One of the worst pains in the world is passing kidney stones. Of course, active labor and childbirth is considered the worst pain in the world, but at least you have a baby at the end of the pain. Historically, more men than women are affected with kidney stones, but there has been an increase in women who have them. It is important to know what kidney stones are, what causes them, and how to support the body to reduce the risk of getting them.

Personal Story

I have never had or passed a kidney stone, but I know people have. The people have told me that passing them is the most painful thing they have ever experienced. One woman I know said she couldn’t tell which was more painful- passing a stone or giving birth!

What Are Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones are small, hard pieces of crystals that form in the kidney. They don’t feel small when they pass through the ureters on the way to the bladder, though. They cause a lot of pain!

• Kidney stones generally composed of calcium salts (80%) or acidic salts.
• When they get stuck, they cause severe pain which is called renal colic. This pain is felt in the lower back or side and might move into the pelvis region as the stone passes down to the bladder.
• Renal colic is associated with nausea, vomiting, and frequent urination.
• Sometimes there is blood in the urine when stone passes.
• These stones have a 50/50 chance of reoccurring.

It seems that middle-aged women can have kidney stones, and sometimes pregnant women experience them. In fact, one out of every twelve women will have a stone in their lifetime.

What Causes Kidney Stones?

Some factors increase the risk of getting kidney stones:

• dehydration
• a poor or high oxalate diet
• low fiber diet
• synthetic calcium supplements
• allergies
• pH balance
• mineral deficiencies
• obesity
• inactivity
• diabetes

You can tell diet and exercise are extremely important to reduce the risk of growing stones.

What Body Support Is Needed?

If you would like to avoid experience experiencing kidney stones, you can do try the following things:

1. Drink plenty of water. Stay hydrated to discourage stone formation.
2. Eat fiber every day – this can be in the form of veggies and fruit.
3. Avoid a high salt diet, canned foods, processed foods, bottled salad dressings, cheese, and high-salt snack foods or baked goods.
4. Try to maintain weight that’s healthy for you. Obesity is a risk.
5. Be active!

There are herbs and other supplements that can help provide body support.

Action

Take a few minutes to plan how you are going to provide your body the support it needs, especially if you are prone to having kidney stones. If you need herbal support, please reach out to me so I can help you.

May God bless your healthful endeavors!

Joni

P.S. What experience do you have with kidney stones?