What is kidney function? First of all, they cleanse the blood (about 1700 liters of plasma pass through this organ during the day); synthesize hormones that are responsible for the water component in the body, blood pressure and the quantitative composition of red blood cells; and also help maintain the balance of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. That is, without kidneys, it is impossible to imagine the normal life of a person. Therefore, it is so important to maintain this body in good condition.
Statistics say that only 17% of the world's population are happy owners of absolutely healthy kidneys. The rest, however, have certain deviations in the work of this important organ, which can lead to intoxication of the body as a whole and even to death.
Sand is often found in the kidneys. This is not very good, since it is he who becomes the harbinger of urolithiasis, that is, urolithiasis (ICD), because over time, stones form from it. Where does the sand come from in the kidneys? What are the symptoms of this ailment? What is the process for treating sand in the kidneys? Let's get it right.
Causes of Sand Formation
Sand can be found in any person, regardless of age. Most often, it is observed at the age of 25 to 55 years. Moreover, the reasons that provoke the appearance of sand can be a great many:
- Hereditary predisposition to the disease. You can’t argue with genetics.
- Improperly organized nutrition, in the diet of which salt, animal protein and dairy products prevail in excess. Great damage in terms of the formation of sand 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.
On a note! Be very careful with calcium supplements. Do not take them uncontrollably, wanting to significantly strengthen the bones. Be sure to consult your doctor.
- Bad habits, such as abuse of strong drinks.
- Metabolic disease.
- All kinds of inflammatory processes.
- Ecology (e.g. too hard water).
- Magnesium deficiency in the body.
- Urinary tract infections of a chronic nature.
- Some medications.
Signs of kidney problems
Due to the fact that the sand is relatively small, very often the symptoms pass unnoticed. But if you are vigilant, then some signs that indicate problems in the work of the kidneys will not slip away from your attention:
- Pain in the lower back and kidneys. Moreover, sudden cramps can pass from the renal region to the groin, abdomen and genitals.
- Swelling of the face and legs (especially in the morning).
- Urine discoloration. The dark one should immediately alert you.
- Discomfort during urination, that is, painful, frequent and with burning. Very often there is a feeling that the bladder is not completely empty.
- Incontinence (especially at night).
- Temperature increase to 37.5–37.7. Most often, this symptom is characteristic of children.
- Nauseous condition.
- Vomiting.
- Traces of blood, cloudy sediment, or mucus in the urine.
- Chills and fever.
- Some bloating in the abdomen.
If you find such symptoms in yourself, you need to contact a specialist, namely, a nephrologist, whose responsibilities include the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases, including treatment of sand in the kidneys. And also to the urologist who deals with diseases of the urinary system. Specialists are different, but help in solving very similar problems.
On a note! The nephrologist does not perform surgery and does not treat genital organs.
Methods for diagnosing the disease
Treatment of sand in the kidneys begins with a diagnosis, which includes:
- Clinical tests of urine and blood in the laboratory.
- Examination of the patient by ultrasound and radiological method. With their help, it is possible not only to establish the presence of sand in the kidneys, but also to determine its amount.
We get rid of sand in the kidneys with medications
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 obtained, determine the method of therapy. It could be:
- A specific diet. If the disease is not started, then with proper nutrition, you can get rid of the sand, as well as prevent the appearance of a new one and stabilize the kidneys.
- Taking medications. This, of course, is a diuretic drug (for example, “Cyston” or “Kanefron”), which helps break down and remove sand from the body, or other diuretics that significantly increase the rate of urine formation. In addition, antibiotics can be prescribed if there is a suspicion of inflammatory processes and infection, as well as in order to prevent cystitis and urethritis.
Important! Do not self-medicate. Any medication should be taken only as directed by a doctor.
- Shock-wave method (i.e. lithotripsy), involving non-surgical treatment. Using a special purpose apparatus, shock waves are sent to the kidneys, which help break down the sand into smaller fractions and remove it from the body with urine.
Note: During this procedure, the patient may feel pain. Therefore, it is carried out under anesthesia or with the use of painkillers.
Traditional medicine will help
Along with medications in the fight against the disease, traditional methods of treating sand in the kidneys can also be successfully used. 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, treatment of sand in the kidneys (that is, its removal) can be carried out by various means.
- Carrot seeds. They allow you to cleanse 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 (just before meals), 100 ml.
- Parsley. Grind the roots and leaves of this plant (taken in equal parts), fill it with boiling water (so that the water covers the green mass), we insist (15-20 minutes). You need to drink 150-200 ml before each meal in small sips.
- Rosehip. The roots of this plant, possessing amazing properties, can even help in the fight against stones. Finely chop them, then pour hot water (at the rate of one liter of water per 10 tablespoons of root mass), boil for 15-20 minutes and leave to infuse for 2-3 hours. Then filter and drink 3 times a day, 100 ml each. The course of treatment is 10 days.
Note: An infusion of rosehip berries is also good for cleansing the kidneys.
- Birch juice. This is one of the best “doctors” for the kidneys, as it not only cleans them, but also heals the body as a whole. We collect juice in the spring and drink (in a glass) 30 minutes before eating.
- All kinds of vegetable juices, for example, from carrots, beets or cucumbers. Moreover, it is necessary to drink not every 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.
- Horsetail herb infusion.
- Seeds of flax, dill or parsley.
