How To Pass A Kidney Stone And Tips To Prevent Them

Post date May 15, 2025

Pass Kidney Stones Easily Tips for Prevention

Kidney stones are a more common problem in men rather than in women. If you ever faced the problem of kidney stones, you would do anything to avoid it again, and probably, you would not wish that this problem was faced by your worst enemy. Many people have faced this problem once. In many people, kidney stones strike again within 10 to 20 years without preventive measures.

Kidney stones develop when calcium, oxalate, and uric acid become concentrated together, so it is enough to form crystals in your kidneys. Then crystals grow larger into stones. Calcium is the main component of kidney stones, as 80% of them are made of calcium. The remains are uric acid stones, which are formed with low urine pH levels.

After the stone develops in the kidney, it can dislodge and pass down the tube that connects the kidneys to the bladder, called the ureter, and block the flow of urine. This results in periods of severe pain, which includes pain in one side of the body between the stomach and the back, also called flank pain, blood in the urine, sickness and vomiting. They may also cause frequent urination, bladder pressure or pain in the groyne.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you must go through kidney stone removal treatment with your primary care physician so that they can perform a urinalysis. You may also do an ultrasound or CT scan to ensure that kidney stones are the source of your pain.

Depending on the number of stones and their size, stones can take several weeks to a few months to pass. Pain medicines such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen, etc, can help you persist the discomfort until the stone passes. Your doctor may even prescribe an alpha blocker, which comforts the muscles in your ureter and enables you to pass stones quickly and with less pain.

If stones are too large to pass or the pain becomes too intense, they can be removed with a kidney stone removal treatment procedure called a ureteroscopy. A device with a small video camera and tools at the end of a long pipe called an endoscope is passed into the bladder and up the ureter. Then, the laser breaks up the stones, and the fragments are removed.

There are also some simple ways that help to prevent them, such as producing 2 to 2.5 litres of urine daily and being 50% less likely to develop kidney stones. For this, you must drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day to decrease the chances of kidney stones. You must eat more calcium-rich plant foods such as yoghurt, soy products, beans, lentils and seeds to help prevent kidney stones.

The juice of two lemons can also increase urine and likely reduce the risk of kidney stones. A high-sodium diet can initiate kidney stones because it improves the amount of calcium in your urine. Eating meat, eggs, and seafood can also help to increase the risk of forming stones.

RG Stone Urology And Laparoscopy Hospital provides exceptional health care services for patient satisfaction via excellence and a humanitarian and scientific medical approach. We also have state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment and highly qualified, experienced, and dedicated staff members.

Kidney Stones

Top 5 Effective Ways To Avoid Kidney Stones

Post date May 3, 2025

Chronic kidney stones are a troublesome aspect.

It is completely understandable how painful it can be if one is experiencing kidney stones. It can have an impact on different factors, such as swelling due to kidney damage or interrupted urine flow. The disadvantages do not only end here; they can even contribute to complications, such as an individual going through blood in the urine.

The fact that it should be treated early is unknown to many. Therefore, understanding that you should take early action instead of thinking it would go away on its own is an essential aspect. Before understanding what steps should be followed to ward off such conditions, you should consider recognising the symptoms of kidney stones.

What are the symptoms of kidney stones?

Understanding the indicators can be of great help in ensuring that you are capable of realising that you are going through kidney stones.

If you are experiencing severe pain on the side of the abdomen or back, there is a high chance that you have kidney stones.
When you notice the pain is accompanied by vomiting, you should make certain that you are having your kidney checked right away.
Fever is another indicator that you should be aware of. Therefore, it is important for you to understand that if you experience these indicators, you should not wait to see a doctor.

What are the best practices to get rid of kidney stones?

You should make certain that you are able to follow these practices if you have determined to take care of your kidneys health. Let’s review some of them.

Aim for drinking plenty of water.

You should aim for at least 8 -10 glasses of water a day to be certain that you are capable of eliminating the substances that create stones in the kidney. This step is of great help in ensuring that you are drinking enough water to reduce salt or oxalate that is present in the urine.

lowering your sodium consumption

This is another shelf factor that allows your body to be free from kidney stones. Therefore, understating that you should now initiate to cut down on the diet that has extreme salt is an essential aspect. Calcium-rich foods like dairy and fortified plant-based options are the best picks for you, and at the same time, you should omit fast food, pickles, chips, and meats from your diet chart.

