What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones (also known as Nephrolithiasis or Renal calculus) are small hard masses made up of crystals which are seen in urinary tract (Kidney, urethra and ureter). These crystals are formed by minerals and acid salts. Usually stones forms when the urine becomes concentrated as minerals get crystallized and stick together.

Kidney stone is one of the most painful condition. Kidney stones typically leave the body by passage in the urine stream, and many stones are formed and passed without causing symptoms. If stones grow to sufficient size (usually at least 3 millimeters (0.12 in)) they can cause obstruction of the ureter.

 National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Disease reports that about 1 million people in the United States are treated for kidney stones each year.

Types of kidney stones

Calcium

Calcium stones are the most common. They can be made of calcium oxalate (most common), phosphate, or maleate. Oxalate is a naturally occurring substance found in food. Some fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts and chocolate, have high oxalate levels. Your liver also produces oxalate.Vitamin C and spinach contain oxalate. Calcium-based kidney stones are most commonly seen in young men between the ages of 20 and 30.

Cystine

Cystine stones are rare. They occur in both men and women who have the genetic disorder cystinuria.

Struvite

This type of stone is found mostly in women with urinary tract infection. These stones can be quite large and cause urinary obstruction.

Uric Acid

This type of kidney stone is more common in men than in women. They can occur in people with gout or those going through chemotherapy.

Other

Medications like triamterene and acyclovir also can cause stones.

What are the causes for kidney stones?

There are many factors which can lead to form stones in your kidneys. Certain foods may promote stone formation in people who are susceptible.

People who do not drink enough fluids may also be at higher risk, as their urine is more concentrated.

Risk factors

Read this also:   GOUT | CAUSE, SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT & HOMEOPATHY

What are the symptoms?

Kidney stones typically leave the body by passage in the urine stream, and many stones are formed and passed without causing symptoms.

Some stones may be washed out of the kidney by urine flow and end up trapped within the ureter or pass completely out of the urinary tract. Stones usually begin causing symptoms when they block the outflow of the urine from the kidney leading to the bladder. At this point these signs and symptoms may be seen,

Investigations

If your doctor suspects kidney stones in you he may ask you to perform,

Treatment for kidney stone

Treatment of kidney stones varies according to size, number and locations. Small kidney stones (less than 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter) may pass through urine without any pain or other symptoms. Homeopathy has got wonderful results in treating kidney stones which will be explained in detail later.

Initially NSAIDs are given to reduce the pain and wait for spontaneous expulsion.

During this time the patient is advised to drink plenty of water and liquids. A glass of orange juice in a day can help to prevent kidney stone in susceptible subjects.

Surgical procedures:

Lithotripsy: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy uses sound waves to break up large stones so they can more easily pass down the ureters into your bladder. This procedure can be uncomfortable and may require light anesthesia

Tunnel Surgery (Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy) :Stones are removed through a small incision in your back

Ureteroscopy: When a stone is stuck in the ureter or bladder, your doctor may use an instrument called a ureteroscope to remove it

HOMEOPATHY FOR KIDNEY STONES

Homeopathy treatment is one of the best choices of treatment in kidney stones. Homeopathic medicines can help you to expel your kidney stones naturally.

If you are diagnosed with stones in your kidneys, consult a qualified homeopath near you. You may need to explain all the symptoms and history in detail to your homeopath.

These are some important homeopathic medicines which should not be taken without a homeopath’s advice.

Lycopodium

Sarsaparilla

Beriberis vulgaris

Tabacum

Cantharides

Nux vomica

Ocimun canu

Belladonna

Chamomilla

Colocynth

Hydrangea

Pareira brava

Sepia

Nitric acid

Benzoic acid

Source:
olive homeopathy

Mayoclinic

Healthline.com

Wikipedia

www.urologyhealth.org

http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/stonesadults

A penile erection is the hydraulic effect of blood entering and being retained in sponge-like bodies within the penis. It is not necessarily a normal part of aging. The process is often initiated as a result of sexual arousal, when signals are transmitted from the brain to nerves in the penis. Erectile dysfunction is indicated when an erection is difficult to produce.

Disorders such as erectile dysfunction (ED) and female sexual dysfunction are becoming increasingly more important as a result of the aging population and newer therapies.

What Causes ED?

We can classify the causative factors as given below.

Vascular causes               

Vascular diseases account for nearly half of all cases of ED in men older than 50 years. Vascular diseases include atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, myocardial infarction, and arterial hypertension.

Systemic diseases          

Neurologic causes          

Endocrine conditions    

Respiratory disease       

Psychiatric conditions  

Penile conditions           

Nutritional states           

Hematologic diseases  

Medications     

Surgical procedures       

Lifestyle habits

ED has a high prevalence in men over than 50 years. The incidence increase with aging and its ethiology appears to be multifactorial. The anamnesis and detailed physical evaluation ought to be performed in order to detect the main etiological factors. The best approach to obtain better results is to identify the main etiology. A multidisciplinary evaluation should be recommended for all patients.

( Read ; Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia | Cause ,symptoms , Lab tests & Diet )

How ED is diagnosed?

