Caribbean News

Cleveland Clinic: Are There Home Remedies for Kidney Stones?

Published

5 months ago

March 6, 2023

Make these lifestyle changes to help prevent kidney stones

If you have kidney stones, you’ve more than likely left no stone unturned when it comes to finding ways to alleviate your pain.

That pain, and other symptoms, comes from the blockage a kidney stone can cause. And it’s typically when the stone is traveling through your ureter, the tube that drains your kidney into your bladder. When the stone causes a blockage, your urine backs up into your kidney and causes swelling and pain.

Whether it’s the size of a grain of sand or a quarter, your kidney stone can be painful.

So, can you get rid of kidney stones at home?

While there are home remedies that may help prevent stones, there isn’t a magic potion or at-home treatment that can dissolve the most commonly seen stones.

Certified nurse practitioner Tiffany Loboda, CNP of Cleveland Clinic, talks about ways to prevent kidney stones, how to manage a stone at home and when you need to see your doctor.

How to tell if you have kidney stones

Kidney stones are solid, often jagged, or even smooth-shaped, masses or crystals made of minerals and salts that form in your urinary tract.

Kidney stones can be caused by several factors like dehydration, diet, medical conditions, medications or genetics. There are different types of stones, too, like calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, uric acid and struvite. Calcium oxalate is the most common kind, making up about 70% of stones.

“Those types of stones, along with others less common are not dissolvable,” says Loboda.

The most common symptom of kidney stones is pain in your back, abdomen or your side. Other symptoms include:

Nausea.
Vomiting.
Blood in your urine.
Pain with urination.
Unable to urinate.
The need to urinate more often.
Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy.
Fevers or chills.

“These symptoms typically occur when the stone moves out of the kidney,” says Loboda. “Stones that are within the kidneys generally don’t cause pain. The pain occurs when they begin to migrate out of the kidney and cause blockage.”

So, if you can’t dissolve your kidney stones, what can you do?

Work on prevention, advises Loboda. A few lifestyle changes can help decrease the risk of forming more stones in the future.

Drink fluids

The No. 1 reason kidney stones form is that you aren’t drinking enough fluids.

“Dehydration is a big factor,” says Loboda. “Staying well-hydrated is one of the most important factors for prevention. We always want people to drink plenty of fluids, unless there is a medical reason they are restricted from doing so.”

You should focus on having about 2.5 to 3 liters of urine output a day for adequate stone prevention, which translates to drinking about 80 to 100 ounces a day for the average person.

The internet is full of information on other fluids that can help with kidney stones, but for the most part, sticking with water is ideal.

But a few ingredients show promise, though the research is limited:

“Water is obviously the best thing, but all fluids count,” notes Loboda.

Consume citrus

Fruits and vegetables like lemon, limes, tomatoes, melons and oranges are great for keeping your levels of citrate high.

“Citrus is important because it binds calcium in the urine,” says Loboda. “Citrus can also dissolve some crystals before they have a chance to even turn into a stone.”

Whether you put a squeeze of lemon in your water or chop up tomatoes for your salad, it’s a good idea to incorporate these foods into your diet. You can even use a concentrated version of citrus juice. Loboda recommends about 4 ounces of concentrated juice to about 32 ounces of water.

“Think of citrus as a shield,” says Loboda. “So the more citrus you consume, the stronger your shield is going to be to protect you from stones.”

You can also get citrate in other ways like drinking Crystal Light® and clear-colored soda like Sprite® or Squirt®.

“Those drinks have a good amount of citrate. Clear sodas don’t carry the high risk for stones like darker colored sodas,” says Loboda. “The syrup in the dark sodas like Pepsi® and Coke® contain a lot of phosphoric acid, which can acidify the urine. Soda, regardless of type, can contain a lot of sugar, so it’s best to only use these in moderation.”

Those with conditions like Crohn’s disease or those who’ve had bariatric surgery may have trouble absorbing citrate from diet alone. In these cases, your doctor may prescribe a medication to boost citrate levels.

Don’t be afraid of calcium

Since the most common stone is calcium oxalate, many people think that avoiding or limiting their calcium intake helps prevent kidney stones

“Calcium is not the enemy for stones,” assures Loboda. “Calcium binds oxalates in the gut. If you restrict dietary calcium, then the oxalates you’re consuming aren’t going to leave through the digestive tract via stool. They’re going to get absorbed and then come out in your urine, which is not what we want.”

