smell and the ability to assist in improving respiratory function, digestion and for its diuretic.
Fennel was used in various ancient civilizations as a food and medicine and has been in use as mouth freshener since ancient times.
The oil increases the quantity of urine and the frequency of urination. Thus helping to remove excess water, sodium, uric acid, bile salts, and other toxic elements from the body and as a result cleanses the kidneys. [4]
4. Lemongrass Oil:
Another wonderful essential oil that can be used to get rid of kidney stones. Although lemongrass has traditionally been used to treat digestive problems, muscle pain and high blood pressure, but its essential oil has many other health benefits.
Lemongrass oil contains beneficial compound citral and limonene an anti-inflammatory compound which helps to reduce pain. [5] It has antimicrobial properties which prevent the microbial and bacterial growth inside and outside of the body. As a result, it inhibits bacterial infections to occur in the colon, stomach, urinary tracts, respiratory system, and other organ systems. It is also a natural diuretic which acts as a detoxifier and can detoxify harmful toxins from the digestive tract, liver, kidneys, and bladder.
Lemongrass oil increases the frequency of urination which as a result removes excess water from the body. Proper urination helps to clear the kidneys.
5. Lavender Oil:
Although the lavender oil is known for its aromatherapy treatment to protect against headaches, depression, and diabetes, lavender is also used in folk medicine as an antispasmodic in colic pain and treatment of pain due to renal stones. [6, 7]
The beta-caryophyllene in the oil also acts as a natural painkiller and helps to soothe the inflammation. [8] Simply rubbing lavender into the area of concern can reduce inflammation and pain intensity.
Due to its stimulating property, it is also useful for urine production and urinary disorders. The anti-inflammatory effects help to restore hormonal balance and to reduce inflammation of the urinary bladder. [9]
6. Eucalyptus Oil:
Eucalyptus oil is mainly used for the treatment of various medical conditions such as cold, flu, fever, and bronchial infections.
This oil was used in the ancient days to cure inflammation, boost the immune system and remove pain. But traditionally, the oil is used as an analgesic agent that helps to relieve pain.
The Eucalyptus leaves contain tannins which may help for treatment of inflammation. Massaging with eucalyptus oil on the skin where your kidneys lie can help you to overcome the pain.
It contains 1, 8-cineole, also known as eucalyptol, has antimicrobial effects against many bacteria and fungi. [10] This, as a result, helps to prevent infection which can be caused by kidney stones.
The oil derived from the leaves contains cineole, which is a natural antiseptic and is commonly used in healing ointments, creams, vapor rubs, and cleaning products.
7. Frankincense Oil:
Another magical essential oil to relieve pain. Frankincense oil has been used in different civilizations for medicinal, spiritual, and religious applications. Traditionally, it is used in aromatherapy to treat bronchitis, asthma, chronic stress, reduce pain and to boost the immune system.
It contains boswellic acid, which shows anti-inflammation and anti-bacterial effects. [11, 12] It also has an antimicrobial activity which can heal internal wounds and protects them from developing infections from inside. [13]
Try massaging frankincense oil to the painful area or add a few drops into a diffuser or vaporizer.
8. Juniper Berry Oil:
This essential oil is well known for relieving stress and anxiety. It is commonly used as a natural remedy for the immune booster, respiratory infections, fatigue and wounds infections.
Juniper essential oil possess both anti-bacterial as well as anti-fungal properties that can be used to prevent and natural cure for urinary tract infections and bladder infections.
The berries are a natural diuretic, which will help the body to eliminate excess fluids through the bladder and urethra. It also encourages both frequencies as well as the volume of urination.
The oil may also help to improve blood circulation, which is essential in removing toxins like uric acid from the body.
9. Wild Orange Oil:
Orange is obviously the common favorite fruit for most of us. To your surprise, your favorite fruit can also be found in oil- form. It has mild diuretic elements that help to clear and remove the waste materials from the kidneys. It has anti-inflammatory properties which soothe the sensational pain in the urinary tracts when the stones move around.
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What are the best things to drink if you have kidney stones?
Here is the list of significant drinks that can help to get rid of kidney stones:
Water:
As dehydration is one of the primary reason for kidney stones, so drinking as much as water is perhaps the best thing for treating and preventing all types of kidney stones. Staying hydrated will dilute the substance in urine that leads to stones.
Drink enough water (eight to ten standard 8-ounce cups) to make 2 to 2.5 liters of urine every 24 hours. [14] Drink enough to have a very light or pale yellow color urine. Dark yellow urine is a sign of dehydration.
Lemon juice:
Lemon has Citrate, a salt in citric acid which helps to stop calcium stones from developing inside the body. Citrate dissolves the stones and breaks them into small pieces so that the stones can easily pass through the urinary tracts without causing any pain. So by drinking a ½ cup or two lemon juice can help to reduce the chances of developing kidney stones. [14]
Apple cider vinegar:
Apple cider vinegar contains Acetic acid which helps to dissolve and prevent further formation of kidney stones. The acidic nature of apple cider vinegar helps to soften and breaks down the stones into small pieces so that it can be quickly passed through the urinary tract.
The acid also alkalizes blood and urine which promotes the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. It helps to prevent new stones from forming.
Apple cider vinegar can also help to reduce pain and inflammation caused by kidney stones. [15]
Basil Juice:
Being full of nutrients, basil also contains acetic acid which helps to break the kidney stones and reduce pain. It also contains compounds which help to maintain uric acid level that as a result making it difficult to form kidney stones.
Basil has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory property that help to maintain the functions of the kidneys and keep it healthy. [16]
Pomegranate juice:
It is one of the age-old juices especially used for enhancing kidney performances. It just flushes out the kidney stones and other toxins from the body. The juice has an astringent and antioxidant property which help to reduce the pain and chances of developing kidney stones.
Pomegranate juice also contains compounds that lower the acidity of urine which as a result prevents the stones from originating in the future.
Bottom line:
We all know from our childhood that our health is the most precious gift that we can ever have. Kidney stones can be a severely painful condition for many of us. However, keeping yourself adequately hydrated, by following a decent diet and also the touch of aromatic essential oils can undoubtedly remove the extreme pain and significant risk factors of getting kidney stones. So, it is the time to take care of the greatest gift of your life and fix the problems facing at this moment.