                There is no specific test to diagnose ED. Routine blood examination is done to exclude infections.

History:-  Sexual functioning in a male is goes through these phases- arousal (libido), erection, orgasm, ejaculation, and a refractory period. The history taking is aimed to find out in which stage the patient is suffering from.

                In history taking, the doctor will be asking you about the past medications, surgery and any emotional disturbances you might have gone through.

Physical examination:- After history taking the patient is examined physically to find out the systemic causes.  If penis is not sensitive to physical touch, a problem in the nervous system may be the cause.

If there is abnormal secondary sexual characters like unusual hair growth and well developed breast , the cause may be from hormone disturbance.

Psychological examination: - interview and a questionnaire with the subject will help to rule out the psychological cause. Both the partners are interviewed in this.

Other tests: - Monitoring erections that occur during sleep-nocturnal erections-can help rule out certain psychological causes of ED. A normal healthy individual has involuntary erection during sleep. If it is absent the cause is physical.

How to treat ED?

The treatment starts after finding out the cause. Simple lifestyle rearrangement and modification will show wonders in your sexual life. The patient should quit smoking and alcohol conception and should engage in some physical activities for better results.

                Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE-5) like sildenafil citrate (Viagra®),vardenafil HCl (Levitra®), tadalafil (Cialis®) are the commonly used drugs to treat ED.  These drugs work by relaxing the muscle cells in the penis allowing for better blood flow and production of a rigid erection.

The most common side effects are headache, stuffy nose, flushing and muscle aches. In rare cases, sildenafil can cause temporary blue-green shading of vision.

Diet to prevent ED

Homeopathy for Erectile dysfunction

                Homeopathy has shown significant results in ED.  Homeopathy has a unique method of case taking.  A complete casetaking will need a detailed explanation of mental as well as physical generals of the individual. This casetaking itself will help the physician to find out the cause. There are many medicines which will deal with ED in homeopathy.

Argentum Nitricum:

Want of desire. Apprehensive impotency before coition. Penis shriveled. Coition painful, sensitive at orifice. Painful tension during erection. Testicle drawn high up. Psychological impotency.

Caladium Seguinum:- Sexual organs relaxed and swelledNocturnal emission without dream. Imperfect erection and premature ejaculation of semen. Excitement does not erect penis. Feeling of coldness in penis.

Conium Maculatum:

 Want of energy in coition. Erections imperfect, and of too short duration. Easy emission of semen, even without firm erections. Dejection, after coition. Sometimes emission at mere presence of women.

Agnus Castus:- The penis is small and flaccid, so relaxed that voluptuous fancies excite no erection. The testicles are cold, swollen, hard and painful. Impotence with gleets. Diminution of sexual power.

Phosphoricum Acidum:- Absence of sexual desire. Neurasthenia after sexual intercourse. Weakness of sexual organs with onanism and little sexual desire. Frequent and very debilitating pollutions. Onanism.

Lycopodium Clavatum:- Impotence of long standing. Weakness or total absence of erections. Penis small, cold, relaxed. Emission too speedy or too tardy during coition.Flow of prostatic fluid, without an erection. Abhorrence of coition.

Nux Vomica:- Excitement easy. Strong sexual desire with painful erection. Increased sexual desire with frequent erections and pollution in the morning. Pollution with flaccidity of penis fllowed by coldness and weakness in lower extremities. Involuntary seminal emission. Nightly emissions. Impotency due to masturbation and sexual excess.

Phosphorus:- Impotency after excessive excitement and onanism. Involuntary emission.Feeble and too speedy emission during coition.

Selenium:- Impotence with lascivious ideas. Discharge of semen, drop by drop, during sleep. Flow of prostatic fluid during evacuation and at other times. Thin and scentless semen. During coition, feeble erection, too prompt emission, and long-continued voluptuous thrill. Priapism.

Staphisagria:- Organs relaxed with backache and weakness of the lower extremities. Seminal emissions followed by great chagrin and mortification Dyspnoea develops after coition. Secretion of prostatic fluid during evacuation.

Damiana:- An excellent remedy for impotency. Give 5-10 drops a dose thrice daily.

Sulphur:- Too quick discharge of semen during coition. Erection fails when coition is attempted. Incomplete rection during coition. Impotence with mental depression, relaxed penis, with sexual desire and excitement. Testes relaxed and hanging down. Watery semen.

Calcarea Carbonica:- Weakness of the genital functions, and absence of sexual desire. Erections of too short continuance and emission of semen too slow.

Yohimbinum: It is a powerful stimulant of the genital function in males. Sexual neurasthenia, with impotence.

Arnica Montana:- Impotency due to fall or blow. Impotence from excess or abuse.

Sabal Serrulata:- Discharge of prostatic fluid. Pain in back much aggravates after coitus. Drawing pains in spermatic cords; shrunk testes

Kali Bromatum: -Impotency with melancholy, loss of memory; nervous prostration; epilepsy.

Sources:-

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/diagnosing_erectile_dysfunction

http://emedicine.medscape.com

http://www.urologyhealth.org/urology

www.similima .com

http://EzineArticles.com/3352942
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov