Ignore posts claiming a homemade drink can ‘flush out’ kidney stones; see a doctor instead
IN SHORT: Facebook posts claim that drinking a concoction of garlic, lemon, black pepper and turmeric will rid you of kidney stones. But there is no evidence to support this, and going without treatment can lead to serious medical complications.
“Kidney stones/ kidney flush” reads the text in a reel circulating on Facebook. It goes on to show someone adding garlic, lemons, ground black pepper and turmeric to boiling water. It then instructs the viewer to boil this mixture for 10 minutes, strain it and drink a cupful every day, on an empty stomach, for two weeks.
The reel has over 24,000 views, and the same claim has been shared here and here.
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Should you trust this home remedy? We checked.
What are kidney stones?
A large concentration of substances such as calcium or uric acid in a person’s urine can lead to the formation of hard objects known as kidney stones. Kidney stones “can be as small as a grain of sand or – rarely – larger than a golf ball”, according to the Cleveland Clinic, a non-profit academic medical centre based in the US.
Treating kidney stones depends on their size. Smaller stones may cause pain until they are passed, which can take a few weeks. To help the process, it’s recommended that you drink plenty of water, up to 3 litres a day, and take over-the-counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen. A doctor may also prescribe an alpha blocker, a medication that relaxes the prostate and helps improve the flow of urine.
Treatment for larger kidney stones includes a procedure that uses sound waves to break the stones and minor surgery where the kidneys are accessed through a small cut in the back or side to remove the stones.
Home remedies for kidney stones debunked
Africa Check has previously fact-checked several home remedies for kidney stones. These included a tea made from watermelon seeds, a mixture of watermelon, ginger and beetroot, and even a tea made of boiled parsley. In all cases, there was no scientific evidence that these remedies worked. And relying only on them could be harmful.
Kidney stones may be the result of more serious illnesses, such as hyperthyroidism, a condition that increases the risk of heart disease and complications in the blood vessels, and gout, which causes swelling and pain in the joints. Both of these illnesses require medical attention from a healthcare practitioner.
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Larger kidney stones that are left untreated can cause complications, such as bleeding or ongoing urinary tract infections. Johns Hopkins Medicine warns that untreated kidney stones could lead to staghorn stones, a condition that can result in urosepsis, an infection that begins in the urinary tract, the gradual loss of kidney function, and even death.
To prevent kidney stones, stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day and maintain a healthy diet. But in order to treat the condition, consult a healthcare professional so that the stones don’t cause pain or become enlarged.