Keeping a healthy body composition

The fact that obesity also causes kidney stones is unknown to many. Therefore, recognising the importance of walking and exercising daily to avoid excess weight is crucial. There are high chances of developing kidney stones if you do not consider even small workouts that otherwise turn your urine PH into an acidic form, which creates kidney stones.

Identify factors contributing to it.

This is the most useful way to understand the cause. You can make certain that you are able to seek guidance from doctors who have been dealing with chronic kidney stone issues for years. They can help you get your issue assessed and determine what factors make a difference by affecting your kidney health. At the same time, once you notice symptoms, you should consider having them checked to clarify instead of just aiming for practices to get rid of them.

Ensure not to take excess doses of vitamin D

This is a common fact that is always overlooked by people suffering from chronic kidney stones. They should understand that excess Vitamin D can cause calcium which ultimately leads to the stone formation in the kidney.

Undergo the most effective care at RG Stone Urology & Laparoscopy Hospital.

If you’ve been going through chronic kidney stones, you can contact RG Stone Urology & Laparoscopy Hospital today! We can help you get rid of your health issues so that you can experience a higher quality of life.

Hindi Kidney Stones

गर्मियों में किडनी पथरी बनने के कारण, कम पानी पीने से बढ़ सकती है मुसीबत जानिए कैसे

Post date April 29, 2025

गर्मिओं मैं गुर्दे की पथरी का होना एक आम बात है ये पथरी बड़ी भी हो सकती है और छोटी भी हो सकती है आम तोर पर इसकी ज्यादा समस्या महिलाओं और पुरषों दोनों मैं देखने को मिल सकती है। गर्मियों में बढ़ती गर्मी और पसीने के कारण शरीर में पानी की कमी हो जाती है, जिससे किडनी स्टोन बनने की संभावना ज्यादा हो जाती है. यहां हम बात करेंगे हैं कि गुर्दे की पथरी क्या है और गर्मियों में किडनी स्टोन क्यों होते हैं, लक्षण क्या हैं और उनसे कैसे बचा जा सकता है |

आखिर गुर्दे की पथरी क्या है?

आम तोर पर गुर्दे की पथरी की बीमारी या नेफ्रोलिथियासिस में मूत्र मार्ग में पथरी (कैलकुली) मौजूद होती है। गुर्दे की पथरी तब बनती है जब सामान्य रूप से पाए जाने वाले खनिज अवशेष आपस में चिपक जाते हैं, जिससे पदार्थ का एक बड़ा ठोस टुकड़ा बन जाता हैऔर ऐसा होने की संभावना तब अधिक होती है जब आप पर्याप्त मात्रा में तरल पदार्थ नहीं पीते हैं जब आप तरल पथार्थ से ज्यादा आप ठोस पदार्थ खाना जायद पसंद करते हैं हैं तब आपके गुर्दे मैं पथर जैसी चीज पनपती है। जिसको गुर्दे की पथरी बोलते हैं ऐसी समस्या कई लोगों मैं आम तोर पर पायी जाती है।

गुर्दे की पथरी समय के साथ तेज़ी से या धीरे-धीरे बन सकती है। वह अचानक से ही गंभीर दर्द पैदा कर सकती हैं।

गुर्दे की पथरी कितने प्रकार की होती हैं

गुर्दे की पथरी मुख्या चार प्रकार की होती है जो आम तोर पर गर्दे मैं पायी जाती है आइए जानते हैं।

कैल्शियम पथरी – यह गुर्दे की पथरी का सबसे आम प्रकारहोता है
सिस्टीन पथरी – एक आनुवंशिक विकार के कारण उत्पन्न होती है, जिसमें सिस्टीन गुर्दे से होकर मूत्र में रिसने लगता है।
यूरिक एसिड पथरी – यह तब बनती है जब मूत्र में बहुत अधिक यूरिक एसिड होता। है। पशु प्रोटीन से भरपूर आहार इस तरह की पथरी का कारण बन सकता है।
स्ट्रुवाइट पत्थर – यह पथरी तब बनती हैं जब किसी को बार-बार मूत्र पथ का संक्रमण होता है।

गुर्दे की पथरी कितनी आम होतीं है।

लगभग 10 में से 1 व्यक्ति को अपने जीवनकाल में गुर्दे की पथरी हो सकती है। 30 और 40 की उम्र के पुरुषों में यह सबसे आम होती है। इसका प्रभाव वि काफी जयादा होता है।

गर्मिओं में किडनी स्टोन का खतरा कैसे बढ़ता है ?

