That dull ache in your lower back, or the searing agony in your side that woke you up in the night, may be an indication that you have kidney stones. Or, you may have something much more serious, like appendicitis. Whatever the cause of your pain, you should see your medical care professional immediately to get an accurate diagnosis and set up a treatment plan.
Symptoms of kidney stones can include one or more of the following, and each symptom can be anywhere from mildly uncomfortable to excruciatingly painful:
- Dull aching pain in the sides below the back ribs.
- Chronic back pain with no known underlying cause.
- Sharp back and side pain, sometimes radiating into the groin.
- Pain and swelling of the testicles.
- Queasiness, nausea and vomiting.
Kidney stones form slowly inside your kidneys as solids precipitate from your urine rather than being completely flushed out of your body. The most common type of kidney stone is composed of calcium oxalate. It is possible to dissolve kidney stones in mild acids, so theoretically you can dissolve kidney stones, or reduce their size so that they can pass easily, by elevating the acidity of your urine.
Kidney stones will often pass without special treatment, especially if you help them along by drinking large amounts of water over an extended time. The process may be enhanced using a home treatment for kidney stones, but, in the case of very large stones, surgical procedures are sometimes necessary.
Research is ongoing to try to resolve conflcting ideas about dietary factors that might encourage kidney stone formation. To drink coffee or not to drink coffee — that is a good question. It is clear, however, that chronic dehydration is a signficant cause of kidney stone symptoms, so your best line of defense in warding off renewed attacks is to drink lots and lots of water every day. Some experts recommend one half ounce of water per day for every pound of your body weight (so, a two hundred pound person would drink 100 ounces per day, or over twelve cups).
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