The kidneys are an organ that filter our blood, removes waste from our body, and balance our electrolytes. The kidneys are hooked up with vessels from the body and the bladder is hooked up with ureters from the kidneys. Sensory information comes to the kidneys from the T10 – T11 area and when pain is felt in the flank area it may be related to kidney function. 

Kidneys can form stones for two reasons: genetics and environmental factors. Kidney stones are extremely painful and is sometimes consider worse than child birth. Nausea, blood in the urine and vomiting are some side effects along with extreme flank pain. 

The best way to prevent kidney stones from forming is staying well hydrated. Maintaining dilute urine (clear), makes sure that any possible small stones in the body can not form into larger ones as well as being passed undetected without pain. 

Avoiding red meat and salt intake is also recommended to those who may be susceptible to kidney stones.

A study monitoring patients intake of beverages showed that sugar soda drinks had a higher increase of stone formation compared to the normal while moderate red wine and beer drinkers had a lower stone formation compared to their normal counter parts. Hooray for beer!

Lemon juice increases the amount of citrate in the urine which was shown to decrease and inhibit stone formation. Now this is lemon juice, not a sugary lemonade we are talking about. 

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