Kidney Pain: Causes, treatment What Does Kidney Pain Feel like? Everything You Should Know

What are signs of your kidneys hurting?What can cause pain in your kidneys?What should I do if my kidney hurts?What are the first signs of kidney problems?How can I check my kidney at home?

Kidney location

The kidneys are bean-shaped organs that are about the size of a fist. They can be found in the area known as your flank, which is situated towards the back of the midsection of your body. They are located on the right and left sides of your backbone, directly beneath the lowest portion of your ribcage.

The kidneys’ primary function is to eliminate waste products from the blood by filtering them out and creating urine in order to flush those waste products out of the body together with excess fluid.

If you have kidney pain, it almost always indicates that something is amiss with that kidney. In order for you to receive the appropriate therapy, it is necessary to know whether the source of your discomfort is originating from your kidney or from someplace else in your body.

Because there are other organs, bones, and muscles in close proximity to your kidney, it might be difficult to determine whether or not your kidney is the source of the discomfort you are experiencing. Your kidney may be the source of the pain you’re experiencing if additional symptoms, as well as the nature and location of the pain itself, indicate in that direction.

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What is kidney pain?

Pain in the kidneys, also known as renal pain, is discomfort in the area of the kidneys. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that can be found on either side of the spine, immediately below the ribcage. Pain in the kidneys does not always imply that there is a problem with the kidneys themselves; however, it does typically suggest that there is a problem somewhere else in the urinary system.

Kidney pain symptoms

Pain in the kidneys is often described as a dull aching that is located deep within the right or left flank, or both sides, and it frequently becomes more severe when someone lightly taps the affected area.

Because the majority of diseases normally only affect one kidney, the discomfort that you feel is frequently localized to only one side of your back. In the event that both kidneys are afflicted, discomfort will be experienced on both sides.

Among the possible symptoms that accompany kidney pain are the following:

• blood in your urine
• fever and chills
• frequent urination
• nausea and vomiting
• pain that spreads to the groin
• a burning feeling or pain when you urinate
• recent urinary tract infection (UTI)

Causes of kidney pain

Pain in the kidneys is an indicator that either one or both of your kidneys are being affected by an underlying condition. It’s possible that your kidney is harmed because of these things:

• Stones in the Kidney Stones in the kidney can form in either one of your kidneys or both of them. In most cases, kidney stones are painless until they pass through the tube that leads from the kidney to the bladder. You might walk right over a pebble without even realizing it, but when it finally hits you, the pain is excruciating and searing. It’s also possible that you’ll feel queasy or throw up.
• A case of pyelonephritis (kidney infection). Pyelonephritis is an infection that can affect either one or both kidneys. It can also affect the urinary tract. The cause is a urinary tract infection (UTI) that has spread. Pyelonephritis can cause a number of symptoms, including fever, nausea, a sensation of burning when peeing, flank discomfort and tenderness, and more.
• Hemorrhage. An accident, an infection, or even certain disorders can lead to bleeding in one or both of the kidneys. Other possible reasons include specific conditions. In addition to experiencing pain in your abdominal or lower back, you will most likely find blood in your urine.
• Thrombosis in the veins of the kidney. Renal vein thrombosis is characterized by the presence of a blood clot in one or both of the renal veins that are related to the kidneys. If the blood clot forms slowly, there may be no symptoms at all. You can experience excruciating pain in your flank along with tenderness around your ribcage if you have a sudden clot.
• Hydronephrosis. The medical condition known as hydronephrosis describes a blockage that causes urine to back up into one of the kidneys, which then causes that kidney to swell up with water. In most cases, only one kidney is affected by hydronephrosis; however, the condition can occasionally affect both kidneys. It’s possible that you’ll have constant dull pain, interspersed with episodes of extreme pain. Aside from that, you might also have nausea and uncomfortable urination as symptoms.
• a tumour or cancerous growth. On either one or both of your kidneys, you have the potential to develop a benign growth that does not progress to cancer. It is possible that it will make you feel weary, cause swelling in the region around your kidneys, and cause you to have constant pain in your lower back or side.
• Cyst. It is possible for one or both of the kidneys to develop a fluid-filled sac. The majority of the time, kidney cysts do not cause any symptoms; but, if the cysts become large enough and begin to press against other organs, this might result in abdominal pain. In the event that the cyst ruptures, you can experience excruciating agony in your side.
• A disease characterized by polycystic kidneys (PKD). This disorder is passed down through families and causes numerous cysts to form in both kidneys, which can cause harm to those organs. It is possible that as your PKD worsens and the cysts continue to expand, you will have bouts of acute pain in your back and sides. In addition to that, you can have kidney stones, high blood pressure, and blood in your urine.
• Aneurysm of the renal artery In this extremely uncommon illness, there is a little portion of the artery wall in either one of your kidneys or both of your kidneys that is impaired. In most cases, there are no outward signs or symptoms. It’s possible that you’ll experience discomfort in your flank if the aneurysm ruptures.
• kidney disease is caused by atherosclerosis and clots It is possible for plaque to clog smaller arteries leading to either kidney if it breaks off from a larger artery and travels elsewhere. In addition to the usual symptoms, such as diarrhea and fever, you could also have pain in the stomach region.