किडनी की अच्छी सेहत के लिए हर मौसम में इसका ध्यान रखना बहुत जरूरी होता है। गर्मी के दिनों मैं बॉडी का ध्यान रखना बेहद जरूरी होता है। बढ़ता पारा या बढ़ती गर्मी हमारे शरीर मैं पानी की कमी कर सकती हैं और साथ ही बोहत सी बिमारियों को भी बड़ा सकती हैं तेज गर्मी मैं के मरीजों को सबसे ज्यादा परेशानी का सामना करना पड़ता है ,इस मौसम मैं किडनी का ध्यान रखना बोहत जरूरी होता है , और सबसे महत्वपूर्ण बात यह है की किडनी हमारे शरीर का एहम हिस्सा है ,जिसका महत्वपूर्ण काम शरीर से टॉक्सिन को यूरिन के जरिये बहार निकलता हैं और खून को साफ़ करता है , किडनी आम तोर पर रेड ब्लड सेल्स को बनाने का काम करती है ,और साथ ही मैं ब्लड प्रेशर को भी कंट्रोल करता है और किडनी की अच्छी सेहत के लिए हर मौसम मैं किडनी का ध्यान रकलहना बेहद जरूरी होता है ,गर्मी के मौसम मैं किडनी स्टोन की समस्या ज्याद होती है इस मौसम में कडाके की गर्मी का असर किडनी को बोहत जयादा प्रभावित करता है

आखिर गर्मी में क्यों बढ़ जाता है पथरी का खतरा

गर्मियों में तापमान बढ़ने पर और लोगों के हाइड्रेटेड न रहने पर किडनी स्टोन का खतरा ज्यादा बढ़ जाता है। गर्मी में लोगो का पसीना बोहत जायद निकलता है पर वह यह जानते हुए भी पर्याप्त पानी या अन्य तरल पदार्थ नहीं पीते हैं, तो रिस्क बढ़ जाता है। अमेरिकन जर्नल ऑफ किडनी डिजीज में प्रकाशित 2023 के एक अध्ययन में बताया गया है कि गर्मियों में अस्पतालों में किडनी स्टोन, यूरिनरी ट्रैक्ट इंफेक्शन और अन्य किडनी संबंधी समस्याओं के मरीजों की संख्या बढ़ जाती है। और अगर लोगो ने इस पर ध्यान देना छोड़ दिया तो किडनी के मरीज काफी मात्रा मैं पाए जाने लगेंगे लोगो को अपने खाने -पीने मैं सुधार करने की आवश्कता है।

किडनी स्टोन के प्रमुखय कारण और लक्षण

कारण

पानी की कमी: आम बात है की गर्मियों में पसीना ज्यादा निकलता है, जिससे शरीर में पानी की कमी हो जाती है. पानी की कमी के कारण मूत्र गाढ़ा हो जाता है, जिससे किडनी स्टोन बनने की संभावना बढ़ जाती है.

डाइट: गर्मियों में तले-भुने और ज्यादा कैल्शियम से भरपूर फूड्स का सेवन भी किडनी स्टोन का कारण बन सकता है.

शरीर की जरूरतों को नजरअंदाज करना: कई बार लोग गर्मियों में जायदा मात्रा में पानी नहीं पीते, हैं , जिससे शरीर में मिनरल्स और सॉल्ट्स का असंतुलन हो जाता है, जो किडनी स्टोन का कारण बन जाता है।

लक्षण :

पीठ या पेट के निचले हिस्से में तेज दर्द होता है यह दर्द अचानक शुरू होता है और असहनीय हो सकता है।
मूत्र में खून आना शुरू हो जाता है ,किडनी स्टोन के कारण मूत्र में खून भी आ सकता है
यूरिन ट्रैक्ट में जलन होने लगती है ,पेशाब करते समय जलन या दर्द हो सकता है।
मूत्र की मात्रा में कमी होने लगती है मूत्र की मात्रा में कमी आना या बार-बार पेशाब का आना भी किडनी स्टोन का संकेत हो सकता है।

