by Hannah Rice Myers

Created on: October 13, 2008

How many times, when a woman has been asked what childbirth is like, have you heard the response, "It's like passing a watermelon out of something the size of a lemon"? Sounds pretty painful, doesn't it? There is only one other condition that I have heard people make mention of that runs a close second to the pain of childbirth and that is passing a kidney stone.

Our kidneys are pretty amazing organs and their job is a pretty important one. They are responsible for cleansing our bodies of the potentially fatal toxins that build up on a daily basis. They can't do this job without a bit of help from us though, and when we pump ourselves with more soda than water, or more chocolate than fruit, we debilitate the kidneys and increase our chances of developing those excruciating stones.

Everything in our body is made up of a system which relies on balance. Urine, the fluid the kidneys are responsible for pumping out of our system, is no different. When our urine has too much calcium or uric acid than can be broken down, or is short of the substances that it needs to prevent the crystal-forming substances like calcium from sticking together, then these crystals become stones. The size of these stones can be as small as a grain of sand or they can be as large as an egg. Ouch!

Now if you are awakened in the middle of the night with a searing pain below your ribs and you are prone to kidney infections or kidney stones, there is no doubt that you will be looking for something to help relieve your pain and symptoms as quickly as possible. The following are a list of home remedies which may just do the trick.

Apple cider vinegar has long been used in the treatment of many ailments and kidney stones is among them. It works its magic by softening and dissolving the stones, making it much less painful to pass them when the time comes.

In other countries, people who drink unsweetened apple cider have virtually no problems at all with kidney stones. It seems as though an apple a day really does keep the doctor away.

Basil is great for more than spicing up our spaghetti sauce. When you combine a teaspoon of it with a teaspoon of honey, it expells stones from the urinary tract with ease.

Celery has been proven to prevent the formation of stones when eaten on a daily basis. This is an especially effective treatment for those who suffer from repeated attacks.

Grapes and watermelon are wonderful in the treatment of kidney stones due to their high water content. They have proven to be the

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