You should aim for about 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day. The goal isn’t to overconsume calcium, just get the recommended amounts.

Foods that contain a high amount of oxalates include spinach, beets, rhubarb and nuts. Black tea should only be consumed in moderation.

Watch your sodium intake

Following a low-sodium diet, about 2,000 to 2,300 milligrams a day, can help prevent kidney stones. Having too much sodium in your diet can trigger kidney stones by increasing the amount of calcium in your urine.

Watch the types of food you eat. Pizza, pastas, breads, bacon, sausage — foods that are processed, preserved, cured, canned or pickled have high amounts of sodium.

“We really get the vast majority of our daily sodium from just what’s contained within the foods that we’re eating,” says Loboda. “And unfortunately, a lot of things contain a lot of sodium.”

One way to cut down on the amount of salt in your diet is to start reading labels and thinking about serving sizes.

“Pay attention to serving size on the labels, that’s something that can trip you up,” says Loboda. “If you don’t read the serving size, then you might look at the label and see 100 milligrams of sodium but maybe there’s three or four servings in that package. It’s important to pay attention to both.”

When to see your doctor for your kidney stones

If you think you have a kidney stone, it’s important to see your doctor. If you’re in immense pain, have uncontrollable nausea or vomiting, a fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.33 Celsius), difficulties urinating or are passing thick bright red or clot-filled urine, head to the emergency room.

For nonurgent stone matters, talking to your doctor or a surgeon who specializes in treating and preventing stones like a urologist or nephrologist can help get you on the path to treatment and prevention.

The discussion on prevention often begins with conducting a 24-hour urine analysis.

“A 24-hour urine analysis gives us specifics about your risk factors,” explains Loboda. “We can determine what could be in the diet that can be increasing the risk for stones or causing them to form. It really enables us to come up with an individualized plan for prevention.”

It’s important to note that most people who have a kidney stone have a high chance of developing them again.

“If you don’t start focusing on prevention early on, stones can grow and turn from a very small problem into a potentially large problem,” cautions Loboda.

Caribbean News

Trinidad & Tobago Emancipation Day Marked with Major Events Attended by Prime Minister and other Dignitaries

Published

6 hours ago

August 11, 2023

Deandrea Hamilton

#TrinidadandTobago, August 11, 2023 – Prime Minister Dr the Hon Keith Rowley and Mrs Sharon Rowley attended the Distinguished Open Lecture by His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, The Asantehene at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus last evening (Thursday 3rd August, 2023).

The Asantehene is the Guest of Honour in commemoration of this country’s 2023 Emancipation celebrations.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member of Parliament for Tunapuna, the Hon. Esmond Forde, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Senator the Hon. Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, the Hon. Camille Robinson-Regis, Minister of Education, Dr. the Hon. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Minister in the Ministry of Education, the Hon. Lisa Morris-Julian, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Dean of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, Professor Mark Wuddivira and Lecturer Department of History, Dr. Debbie Mc Collin were also in attendance at yesterday’s lecture.

Prime Minister Dr the Hon Keith Rowley and Mrs Sharon Rowley also visited the Desperadoes Pan Theatre at George Street, Port of Spain last evening (Wednesday 2nd August, 2023).

Dr Rowley welcomed His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, The Asantehene and his delegation to the pan theatre where His Majesty was treated to various aspects of Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival which culminated in a performance by the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra and a demonstration on the playing of the national instrument for the Asantehene.

“They now see Africa, not through European eyes, as a dark continent, but as the cradle of human civilisation, citing the discoveries of its great empires. They talk of it glowingly, as the world’s fastest developing economic region in the 21st century, having just overtaken Asia, and of its six of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world and of its minerals, critical and indispensable to the technologies of the 21st century green economies.

Today, recognising the pain of the Middle Passage, and the centuries of colonial brutality, I salute the African community, a people, who through grit and determination, is on the march, striving for further discovery and self-realisation, searching, and transforming themselves for the challenges of the 21st century.

Let us all reflect and educate ourselves as we celebrate African Emancipation Day 2023.”