गर्मिओं मैं किडनी स्टोन का कारण

गर्मिओं मैं किडनी स्टोन का सबसे बड़ा कारण बनता है तापमान। तापमान बढ़ने से शरीर मैं डिहाइड्रैशन की परेशानी हो जाती है ,डिहइड्रेशन का असर किडनी पर भी देखने को मिलता है। इस मौसम मैं हम कोल्ड ड्रिंक का अधिक से अधिक सेवन करते हैं जिसका हमारी किडनी पर हानिकारक प्रभाव पड़ता है। और सवें हमको कम से कम करना चाहिए। लगातार शरीर में डिहाइड्रैशन की समस्या होने से किडनी में क्रिस्टल या पथरी होने की समस्या जायद होती है। किडनी के स्टोन से बचने के लिए हमको बोहत सी सावधानी का ध्यान रखना पड़ता है ,जो हमारी किडनी को ठीक रखने में मदद करती है |

किडनी स्टोन का खतरा कम करने के उपाय

हाइड्रेटेड रहने के लिए सबसे बढ़िया बात यह है की खूब पानी पिएं या नींबू पानी या नींबू का रस जैसे साइट्रेट वाले ड्रिंक्स का अधिक सेवन करें। साथ ही, कॉफी और शराब जैसे डिहाइड्रेट करने वाले पदार्थों का सेवन कम से कम करें या बंद कर दें।

ज्यादा मॉस का सेवन न करें; हमको ज्यादा मात्रा में मीट, मांस के सेवन करने से भी किडनी स्टोन का खतरा बढ़ सकता है। शोधकर्ताओं का मानना है कि प्रोटीन वाले खाद्य पदार्थों का अधिक सेवन हाइपरकैल्सीमिया (Hypercalcemia) यानी खून में कैल्शियम बढ़ने का कारण बन सकता है।

पानी ज्यादा पियें : गर्मियों में हर रोज 8-10 गिलास पानी पीना चाहिए. यह मूत्र को पतला रखता है और स्टोन बनने की संभावना कम करता है।
बैलेंस डाइट: ताजे फलों और सब्जियों का सेवन करें और अत्यधिक कैल्शियम और ऑक्सालेट से भरपूर फूड्स का सेवन करें।
कैफीन और अल्कोहल का सेवन कम से कम करें: ये शरीर में पानी की कमी करते हैं, जिससे किडनी स्टोन का खतरा बढ़ सकता जाता है।
नियमित व्यायाम: रेगुलर फिजिकल एक्टिविटी से शरीर के अंदर मिनरल्स का संतुलन बना रहता है.
नियमित जांच: अगर पहले कभी किडनी स्टोन की समस्या रही हो, तो नियमित जांच कराते रहना चाहिए।

निष्कर्ष :

आम तोर पर ये देखा जाता है की किडनी की परेशानी कम तरल पदार्थ का सेवन करने से होती है और ज्यादा ठोस पदार्थ का सेवन करने से भी पथरी होती है ,काम पानी पिने से शरीर मैं तरल की कमी हो जाती है , जिससे हमारा यूरिन गाढ़ा हो जाता है और उसमें खनिज पदार्थों का जमाव बड्ड जाता है यही जमाव धीरे धीरे गुर्दे मैं पथरी का कारण बनती है , किडनी की समस्या होने पर हमको अपने डॉक्टर्स और विशेष्यज्ञों से सलाह मशवरा करना चाहिए ताकि आगे जाकर हमको किसी बड़ी परेशानी का सामना न करना पड़े। इस लिए गर्मिओं मैं ज्यादा से ज्यादा पानी पीना बोहत ही जरूरी होता है।

Kidney Stones

Understanding Why Kidney Health Matters And Tips To Maintain It

Post date March 27, 2025

The Importance of Kidney Health and How to Keep Your Kidneys in Top Shape

Role of kidney in the body

Kidneys play a crucial role in maintaining a human’s health by helping to maintain blood circulation in the body by removing the toxins and waste from the body, passing through the urine. It keeps the body with the right amount of water as regulation of fluid is another function of the kidney. Their role does not stop here; they provide help to the heart and the blood vessels by controlling the blood pressure, which is effective in preventing any bigger complications related to the heart and blood.

