If you've ever passed a kidney stone, then you know how painful it can be.
As with every medical condition, the best cure is always prevention, which involves keeping yourself well-hydrated with at least 10 glasses of water a day and changing to a low-sodium, low-protein diet if your risk factors for developing this health condition are high.
If you are passing a stone, a kidney stone home remedy may be sufficient to see you through.
These home remedies mainly consist of managing pain symptoms; however, if more serious symptoms such as fever develop, you should visit the emergency room immediately as this may indicate the onset of an infection.
To deal with the pain of passing a stone, you should take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, which you can get over-the-counter.
These kidney stone home remedy medications include aspirin and ibuprofen; if stronger drugs are needed, you should see your doctor for a prescription.
And, of course, don't forget to keep yourself well hydrated; you should drink enough water to make the urine that you pass as clear as possible.
Your doctor may also ask you to collect your stones so he or she can determine what kind of stones they are and recommend appropriate measures.
To do this, urinate into a container, and then pass your urine through a strainer; you can get these strainers from a drug store or you can use coffee filters.
You should collect all of them, including those that look like sand or gravel.
Your doctor may ask you to do this for 24 hours after you pass the "big" one.