- Herbal mix number 1, which not only helps to remove sand from the kidneys, but also restores the work of this body. Mix (in equal proportions) rose hips, strawberries, flaxseed and birch leaves. Pour 2 tablespoons of the 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. We mix (one tablespoon each) the madder root, raspberry leaf and bearberry grass. 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 food intake).
Before you begin at home treating sand in the kidneys (that is, removing it), you need to consult a specialist doctor. Remember: improper use of drugs or in the wrong proportions can significantly worsen the health situation.
What is strictly prohibited:
- eat all fatty, salty, smoked, canned and fried;
- drink "strong" and carbonated drinks;
- expose the kidneys to overheating (especially during the inflammatory process): it means to warm them with a heating pad or to be in the sun.
There may be more prohibitive recommendations. 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. Only it is worth doing after consultation with a medical specialist. Your health is in your hands - remember this.
Therapy of children. How to treat?
Treatment of sand in the kidneys in children begins after urine and blood tests have been performed, and ultrasound diagnostics have been carried out. The doctor prescribes the necessary medications of a diuretic nature and offers a certain adjustment of 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 use 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 high.
- The presence in the diet of vegetables and fruits (preferably raw, but can also be baked or cooked).
- Maintaining an active lifestyle, that is, you should do more physical exercises and walk in the fresh air, less be in front of the computer and in the "horizontal" position.
- Protecting parents of their child from any stressful situations.
Important! If the child is overweight, then the likelihood of sand formation in the kidneys increases. Therefore, we must constantly work to reduce 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 just decrease, but it will be completely removed from the body. The most important thing is to monitor the general state of health of the child and in no case do self-treatment.
Sand in the kidneys during pregnancy
The period of bearing a baby is a great time. True, future mothers have to deal with certain problems associated with their health. 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-salt balance in the body. And pregnancy just exacerbates the situation.
The disease is not dangerous, but can worsen the overall picture of the health status of a pregnant woman. In some individual cases, the disease can even provoke childbirth ahead of schedule.
What to do in this situation? Of course, you should immediately seek help from your doctor. It is he who will select a safe medication (for example, "Kanefron") or a time-tested recipe for traditional medicine to cure an ailment. In addition, the following recommendations should be followed:
- The lifestyle should become more active, that is, you should move more and lie less.
- Limit salt intake to 5 g per day.
- Refuse categorically from spicy, salty and spicy dishes.
- Increase the amount of fluid consumed to 2 liters per day.
- More often drink berry fruit drinks (for example, from blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries or currants), weak tea; stewed fruit 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 population. Representatives of the “strong half” of mankind love food rich in protein, and even spicy. And this is a sure way to the appearance of sand in the kidneys. In men, difficulty urinating begins and other symptoms characteristic of this disease. Very often, upon exit, sand damages the urinary tract, which causes a high risk of inflammatory processes. Therefore, urologists, in addition to drugs that contribute to the breakdown of sand into even smaller particles, prescribe enveloping medications to heal internal wounds.
Sand out
The process of the exit of sand from the kidneys together with urine sometimes occurs spontaneously. And it can be provoked by anything (for example, a climate change or a stressful situation).
Fine sand comes out absolutely painless, and a little bigger can cause pain in the lumbar region, as well as give it to the genitals and groin.
On a note! The appearance of blood or purulent discharge in the urine indicates the presence of wounds on the mucous membrane of the urinary system.
Dietary recommendations for poor kidney function
At an early stage, a diet is best suited for treating kidney sand. In addition, the method is very gentle, but this is no less effective. An important factor is the chemical composition of the sand. It can be urate, phosphate or oxalate. What doctors recommend:
- If phosphate is observed in the patient’s kidneys, 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 abandon lemons and drinks, which include this product.
Important! During the day, drink at least 2-2.5 liters of water (preferably mineral alkaline).
- A patient in whose kidneys oxalates were found should include boiled meat, steamed or in the oven poultry and fish, eggs, vegetable fats, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, butter, honey, peas, bananas, yesterday’s bread, hard pasta, dairy products, as well as non-sour fruits and berries. 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 urate is found in the patient’s kidneys, then he should include lean meat, fish, cottage cheese (nonfat), milk, sour cream, yogurt, cheese (unsalted), apples (sweet), raspberries, strawberries, potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, in his diet sweet pepper, eggplant, cucumbers, cabbage (sauerkraut), zucchini, rye bread, butter, eggs (but not more than one per day), sweets (e.g. marmalade), coffee (with milk), cereals, green tea, jelly , compotes, as well as dried fruits. But you have to abandon all kinds of broths, offal, meat of young animals; fried, salted and canned foods; sausages, smoked meats, animal fat, alcohol, coffee, cocoa, pastries, legumes, mushrooms, cauliflower, green onions, spinach, parsley, apples (sour varieties), cranberries, currants, lingonberries and chocolate.
Do not rely on reviews for treating kidney sand. Any diet should be agreed exclusively with your doctor. Only in this way and nothing else. Self-medication can aggravate a health situation.
Finally
Now you have an idea about the methods of treating sand in the kidneys, as well as the symptoms of this disease and the causes of its occurrence. Remember: an active routine of life and properly adjusted nutrition are the best prevention of this disease.
Well, if the symptoms worsen, then you should not wait until the disease begins to progress, contact a medical institution for help.