What risk factors are associated with poor kidney health?

If not maintained in a healthy condition, it can give rise to many risk factors and make it sometimes challenging to treat different problems at one time. Below are some potential problems that can cause chronic kidney disease.

Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most common factors that contribute to the kidney by damaging the small vessels when left untreated, which develops over time.

High blood pressure

Unmanaged blood pressure can cause direct damage to the kidneys when it is too high. Sometimes, this becomes so frequent, resulting in kidney failure.

Excess weight

Even if there is no issue like diabetes or high blood pressure, kidney disease can still be developed by obesity. When the body gains excess weight, the mass of the body puts pressure on the kidneys, which can give rise to chronic kidney disease.

Age

Ageing brings natural changes in the body, and when the human body changes after 60 or more, it declines the proper functioning of the kidneys. This problem arises as the size of the kidney shrinks, leading to improper function and, therefore, becoming more common in elderly people.

What are the indicators of poor kidneys?

Tired

When the kidneys are not functioning properly, it can make you feel exhausted or weak, not wanting to work or get up quickly.

Urination issues

Kidney illness is more related to urine and can be assessed by observing changes in urine. Such changes include using the bathroom frequently, as it can raise the urge to pass urine repeatedly; moreover, if the urine colour is pink or dark in colour, that is also a symptom.

Drinking water

If you also notice that you are thirsty even after drinking water, this could be a sign of an unhealthy kidney. Many people neglect it, considering small issues, but it is essential to understand that this could be an indicator of kidney weakness.

The pain of kidney stones

If you feel severe pain and discomfort in the lower abdomen or side and there is a searing while urinating, this can be a symptom of kidney stones.

How can you prevent chronic kidney diseases?

Drink plenty of water.

You should drink loads of water that not only helps to prevent kidney disease but ensures it keeps you away from every illness. Drinking at least 2.5 litres of water is considered to be very effective by eliminating the toxins from the body.

Physical activities

You should do regular exercise, which also helps people who are overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight is essential as it can control blood pressure and diabetes, which lead to kidney damage.

Balanced diet

You should eat fruits and vegetables that are healthy and rich in protein and iron. Also, making it certain to intake less salt when facing kidney-related issues can be highly beneficial.

Best treatment at RG Stone Urology & Laparoscopy Hospital

If you are experiencing any kidney-related issues or symptoms of kidney stones, it’s very important to treat them at an early stage. Contact RG Stone Urology & Laparoscopy Hospital to protect your health.

Kidney Stones Urologic Diseases

Ways Kidney Stone Can Create Complications and How AI is Helping to Enhance the Field of Urology

Post date March 21, 2025

A New Era for Kidney Stone Diagnosis & Treatment

Health is wealth, and we ought to understand the essence of every organ in the body. It is essential because organs handle specific and/or similar functions. Take, for example, the heart. If it stops pumping blood, then we all know what it means. Here, we are going to discuss everything kidney-related.

Why is the kidney important?

Kidneys are bean-shaped organs in the interior of the body. Their function is to filter impurities from blood out of the body, which come out as waste products like urine or faeces. There are two kidneys in each human body. They also perform various activities, like regulating blood pressure by producing a hormone called renin, maintaining electrolyte balance, and stimulating red blood cell production.

Complications of kidney stones

Kidney stones are formed by some chemicals found in urine that crystallise over time and build up in the kidneys if little or not enough water is consumed.

A blockage of the urinary tract, leading to fluid buildup in the body, can cause swelling in the arms and legs.
Since kidney stones would have limited the function of kidneys to filter out waste from the blood, this can lead to blood poisoning.
When kidneys are damaged, they cause chronic kidney disease, and it affects the heart because they start producing more hormones that can force the heart to pump more blood, also leading to circadian arrhythmia (the heart beating too slow or too fast)
Kidney, which can increase the chances of stroke due to low water levels.

6 Signs You Might Have Kidney Stones

Pain in your lower abdomen or groin; men usually experience pain in their testicles.
Feeling nauseous
Cloudy or smelly urine.
Urine with a mix of blood.
A frequent urge to urinate.
High fever and sweating.

