Kidney stones, also known as nephrolithiasis or renal lithiasis, are residual hard deposits of salts and minerals, which form inside your kidneys. There are several causes for kidney stones and it can affect any part of the urinary tract, right from the kidneys to the bladder. Many times when the urine gets concentrated stones are formed which then allows minerals to stick with each other due to crystallization.

Passing kidney stones is a painful activity; however, the stones do not lead to serious permanent damage, if they are identified in early stages. Depending on the situation of the person, one might only be required to drink lots of water and take some medication for the pain to pass on the kidney stone. However, in complex cases where the stones get lodged somewhere in the urinary tract, it can lead to complications or even a urinary infection. In certain cases, surgery might be required to fix the condition. Your doctor will also tell you about some preventive methods to reduce the risk of developing them again. Let us look at a few methods using which you can dissolve kidney stones.

Water – One of the easiest ways to treat or prevent kidney stones is by drinking lots of water. Most of the health experts recommend drinking 8 glasses of water/day or 64 ounces of water/day. People suffering from kidney stones should consider drinking around 12 glasses of water/day to ease out the passage or slow the growth rate of the deposits in the kidney.

Lemon juice – Since lemons contain lots of citrates, a compound known to slow the growth and break down calcium deposits, they help dissolve kidney stones. You might consider having two 5 oz glasses early in the morning on an empty stomach and another after a couple of hours after dinner, to help break down smaller kidney stones.

If you are planning to drink lemon-based juice products then we recommend that you read the label carefully. As most of the lemon-based juice contains only a small amount of lemon and a huge amount of artificial sweeteners, it can increase the risk of having kidney stones. What you can do instead is buying pure lemon extract or purchasing fresh lemons and squeezing them to get the pure unadulterated lemon juice.

Basil – Since basil contains compounds that are known to balance the uric acid levels in the body, which in turn makes it hard for kidney stones to form. With the presence of a chemical known as acetic acid, basil can help dissolve kidney stone. Having only 1 teaspoon of pure basil juice or basil extract can help prevent and treat kidney stones. You can purchase the basil extract online.

Apple cider vinegar – Apple cider vinegar can help dissolve kidney stones as it contains citric acid, which is known to dissolve calcium deposits. Mixing 2 Tbsp of pure Apple cider vinegar in 8 oz of water can not only help in dissolving kidney stones and even prevent their development. You can drink this mixture several times a day, preferably before consuming meals.

Wheatgrass juice – Wheatgrass is known to increase urine production, thus allowing kidney stones to pass much more easily. Since it also contains lots of antioxidants, it can help the urinary tract get rid of salts and minerals. To get the maximum benefit from wheatgrass drinking around 2- to 8-oz of juice or pure extract daily is usually recommended.

Celery juice or seed – Celery juice contains lots of compounds and antioxidants known to increase urine production. You can add celery to your meals on a daily basis to help reduce the chances of developing kidney stones. You can blend few stalks of celery in water to make celery juice.

Pomegranate juice – The antioxidant and astringent properties of pomegranates are known to reduce the chance of getting kidney stones and dissolving the existing ones. Pomegranate juice also has compounds that lower the acidity levels of the urine thus making it much harder for the stone to form. You can buy fresh pomegranates from the local fruit store and make fresh juice to reap the maximum benefit.

There are several ways to dissolve kidney stones; however, before taking any decisions on your own, it is best to consult your doctor. You should seek immediate medical attention if you get severe pain in the genitals or lower abdominal area. Most of the kidney stones can be treated using pain medications and fluid therapy. There might be few cases wherein the stones get lodged in the urinary tract or may even damage the urinary tract. In such a scenario, an immediate surgery is usually required.