8 Effective Home Remedies For Kidney Stone

Dr. Jayakumar Arjun

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Jayakumar Arjun

General Physician

7 min read

Key Takeaways

  • Kidney stones are typically hard deposits, which can either be calcium, cystine, struvite, or uric acid stones
  • One of the most recommended and easiest ways to go about passing a kidney stone is to increase your water intake
  • Using lemon or apple juice for kidney stones as home remedies is suitable depending on the severity of the condition

Kidney stones are among the many common ailments that plague the general population. These are typically hard deposits, which can either be calcium, cystine, struvite, or uric acid stones. Depending on the cause and severity, the size of the kidney stones vary, and with that, the pain of passing them too. If a kidney stone is too large, it can get stuck in the urinary tract, and this is very painful. Avoiding such a complication is in your best interest, which is why it is important to know the different home remedies for kidney stone treatment. Some of these are quite easy to adopt and others can help you address a lack or excess, that is causing the kidney stones to form.

Treatment for kidney stones can be undertaken in several ways. You may need specialized pain medication, fluid therapy, or even some other form of medication to get through it. However, in most cases, fluid therapy should do the trick and help you get through your symptoms with relative ease. What to drink for kidney stones? Water is a great starting point but other fluids can help with passing a kidney stone. To learn about these, here are a few kidney stone home remedies to rely on.

What Causes Kidney Stones?  

Following are some common causes why kidney stones develop:

  • Inadequate water consumption
  • Consuming foods heavy in salt or foods with animal protein
  • Increased levels of additional kidney stone-causing chemicals brought by a calcium-shortage diet
  • Several drugs, including diuretics and antacids made of calcium
  • People suffering from hypercalciuria
  • Health issues such as:
  • Obesity
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Hyperparathyroidism
  • Gout
  • Diabetes Type 2
  • Kidney disease
  • Repeated urinary tract infections
  • Genetic changes increase kidney stone risk
  • Surgery for weight loss
  • Urinary Tract Infections
  • Family history
  • A diet heavy in salt or sugar (especially fructose)

Type of Kidney Stone

Cause
Calcium Oxalate

Due to inadequate fluid and calcium intake

Uric Acid

Due to high purine intakes from food like organ meat and shellfish
Struvite

Caused by an infection in the upper tract

Cysteine

Family history

Home Remedies

Pomegranate

Active phytochemicals found in abundance in pomegranates may help to lessen the burning feeling associated with urination. The phytochemicals could also have muscle-relaxing effects, which would help remove kidney stones. Fresh pomegranate juice may be beneficial for treating kidney stones.

Coconut

Coconut water has medical qualities in addition to reviving and energizing us. Coconut water may have diuretic effects (increase urine production) and aid kidney stone removal. A coconut flower paste consumed with curd may also be beneficial in treating kidney stones.

Horse gram

Horse gram seeds, also known as Kulathi in Hindi, provide a wealth of therapeutic benefits. They might aid in the treatment of kidney stones as well as many other ailments. You can use a pressure cooker and some water for cooking kulathi seeds. A soup is stirred in the cooker and collected for consumption to treat kidney stones.

Wheatgrass

One of the best natural treatments for kidney stones in men is wheatgrass. Taking wheatgrass juice solves all of the renal issues in addition to treating kidney stones. A glass of wheatgrass juice mixed with lemon juice is the ideal solution to your issues. It could make more urine when taken three times daily. It may be less likely to cause nausea if taken on an empty stomach.

Green Tea

Kidney stones can sometimes be treated with green tea (Camellia Sinensis). It could aid in lowering calcium buildup in the kidneys. It could also lessen urinary oxalate excretion. Increasing your fluid intake may also aid in producing urine that is clear.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is also useful in the treatment of kidney stones. Olive oil provides a fantastic drink that may quickly treat kidney stones when combined with lemon juice or vinegar. Additionally, it will make you healthy from the inside out and provide you with good news about your health.

Treatment using Dandelion Root

Along with cleaning, it strengthens the kidneys. The ideal herb to take on a regular basis for the treatment of kidney stones is dandelion root. Dried dandelion extract, 500 mg, taken twice a day, may lessen kidney stone symptoms or stop kidney stones from forming. Before using this, consult your doctor since it can interfere with other medications.

Increase your water intake greatly

One of the most recommended and easiest ways to go about passing a kidney stone is to increase your water intake. Very often, not consuming enough water can be a contributing factor to the formation of the stone and the solution is to up your intake. Once you have a kidney stone, it is better to provide the body with an additional amount of water to speed up the process of passing the stone. This involves increasing the daily 8 glasses of water to 12 glasses until the stone passes naturally.

Further, it is advisable to try and maintain the habit of drinking 8 glasses of water per day. It is likely that the primary cause for your kidney stones was dehydration and staying properly hydrated is a good first step towards prevention.

Drink basil juice

Basil is among the many available herbs for kidney stone treatment and it may help deal with the problem. It is high in acetic acid, which is effective at breaking down stones and helping them pass without much pain. Moreover, basil juice is rich in anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants, both of which are required for good kidney health.

To make the juice, take freshly dried leaves and brew a cup of tea or mix them into a smoothie. Use a basil-based solution for up to 6 weeks as any further use may result in low blood pressure and increased bleeding.

Make a lemon juice mixture

Learning how to dissolve kidney stones with lemon juice is a worthwhile endeavor, mainly because lemons are easily available and lemon juice is easy to prepare. This juice helps because lemon is known to contain citrate, which is required to stop the formation of calcium stones.

Moreover, citrate plays a key role in breaking down kidney stones and helping them pass naturally without much pain. To make a mixture that works, simply squeeze lemons into your water, as often as you’d like. Using lemon for kidney stones treatment is an age-old practice that works effectively, and you have good reason to try it.

Try apple cider vinegar

The idea that apple cider vinegar helps kidney stones pass and dissolve is backed by some studies. Further, a study has found the solution to help reduce the formation of kidney stones, thus adding even greater value to its users. This may be because it contains acetic acid, which is known to help dissolve the stones that form in the kidney. To benefit from this, simply mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to around 8 ounces of water and drink the mixture.

Avoid consuming more than this amount as it can have harmful side effects such as leading to low potassium levels or causing osteoporosis.

Consume horsetail juice

Another helpful natural solution to kidney stones is to use horsetail juice. Similar to basil juice, you shouldn’t use this herb’s juice for more than 6 weeks as this increases the risk of seizure and loss of potassium. Horsetail works effectively because it reduces inflammation, soothes swelling, and increases urine flow. This aids the passing of kidney stones naturally. Moreover, it has antioxidant and antibacterial properties, which have benefits that improve overall urinary health.

When using this herb for kidney stone treatment, ensure that you aren’t on any type of heart medication or are taking diuretics or lithium. Similarly, the use of horsetail isn’t recommended for pregnant women or children, or those with diabetes.

Whether it is lemon or apple juice for kidney stones, employing these home remedies for kidney stone treatment should suit you well, if your case isn’t too severe. In addition to this, it is important to note that learning how to test for kidney stones at home isn’t worth the effort. The only conclusive and reliable way to diagnose kidney stones is to visit a specialist and undergo the diagnostic tests required. Basing your judgment solely on the early signs of blood in the urine or difficulty urinating is unwise and can be problematic. It can cause you to try remedial approaches that can very easily worsen the situation. To avoid this, use Bajaj Finserv Health to find the right doctor without the hassles.

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Published on 15 Feb 2021Last updated on 28 Nov 2022
  1. https://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-disease/kidney-problems/kidney-stones/
  2. https://www.healthline.com/health/kidney-health/home-remedies-for-kidney-stones#horsetail-juice
  3. https://www.healthline.com/health/kidney-health/home-remedies-for-kidney-stones#apple-cider-vinegar
  4. https://www.healthline.com/health/kidney-health/home-remedies-for-kidney-stones#apple-cider-vinegar
  5. https://www.healthline.com/health/kidney-health/home-remedies-for-kidney-stones#apple-cider-vinegar

Please note that this article is solely meant for informational purposes and Bajaj Finserv Health Limited (“BFHL”) does not shoulder any responsibility of the views/advice/information expressed/given by the writer/reviewer/originator. This article should not be considered as a substitute for any medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your trusted physician/qualified healthcare professional to evaluate your medical condition. The above article has been reviewed by a qualified doctor and BFHL is not responsible for any damages for any information or services provided by any third party.

Dr. Jayakumar Arjun

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Jayakumar Arjun

, MBBS 1

Dr.Jayakumar Arjun is a General Physician in Thamarai Nagar, Pondicherry and has an experience of 4years in this field. Dr. Jayakumar Arjun practices at JK Clinic, Thamarai Nagar, Pondicherry. He completed MBBS from Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College Hospital and Research Centre Pondicherry in 2018.

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