Advanced urology treatment for kidney stones

An advanced way to treat these kidney stones is by using ESWL (Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy). ESWL is a non-invasive way to treat kidney stones. ESWL uses shock waves aimed at the stone with the help of machines like ultrasound to view the interior of the kidney. The ESWL breaks this kidney stone into smaller particles, making it easier to pass through urine. Some ways to treat kidneys include Percutaneous nephrolithotomy, which is a minimally invasive treatment. This treatment involves the insertion of a tube that has a camera into the uterus and removing the stone. Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy is typically performed for large kidney stones.

AI is taking over in Urology.

With the advancement of technology today, AI has made diagnostics and treatment in urology easy. Here is why AI has eased physicians’ burdens by analysing images and interpreting data. By interpreting a patient’s data and medical history, AI can now provide customised treatment plans and detect early signs of cancer or any carcinogenic cells.

At RG Urology and Laparoscopy Hospital, we have all the advanced tools and equipment; that is how we gained accolades from Guinness World Records through our expertise. We do not regard AI as a tool for research but as a powerful game changer because of its accuracy and precision.

Kidney Stones

Reasons For Kidney Stones.

Post date March 7, 2025

A human body is made up of different organs which are important. Kidney also plays an extremely crucial role as all the waste is released out from the body and is responsible for producing urine and removing the extra fluid from the body. However, some people have kidney stones. The pain one experiences when one suffers from kidney stones is unbearable. Suffering from kidney stones causes a lot of inconvenience for a person.

How will a person come to know that one is facing the problem of kidney stones?

If one experiences pain on either side of the lower back but that pain is totally unbearable, then the person is facing the problem of kidney stones.
Experiencing blood in the urine is also another sign of kidney stones.
Feeling nausea or vomiting also indicates that one may be having kidney stones.
Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy is also a sign.
If you experience pain or a burning sensation during urination.

Kidney Stones: Common Reasons and Prevention Tips

Causes of kidney stones:

There are a plethora of causes of kidney stones. Let us discuss those.

Drinking less amount of water

When a person drinks less water, it results in dehydration. Due to this, a person suffers from kidney stones. Owing to lack of fluid in the body, urine gets concentrated due to which minerals get built up and crystallised which leads to kidney stones.

Obesity

The larger the body size will be, the more the amount of uric acid will be there in the urine, this can result in kidney stones. Obesity can also lead to calcium stones.

Eating habits

If one is consuming food that has a lot of sugar or salt, then it can cause kidney stones. When one consumes salt a lot, then it results in escalating the amount of calcium excreted in urine, resulting in kidney stones. Moreover, when you take sugar and salt in excess amounts, then this is also flushed out through the kidneys. Thus, minerals get concentrated resulting in kidney stones formation.

Family history

Family history also plays a role in kidney stones as if any family member has faced the problem of kidney stones, then there are more chances that you may also face the same problem.

Take vitamin C supplements

If you take vitamin C a lot, especially men, then you are at a higher risk of suffering from kidney stones. Vitamin C turns into oxalate, which also results in forming kidney stones in the body.

These all above mentioned can be the reasons for kidney stones. Therefore, always drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated and avoid eating sugary and salty food to ensure that you do not suffer from kidney stones.

RG Hospital Ludhiana has a great team of experts who ensure the best treatment for your kidney problems. A person has two kidneys and these need to be in good condition as a person will face a lot of problems in the future. Whenever facing any issue with your kidney, visit the best hospital that is RG Hospital Ludhiana for the treatment.

Kidney Stones

Why two kidneys are better than one: Kidney stones uncovered

Post date March 3, 2025

Kidney Stones Explained: The Role of Two Kidneys in Your Health

Health is wealth, and we ought to understand the essence of every organ in the body. It is essential because organs handle specific and/or similar functions. Take, for example, the heart. If it stops pumping blood, then we all know what it means. Here, we are going to discuss everything kidney-related.

Why is the kidney important?

Kidneys are bean-shaped organs in the interior of the body. Their function is to filter impurities from blood out of the body, which come out as waste products like urine or faeces. There are two kidneys in each human body. They also perform various activities, like regulating blood pressure by producing a hormone called renin, maintaining electrolyte balance, and stimulating red blood cell production.