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Kidney pain treatment

You may be able to address the pain in your kidneys with over-the-counter drugs, natural therapies, or even surgery, depending on the underlying problem that is causing it.

Conditions such as kidney stones and cysts can occasionally be cured by their own natural processes.

Home remedies

One of the most important therapies for kidney stones that are less severe is to drink a lot of water.

Medications

To treat a variety of illnesses, a physician could recommend certain drugs. These may include the following:

antibiotics for pyelonephritis or other kidney infections anticoagulants, or medications to prevent blood clots, for conditions such as renal vein thrombosis, targeted cancer medications such as sunitinib (Sutent) and sorafenib (Nexavar), to stop the growth of tumors in the kidneys such as sunitinib (Sutent) and sorafenib (Nexavar) to treat cancer in the

drugs for high blood pressure and cholesterol, in order to assist with PKD and atheroembolic renal disease.

Surgery

Your kidney issue may require surgical intervention in order to be properly treated in some instances. An example of this would be an aneurysm in the renal artery, which could require surgery if the weakened portion of the artery wall is tearing or expanding.

A microscopic incision can be made with the assistance of a slender, illuminated microscope, which enables a surgeon to remove kidney cysts. A ureteroscopy involves inserting a thin telescope up into a patient’s bladder and into one of their kidneys. This method is suitable for use in the removal of bigger kidney stones by a surgeon.

It is possible that a kidney will need to be removed in its whole if it has sustained considerable damage, such as that caused by hydronephrosis or malignancy. In the majority of cases, only one kidney is necessary because the other kidney is spared.

It’s also possible for a surgeon to remove only the portion of the kidney that contains the tumor, or they might employ cryotherapy to freeze and eliminate the tumor on its own.

FAQs

The following are a few questions that are frequently asked by people in regards to kidney pain.

How can I tell whether this discomfort is coming from my kidneys?

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference between kidney discomfort and back pain.

Pain in the back is much more common than pain in the kidneys. In most cases, back pain will be associated with your muscles, will manifest itself lower on your back, and will manifest itself as a constant aching.

If it’s a problem with your kidneys, the discomfort will most likely be higher up, towards your ribcage. You might experience waves of excruciating pain, and you might also have a fever. It’s also possible that the pain is worse on one side.

What should I do if I feel pain in both of my kidneys?

It is essential that you consult a medical professional if you are having pain that you believe may be caused by your kidneys.

When should one go to the doctor?

Pain in the kidneys is nearly always an indicator that something is wrong with one of your kidneys. If you are experiencing pain in your kidneys, you should consult a medical professional as soon as you can so that the source of your discomfort may be identified.

You run the risk of developing renal failure if the condition that caused your kidney discomfort is not treated in a timely and appropriate manner. This condition occurs when your kidneys cease working properly.

If the pain has come on suddenly and is severe, it is of the utmost importance that you get medical attention as soon as possible. This is frequently the result of a life-threatening condition, such as renal vein thrombosis or bleeding into your kidney, which requires immediate medical attention.