Dr. Krishna Vijaykumar Patil

The kidneys are a pair of bean shaped organs responsible for blood filtration. It also eliminates waste products from the body. The kidneys are located in the abdomenal cavity of the body and help in keeping a check on the electrolyte level in the body.

Polycystic kidney disease or PKD is a condition in which a number of cysts grow on the kidneys. The cysts are filled with fluid, and if the number or the size of the cyst increases, it can lead to kidney damage and kidney failure. 5% of kidney failures are caused by PKD. PKD does not affect only the kidneys. It can also cause the cyst to grow on other organs, such as liver, pancreas, ovaries, spleen and large bowel. The brain and the heart can also be affected by PKD. If it reaches the brain, an aneurism is caused. Heart murmurs may occur if PKD affects the heart.

Symptoms: Symptoms are visible for those in the 30 to 40 age group; however, it differs from person to person. Back pain or side pain, enlargement of the abdomen, blood in the urine, high blood pressure, and frequent bladder or kidney infections are some of the common symptoms of PKD.

Diagnosis: An ultrasound is the most dependable, affordable and non-invasive way to diagnose PKD. MRI and CT scans can be used to detect the volume of the cyst. It also helps to determine small cysts which cannot be detected by ultrasound.

Treatment: There is no specific treatment for PKD at present. But certain steps and measures can be taken to slow down the growth of the cyst and to control the symptoms.

Prevention: Keeping a check on blood pressure, use of prescribed antibiotics to treat kidney or bladder infection, restricted use of caffeine, and medications to control pain are some of the treatments for relief and for arresting the growth of the cyst. Research also shows that drinking plenty of water throughout the day can also slow down the growth of the cyst. A diet low in fat and moderate in calories is recommended.

Types: Autosomal dominant kidney disorder is a genetic disorder and is passed on to the child from the parent by dominant inheritance. It is the most common type of PKD. The symptoms are visible after the age of 30 to 40. Infantile or autosomal recessive PKD is a genetic disorder and is inherited by the child from the parent by recessive inheritance. The symptoms are visible during the early months of life or in the womb. It is a rare form of PKD and occurs in 1 out of 25,000 people. Acquired cystic kidney disease occurs due to long-term kidney damage and is linked with kidney failure and dialysis. The bleeding of the cyst causes the bleeding in the urinary system and leads to urine discolouration.

Renal stone or kidney stone is the most common problem that is found in different people these days. It is mainly a hard mass that accumulates either in one or both the kidneys that can cause pain and another discomfort. Renal stones are classified into two types and these are:

1. Calcium Stones and
2. Uric Acid Stones.

Symptoms Of Renal Stone
Many times pain in the lower section of the stomach can be due to many reasons such as acidity, but long term pain can be considered as a symptom of renal stone. This happens when the stone moves from the kidney to the urinary tract or also when the stones grow. Some other symptoms apart from the pain are:

1. The colour of the urine is turned into red or brown as it contains blood,
2. The urge of urination increases,
3. Nausea and Vomiting at times.

Causes Of Renal Stone
The medical term used for the renal stone is renal calculi or urolithiasis or nephrolithiasis. The problem can occur due to a number of reasons and a few among them are:

1. Increased calcium amount in the body,
2. Genetic factor,
3. Disease or infection in the kidney or the urinary,
4. Consumption of alcohol and also some oxalate food items,
5. Diseases such as high blood pressure, hypercalciuria or gout,
6. Inflammatory disease of intestine and stomach,
7. Side effects of wrong medication.

Home Remedies By Ayurveda For Curing Renal Stone
There are some of the home remedies available that are suggested by the Ayurveda:

1. Treating Renal Stone With Kidney Beans
   1. Add 4 litres of water to 60 grams of kidney beans.
   2. Now heat the mixture for about 4-5 hours.
   3. Now strain the mixture through a muslin cloth into a container.
   4. Keep the fluid aside to cool down.
   5. After the fluid cools down completely, start drinking one glass of the fluid every 2 hours.
   6. Make sure that the fluid should be consumed within 24 hours.
   7. Do this for a week time.
2. Treating kidney Stone With Basil Leaves And Honey
   1. Crush about 10-15 basil leaves and make a paste of it.
   2. Take out the juice of about 1 tablespoon of the paste.
   3. Now add one teaspoon honey to the juice and mix them well.
   4. Consume this mixture every day once.
3. Treating Renal Stone With Pomegranate Seeds And Horse Gram
   1. Add about half litre water to 1 cup horse gram.
   2. Now heat it till the water comes down to about 1/5th and then strain the liquid.
   3. Crush some pomegranate seeds and add about 2 tablespoons to the liquid.
   4. Drink this mixture daily.
4. Apart from these remedies, drinking apple juice regularly and doing regular exercise also helps in getting rid of renal stone. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an ayurveda.

Urine is normally pale yellow or straw coloured. However, for various reasons, this can change. In fact, the change in the colour of urine is one of the first indications of a deeper underlying problem. This would also be one of the questions that the doctor would ask when suspecting any problem with the urinary tract, starting from infection to stones to cancer.

Hematuria is, therefore, a symptom and not a problem in itself. Some of the reasons for hematuria – presence of blood cells in the urine, producing a light pinkish urine, are listed below.

1. Urinary tract infections – starting from urethra all the way up to the kidneys

2. Glomerulonephritis

Kidney Stones-

1. Prostate enlargement

2. Tumours/cancers in the kidney, bladder, or prostate

3. Heavy exercises causing trauma to any of the internal urinary tract organs

4. Bleeding disorders

5. Certain medications

6. Appendicitis

7. Tuberculosis

As the disease progresses higher in the urinary tract, the severity of hematuria also increases. Though hematuria is a symptom in itself, there are some associated symptoms which are listed below-

• Fever

• Fatigue

• Abdominal pain

• Reduced appetite

• Urge to urinate

• Dysuria

• Painful/burning urination

• Feeling of incomplete emptying

• Nocturnal urination (if prostate is enlarged)

• Cloudy urine

• Nausea, vomiting

• Kidney pain (with stones especially)

Homeopathy believes in treating the person as a whole and not just the presenting symptoms. The doctor will ask a number of questions, some pertaining to unrelated organs, which will help them identify the reason for the hematuria. The treatment prescribed will be customised to the patient in question, but some of the common ingredients used in hematuria management are given below.

1. Hematuria from all causes can be managed with Terebinthina.

2. Bladder hematuria is better managed with Erigeron Canadense at 80% concentration while renal hematuria responds better to the same at 60% dilution.

3. Inflammatory hematuria can be reduced with Cantharis (80%)

4. Renal hematuria is better managed with Gossypium herbaceous (60%).

5. Renal colic with pain in the glans, groyne, and thighs responds well to Pereira brava.

6. Cocus cacti thrice a day is useful where there is itching of the urinary meatus along with the passing of red-coloured urine.

7. When there are small stones or sand particles in the urine along with pain at the end of the micturition process, Sarsaparilla thrice a day is known to be beneficial.

8. In some other people, Arnica Montana, Cantharis, phosphorus, and Hepar Sulphur are also used to relieve symptoms of hematuria.

As with any homeopathic treatment, the actual ingredient chosen would depend on the actual symptom that the patient presents with. Though these compounds are used, self-medication is not advisable. Talk to a specialized homeopath who will identify the right ingredient for a given clinical presentation.