What is the function of the kidneys? First of all, they purify the blood (during the day, about 1700 liters of plasma passes through this organ); synthesize hormones that are responsible for the water component in the body, blood pressure and the quantitative composition of red blood cells; and also contribute to maintaining the balance of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. That is, without kidneys it is impossible to imagine the normal life of a person. That is why it is so important to keep this organ in good condition.
Statistics says that only 17% of the world's population are happy owners of absolutely he althy kidneys. The rest have certain deviations in the work of this important organ, which can lead to intoxication of the body as a whole and even death.
Very often sand is found in the kidneys. This is not very good, since it is he who becomes a harbinger of urolithiasis, that is, urolithiasis (ICD), because over time, calculi are formed from it. Where does sand come from in the kidneys? What are the symptoms of this disease? What is the process of treating sand in the kidneys? let'sunderstand.
Causes of sand formation
Sand can be found in anyone, regardless of age. It most often occurs between the ages of 25 and 55. Moreover, there can be a great many reasons that provoke the appearance of sand:
- Hereditary predisposition to disease. You can't argue with genetics.
- Improperly organized nutrition, in the diet of which s alt, animal protein and dairy products prevail in excess. Great harm in terms of sand formation is caused by food containing chemical components.
- Hormonal failure (for example, if you have problems with the thyroid gland).
- Excessive or insufficient calcium in the body.
Note! Be very careful with preparations containing calcium. Do not take them uncontrollably, wanting to significantly strengthen the bones. Be sure to check with your doctor.
- Bad habits, such as the abuse of "hot" drinks.
- Metabolic disorders.
- All kinds of inflammatory processes.
- Ecology (for example, too hard water).
- Magnesium deficiency in the body.
- Chronic urinary tract infections.
- Some drugs.
Signs of kidney problems
Due to the fact that the sand is relatively small, very often the symptoms go unnoticed. But if you are vigilant, then some signs that indicate problems inkidney function:
Pain in the lumbar region and kidneys. Moreover, sudden spasms can move from the kidney area to the groin, abdomen and genitals
- Swelling of the face and legs (especially in the morning).
- Changing the color of urine. The dark one should immediately alert you.
- Discomfort when urinating, that is, painful, frequent and burning. Very often there is a feeling that the bladder is not completely emptied.
- Incontinence (especially at night).
- Fever up to 37.5-37.7. This symptom is most common in children.
- Nausea state.
- Gagging.
- Traces of blood, cloudy sediment or mucus in the urine.
- Chills and fever.
- Some bloating in the abdomen.
Having found such symptoms in yourself, you need to contact a specialist, namely, a nephrologist, whose duties include the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases, including the treatment of sand in the kidneys. And also to a urologist who deals with diseases of the urinary system. Specialists are different, but they help in solving very similar problems.
Note! A nephrologist does not perform surgery or treat the genitals.
Methods for diagnosing a disease
Treatment of sand in the kidneys begins with a diagnosis, which includes:
- Clinical laboratory tests of urine and blood.
- Examination of a patient with ultrasound and X-rayway. With their help, it is possible not only to establish the presence of sand in the kidneys, but also to determine its amount.
Getting rid of sand in the kidneys with medication
What to do if there is sand in the kidneys? Treatment should begin with a trip to the urologist or nephrologist. The doctor will prescribe the necessary studies, and then, based on the results, will determine the method of therapy. It could be:
- A certain diet. If the disease is not advanced, then with proper nutrition, you can get rid of sand, as well as prevent the appearance of a new one and stabilize kidney function.
- Taking medication. These are, of course, diuretic drugs (for example, Cyston or Canephron), which help break down and remove sand from the body, or other diuretics that significantly increase the rate of urine formation. In addition, antibiotics may be prescribed if inflammation and infection are suspected, and to prevent cystitis and urethritis.
Important! Do not self-medicate. Any medication should only be taken as directed by a doctor.
Shock wave method (that is, lithotripsy), which involves non-surgical treatment. With the help of a special-purpose apparatus, shock waves are sent to the area where the kidneys are located, which help break down the sand into smaller fractions and remove it from the body with urine
Note: The patient may experience pain during this procedure. Therefore, it is carried out under anesthesia or with the use of painkillers.
Surgical intervention
Traditional medicine will help
Along with medications in the fight against the disease, you can successfully use folk methods for treating sand in the kidneys. This will only increase the body's defenses and help it fight the disease more actively.
