Bladder stones are formed due to deposition of minerals in the bladder. Generally, the minerals in the urine crystallize when the urine becomes concentrated due to various reasons – for example, prostate enlargement or repeated urinary tract infections. Bladder stones may not show any symptoms until they grow large and start irritating the bladder or obstruct flow of urine. The common symptoms generally occur in the form of abdominal pain and blood with the flow of urine. Tiny bladder stones generally get flushed out with the flow of urine; however, once they grow larger, they may start making complications and might need to be treated by a physician. Bladder stones may remain undetected if they do not manifest in any external symptoms. Generally, one or many of the following symptoms are associated with bladder stone: pain in the lower abdomen, frequent painful urination, blood-stained or dark-colored urine.
Bladder stones, if detected, needs to be removed at the earliest because it will accumulate mass and become bigger in size with the passage of time. Small stones generally can be flushed out by drinking incased amount of water. If the stones are not flushed out, special medical procedure needs to be used to get rid of them – like ultrasound or laser to break the stones, removal of stone with insertion of a catheter in the bladder, and in some cases surgery.
There are also some home remedies that you can try out to treat bladder stone. The first thing to do when you have bladder stone is to drink large quantities of water throughout the day. This excess water increases the chance of flushing out the stones with urine, as well as dilutes your urine so that the mineral crystallization does not happen in the bladder. You can also drink barley water regularly. Some herbs – like gravel root (also known as Joe Pye), stone root (also known as Collinsonia), and hydrangea – are traditionally known to be useful in treating bladder stones. They can be used in various proportions and drunk as herbal tea. These herbs had been in use as a treatment for bladder stones for a long time; however, there are no medical proofs that these herbs can indeed break or dissolve the bladder stones. Besides these home remedies, you should also take some care about your diet. Ensure that you eat a healthy and balanced diet of green vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, beans, sprouts, and cereals. Also, avoid foods that contain lot of oil and fat. Besides these, a little amount of regular physical exercise may also help.
answered by M W