Dr the Honourable Keith Rowley

Prime Minister of The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

on the occasion of Emancipation Day 2023

Caribbean News

Roadmap to Int’l Intervention in Haiti spelled out by Feinstein, US Official for Caribbean Affairs

Published

6 hours ago

August 11, 2023

Deandrea Hamilton

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

August 11, 2023 – There are several steps to complete, but it’s looking more and more likely that there will be international boots on the ground in Haiti in the very near future.

The revelation came from Barbara A. Feinstein, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Caribbean Affairs and Haiti, in a press briefing on August 04. It followed a whirlwind of activity prompted by Kenya’s recent announcement that they would consider leading any multinational force deployed to the beleaguered country.

She explained the process to get soldiers into the country.

“The next steps for the Kenyan Government are to perform an assessment on the ground in Haiti, which we expect to take place in the coming weeks; to engage with a wide variety of stakeholders on the ground in Haiti and New York at the United Nations. Provided the Kenyans are able to secure approval from their own government, they would then work with the United Nations to secure UN authorization of such a force,” said Feinstein in a press conference covered by Caribbean media firms.

Feinstein said the US is prepared to support by introducing a resolution authorizing the force, and they are fairly confident it will pass, with the Deputy describing the Government as ‘optimistic.’

“I would note that in the recent unanimous renewal of the authorization to extend the UN mission on the ground in Haiti, we [also] saw unanimous support for language that did endorse the idea of a multinational force and called for a report to lay out options,” she said.

That report will be tabled by August 15 and will help shape the multinational force. As for how this multi-national force would operate, once it gets into Haiti, that depends on the findings of the Kenyan assessment. What is certain is that it won’t be on the front lines.

Instead, it will: “Jumpstart the process of improving security in Haiti by sending thousands of additional personnel to secure critical infrastructure sites and thereby allow the Haitian national police to increase their focus on battling gangs.”

Haitian gangs have repeatedly taken control of important infrastructure relating to oil and electricity especially, forcing police to split their efforts to try and reclaim them while engaging in front-line battles with the gangs.

The US maintains it is committed to having Haiti lead on the response.

The Bahamas and Jamaica are among the countries which have also committed troops for the international mission should it be approved.

Caribbean News

Jamaica Prepared to Deploy Troops to Haiti

Published

6 hours ago

August 11, 2023

Deandrea Hamilton

#Kingston, August 11, 2023 – Jamaica is prepared to deploy troops to Haiti as part of a multinational response to deteriorating security conditions in the French-speaking island.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, gave the commitment while responding to questions during the quarterly press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister on August 3.

Prime Minister Holness said that Jamaica remains devoted to playing its part in restoring peace and stability in Haiti.

He noted that Jamaica was the first country to “step out to say that we would be prepared to offer assistance to Haiti in terms of security and humanitarian assistance”.

We analysed the situation to the point where we thought indirect assistance would not be enough; there would have to be a security force support for the people of Haiti,” he pointed out.

“Clearly, Jamaica could not take the lead on this. We don’t have the resources even though we have the support, the ambition, the will and we stand as always in solidarity with the people of Haiti,” the Prime Minister noted.

Mr. Holness said that Jamaica is using its good offices and is working through the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to ensure that the stakeholders in Haiti continue to speak to and lobby the international community for support.

The Government of Kenya has offered to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti and lead a multinational force to support the efforts of the police in quelling escalating violence caused by armed gangs.

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has welcomed Kenya’s readiness to help and has encouraged other countries, particularly within the Caribbean, to join the effort.

“The question is, are we sending troops to Haiti? Yes, but an important caveat is that we just can’t, on our own, as I have said, get up and send troops.

“We just don’t have the resources but even so, even if we did, you want to have an international imprimatur and our commitment has always been with the appropriate jurisdictional arrangement, meaning a [United Nations] Security Council resolution. It is the same for Kenya and when I spoke with President Kagame, it was the same requirement for him as well,” Prime Minister Holness said.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister pointed out that the deployment of Jamaican troops to the CARICOM Member State would not negatively impact the security response capability locally.

“We certainly can’t go up to the 1,000 troops that has been suggested in the media for the Kenyans, but we will give what we can.

“Whatever we do cannot impact in a negative way our own security challenges here. But as a sovereign nation we look at all threats to our stability and security and we act preemptively and strategically to ensure that we have capabilities to deal with those threats,” he noted.

Contact: Chris Patterson

Release: JIS