Note: Preventive and therapeutic procedures should be carried out using infusions and decoctions of exclusively medicinal herbs.
At home, the treatment of sand in the kidneys (that is, its removal) can be carried out by various means.
- Carrot seeds. They allow you to clean the body in a short time. Pour 4-5 tablespoons of seeds with boiling water (one liter) and let it brew for 6-7 hours. Recommended intake 3 times a day (only before meals), 100 ml each.
- Parsley. We grind the roots and leaves of this plant (taken in equal parts), pour boiling water over it (so that the water covers the green mass), insist (15-20 minutes). You need to drink 150-200 ml before each meal in small sips.
- Rosehip. The roots of this plant, having amazing properties, can even help in the fight against stones. We chop them finely, then pour hot water (at the rate of one liter of water per 10 tablespoons of the root mass), boil for 15-20 minutes and leave to infuse for 2-3 hours. Then we filter and drink 3 times a day for 100 ml. The course of treatment is 10 days.
Note: An infusion of rose hips is also good for cleansing the kidneys.
Birch sap. This is one of the best "healers" for the kidneys, as it not only cleanses them, butand heals the body as a whole. We collect juice in spring and drink (glass) 30 minutes before meals
- Various vegetable juices such as carrot, beet or cucumber. Moreover, it is necessary to drink not each juice separately, but in a combination of all the vegetables mentioned, mixed in equal proportions.
- Cranberries and lingonberries, which have diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Infusion of horsetail grass.
- Seeds of flax, dill or parsley.
- Herbal mix No. 1, which not only helps to remove sand from the kidneys, but also restores the functioning of this organ. We mix (in equal proportions) the fruits of wild rose, strawberry leaf, flaxseed and birch leaves. Pour 2 tablespoons of herbal mix with boiling water (500 ml) and insist for 20-25 minutes. Take 3 times a day for 1/3 cup. The course of treatment is a month.
- Herbal mix No. 2, which promotes the expansion of the ureters, and, as a result, the rapid removal of sand from the kidneys. Mix (one tablespoon each) madder root, raspberry leaf and bearberry herb. Pour this herbal mix with water (1 liter) and boil for 30 minutes in a water bath. Then cool and drink 100 ml 3-4 times a day (regardless of meals).
Before you start treating sand in the kidneys at home (that is, removing it), you need to go for a consultation with a medical specialist. Remember: the wrong use of drugs or in the wrong proportions can significantly worsen the he alth situation.
What is strictly prohibited:
- eat everything fatty, s alty, smoked, canned and fried;
- drink strong and carbonated drinks;
- expose the kidneys to overheating (especially during the inflammatory process): it means to warm them up with a heating pad or to be under the sun.
Recommendations of a prohibitive nature may be more. Your doctor should tell you about them.
We advise you to regularly take preventive measures to remove sand from the kidneys: herbal treatment will help you with this. This should only be done after consultation with a medical specialist. Your he alth is in your hands - remember this.
Therapy for children. How to treat?
Treatment of sand in the kidneys in children begins after studies of urine, blood, and ultrasound diagnostics have been carried out. The doctor prescribes the necessary diuretic medications and suggests a certain adjustment in nutrition and lifestyle, namely:
- The absolute exclusion of any meat, all kinds of broths, chocolate, as well as products prepared by roasting or smoking.
- Restoring the body's water balance. It is very important that parents monitor the amount of water the child drinks. During the day, you need to consume about 35-40 ml per kilogram of weight. Moreover, fluid intake should be carried out in the first half of the day (that is, no later than 15 hours). Otherwise, the load on the heart muscle is great.
- The presence of vegetables andfruit (preferably raw, but can also be baked or boiled).
- Keeping an active lifestyle, that is, you should do more exercise and walk in the fresh air, less in front of the computer and in a "horizontal" position.
- Protection by parents of their child from any stressful situations.
Important! If a child is overweight, then the likelihood of sand formation in the kidneys increases. Therefore, we must constantly work on reducing body weight and exercise control over it.
If all the doctor's prescriptions are followed with accuracy, then, most likely, the amount of sand will not only decrease, but it will be completely removed from the body. Most importantly, monitor the general he alth of the child and in no case engage in self-treatment.
Sand in the kidneys during pregnancy
Being pregnant is a great time. True, expectant mothers have to face certain problems associated with their he alth. Sometimes you have to deal with the treatment of sand in the kidneys. And this is due to the fact that long before conception, there is a violation of the water-s alt balance in the body. And pregnancy just makes things worse.
The disease is not dangerous, but it can worsen the overall he alth of a pregnant woman. In some individual cases, the disease can even provoke premature birth.
What to do in this situation? Of course, you should immediately seek help from your doctor. It is heto cure the disease, he will select a safe medication (for example, Canephron) or a time-tested recipe for traditional medicine. In addition, the following recommendations should be followed:
- Lifestyle should become more active, that is, you should move more and lie less.
- Limit your s alt intake to 5 grams per day.
- Refuse categorically from spicy, s alty and spicy foods.
- Increase fluid intake to 2 liters per day.
- Drink berry fruit drinks more often (for example, from blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries or currants), weak tea; compote made from dried fruits; as well as mineral water (only without gas).
Treatment for men
Sand in the kidneys can also be found in the male part of the population. Representatives of the "strong half" of humanity love food rich in protein, and even spicy. And this is the right way to the appearance of sand in the kidneys. In men, difficulty urinating and other symptoms characteristic of this disease begin. Very often, when sand comes out, it damages the urinary tract, which causes a high risk of inflammatory processes. Therefore, urologists, in addition to drugs that promote the splitting of sand into even smaller particles, prescribe enveloping drugs to heal internal wounds.
Bringing the sand out
The process of getting sand out of the kidneys along with urine sometimes occurs spontaneously. Moreover, it can be provoked by anything (for example,climate change or stressful situation).
Sand of a fine fraction comes out absolutely painlessly, and a little larger sand can cause pain in the lumbar region, as well as give to the genitals and groin.
Note! The appearance of blood or purulent discharge in the urine indicates the presence of wounds on the mucous membrane of the urinary system.
Diet recommendations for poor kidney function
At an early stage for the treatment of sand in the kidneys, the diet fits perfectly. In addition, the method is very gentle, but no less effective. An important factor is the chemical composition of the sand. These can be urates, phosphates or oxalates. What do doctors recommend:
If phosphates are observed in the patient's kidneys, then he should exclude dairy products, coffee, strong tea, chocolate, legumes, potatoes, smoked meats, spicy and pickled foods, eggs, cottage cheese, fatty meat and all kinds of vegetable soups from his diet. It is advisable to consume more vegetables, fruits, cranberries, flour products and bread of different varieties. It is recommended to completely avoid lemons and drinks containing this product
Important! During the day, drink at least 2-2.5 liters of water (preferably mineral alkaline).
- A patient whose kidneys have been found to contain oxalates should include in his diet boiled meat, steamed or oven-cooked poultry and fish, eggs, vegetable fats, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, butter, honey, peas, bananas, yesterday's bread, durum pasta, sour-milk products, as well as non-acidic fruits andberries. At the same time, it is recommended to abandon tomatoes, offal, apples, oranges, persimmons, cheese, mushrooms, olives, black tea, chocolate, asparagus, potatoes, beets, beans, spinach, as well as products that include cocoa.
- If urates are found in the patient's kidneys, then he should include lean meat, fish, cottage cheese (fat-free), milk, sour cream, yogurt, cheese (uns alted), apples (sweet), raspberries, strawberries, potatoes in his diet, carrots, pumpkin, sweet peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, cabbage (sauerkraut), zucchini, rye bread, butter, eggs (but not more than one per day), sweets (for example, marmalade), coffee (with milk), cereals, green tea, kissels, compotes, as well as dried fruits. But you will have to give up all kinds of broths, offal, meat of young animals; fried, s alty and canned food; sausages, smoked meats, animal fat, alcohol, coffee, cocoa, pastries, legumes, mushrooms, cauliflower, green onions, spinach, parsley, apples (sour varieties), cranberries, currants, lingonberries and chocolate.
Don't rely on testimonials when treating kidney sand. Any diet should be coordinated exclusively with your doctor. Only this way and nothing else. Self-medication can aggravate the he alth situation.
In conclusion
Now you have an idea about the methods of treating kidney sand, as well as the symptoms of this disease and the causes of its occurrence. Remember: an active lifestyle and a properly adjusted diet are the best prevention of this disease.
Well, if the symptoms worsen, then you should not wait until the disease begins to progress, seek help from a medical facility.
