Kidney infections and kidney stones
Kidneys play an important role in purifying the blood and producing urine as a waste product. They regulate blood pressure by releasing certain hormones and balance fluid levels in the body. They have a role to play in making red blood cells and produce a form of Vit D too. Sodium and potassium are maintained in a delicate balance by the kidneys. Too much or too little of either of these electrolytes can cause havoc in the body. Kidneys are supplied with the highest blood flow of all the organs.
In TCM, they store our ‘Jing’ or essence which we inherit from our parents. In Chinese medicine Jing is not replenishable like Qi (pronounced Chi). Jing is like the hand of cards we’ve been dealt. How you play these cards, roughly translates to our constitution in life. This means we should do all we can to preserve it and not waste it. Males lose Jing with each ejaculation, whilst females lose Jing by having multiple pregnancies and births close together.
Kidney energy manifests in the quality of hair on our heads and an imbalance here can cause hair to turn grey or fall out. Kidney energy is also linked with the teeth and bones. 97% of calcium and 80% of our phosphates are filtered by the kidneys. These are the 2 main minerals that make up our bones.
Kidney energy is said to ‘open’ into the ear. The shape of your ear looks a lot like the shape of your kidney. There are many kidney energy acupuncture points here, often used in fertility treatment. Your acupuncturist may ask you to remove certain ear piercings if you are trying to conceive.
The emotion associated with the Kidney energy is Fear. Your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys. They produce many of our stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
So what can you do to preserve your Jing and keep your kidneys healthy? Here are my 5 top tips:
1. Drink plenty of water!
Pretty obvious, but our bodies need water to help us get rid of toxins efficiently and keep lots of other bodily functions working well.
2. Empty your bladder quickly and completely.
Women often ignore the call to urine more frequently than men. We are also more prone to kidney and bladder infections due to our shorter urethra. So, ladies when you need to go, Go!
3. Foods to avoid and supplements to take.
Avoid excessive rhubarb, spinach, almonds, okra and cashews. These foods all contain oxalate which can form kidney stones. Increase fluid intake and decrease protein rich foods. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Supplements which I would recommend are: Vit B complex, Vit A, Vit C, Vit E, zinc, magnesium, moringa, and D-mannose. Please contact me if you need help in sourcing these items. D-mannose can be used as a preventative and as a treatment, depending on the dosage.
4. Kidney infections are very painful!
These can start as cystitis but can also track up to your kidneys. Excruciating lower back pain and blood in the urine are common symptoms. Antibiotics are often needed. The menopause can shorten and dry out the urethra leading to the sphincter not closing properly. This can mean you are more prone to infections.
5. Prostate enlargement can play a part here too.
The prostate can squeeze the urethra as it gets bigger and thus prevent the flow of urine. It can present as needing to urinate more frequently especially at night. Alcohol and caffeine can both aggravate the condition. Pelvic floor exercises for men and women are beneficial.
My top homeopathic remedies here are: Berberis, Cantharis and Equisetum.
Homeopathy has many wonderful remedies for kidney stones, supporting the kidney energy and kidney infections. Email me for more information.
