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Could Lower Back Pain Be A Sign Of Kidney Problems

Signs Of Kidney Disease

Signs Of Kidney Problems – Lower Back Pain And Other Symptoms Of Renal Trouble
  • You’re more tired, have less energy or are having trouble concentrating. A severe decrease in kidney function can lead to a buildup of toxins and impurities in the blood. This can cause people to feel tired, weak and can make it hard to concentrate. Another complication of kidney disease is anemia, which can cause weakness and fatigue.
  • You’re having trouble sleeping. When the kidneys aren’t filtering properly, toxins stay in the blood rather than leaving the body through the urine. This can make it difficult to sleep. There is also a link between obesity and chronic kidney disease, and sleep apnea is more common in those with chronic kidney disease, compared with the general population.
  • You have dry and itchy skin. Healthy kidneys do many important jobs. They remove wastes and extra fluid from your body, help make red blood cells, help keep bones strong and work to maintain the right amount of minerals in your blood.Dry and itchy skin can be a sign of the mineral and bone disease that often accompanies advanced kidney disease, when the kidneys are no longer able to keep the right balance of minerals and nutrients in your blood.
  • You feel the need to urinate more often. If you feel the need to urinate more often, especially at night, this can be a sign of kidney disease. When the kidneys filters are damaged, it can cause an increase in the urge to urinate. Sometimes this can also be a sign of a urinary infection or enlarged prostate in men.
  • Is Back Pain A Sign Of Kidney Cancer

    Medically Reviewed By: Bradley McGregor, MD

    Before the use of CT scans , back pain was associated with the diagnosis of kidney cancer but this is no longer the case. Today, general cancer screening often catches kidney cancer before this symptom occurs, according to Bradley McGregor, MD, clinical director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Womens Cancer Center.

    Pain That Comes And Goes In Waves And Changes In Intensity

    As the kidney stone moves through your urinary tract, youll feel pain differently. With a backache, the pain is usually constant.

    Kidney stone pain typically starts high up, near the kidney, migrates toward the abdomen and then eventually moves down toward the groin as the stone moves further down the ureter, says Mike Nguyen, MD, a urologist at Keck Medicine of USC and associate professor of clinical urology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

    Kidney stone pain is typically severe and can be sharp or dull. It usually occurs suddenly, without any provoking events.

    Mike Nguyen, MD

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    Kidney Pain Vs Back Pain

    Its easy to confuse kidney pain for just back pain. How do you know the difference?

    Location. It could be your kidney and not your back if you feel it higher on your back. Back problems usually affect your lower back.

    Kidney pain is felt higher and deeper in your body than back pain. You may feel it in the upper half of your back, not the lower part. Unlike back discomfort, its felt on one or both sides, usually under your rib cage.

    Its often constant. It probably wont go away when you shift your body. With your back, it might lessen when you adjust your position.

    Signs that its your back

    Back pain:

    • Shoots down one leg
    • Is more likely to be stabbing than dull and constant
    • Gets worse or flares up when you do certain activities, like lifting a box or bending over
    • When you rest or lie down, back pain may ease up
    • Might also be muscle aches

    Other symptoms to watch for

    Depending on the cause of the pain, you could have other symptoms too. If you have these signs, contact your doctor. You could have a serious kidney problem:

    • Fever
    • Body aches
    • Tiredness

    Also, if you recently had a urinary tract infection , call your doctor. If you have blood in your urine, or if your pain is sudden and unbearable even without signs of blood in your pee, get medical care right away.

    How To Distinguish Back Pain From Kidney Pain

    Could Lower Back Pain Be A Sign Of Kidney Problems

    As back pain is a common experience for many people, its easy to think that its just another ordinary ache that will go away on its own. However, your kidneys may be the organs that are actually causing you pain. It can be tricky to distinguish what exactly is causing your discomfort because of how close the pain areas are. Heres a quick guide to help you figure out if youre experiencing kidney pain or back pain:

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    About The Medical Reviewer

    Dr. Bradley A. McGregor is the Clinical Director for the Lank Center of Genitourinary Oncology serving as a Medical Oncologist specializing in genitourinary malignancies at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Completing is undergraduate and medical school education at Tufts University he then joined the United States Air Force at the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium. While in the military, he completed his post-graduate training in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology. While in the uniformed services, he provided oncologic care to active duty members, their family members and retirees across the spectrum of benign hematology and medical oncology in San Antonio, TX and northern California at Travis Air Force Base. He served in a multitude of roles including scientific member of the IRB, faculty for the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, clinical director and as the program director for the Transitional Year program. In addition, he served in Afghanistan as the Deputy Commander for the NATO led Medical Training Advisory Group where he mentored the Afghan physicians. Reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and receiving the Meritorious Service medal, Dr. McGregor left the Air Force in July of 2016 and came to Dana-Farber. He is actively involved in clinical research in GU malignancies serving as primary investigator for several ongoing trials.

    Potential Causes Of Pain In Lower Back Kidney Area

    When experiencing back pain, musculoskeletal problems are usually the culprit. Occasionally, however, pain in the lower back kidney area is a symptom of kidney-related troubles. If you experience pain in your lower back as well as pain radiating to your side and your groin, your kidneys are a likely culprit. If urinary problems or a fever accompany the pain, a kidney problem is even more likely. Heres everything you need to know about pain in the kidney area .

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    Signs Your Back Pain Might Be An Emergency

    In our 20s and 30s, normal back pain often can be attributed to factors of daily life, such as sitting too long, picking up children, or overdoing it while exercising.

    In our 40s and older, work injuries and the beginnings of arthritis and degenerative conditions are more common.

    Back pain is so common, in fact, that many patients shrug off symptoms that might indicate a medical emergency.

    Approximately 80% of adults will experience back pain in their lives, so its important to be able to identify the severity of your symptoms and track how long the pain lasts.

    If back pain can be associated with a specific activity, such as lifting or twisting wrong, and the pain goes away within 72 hours after resting and applying ice, its usually nothing to worry about. However, if pain creeps on gradually, appears suddenly, or doesn’t go away, you might have a more serious condition.

    Does Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease Cause Back Pain

    Is my Back Pain due to a Kidney problem? – Dr. Prashanth Jain

    Generally speaking, not all Chronic Kidney Disease patients suffer from back pain, and not all back pain is related with Chronic Kidney Disease. This article will have a analysis about the back pains, patients can have a comparison and have targeted treatment.

    1. Trauma. Psoas bruise, sprain, having a cold and so on all can lead to back pain. Generally speaking, this kinds of patients can get recover easily through medical treatment. If the back pain is really caused by stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease, do you know what is the specific causes?

    2. Renal parenchyma disease. Glomerulonephritis, acute nephritis and so on can lead to kidney enlargement which will involve the kidney capsule and the surrounding nerves, so patients maybe suffer from persistent distending pain and dull pain. And patients maybe accompanied with symptoms such as blood urine, edema, high blood pressure and so on.

    3. Renal infections diseases. Nephrapostasis, pyelonephritis and other kidney damage caused by bacterial infections also can lead to back pain, especially when patients suffer pressure. At this time, patients maybe suffer from fever and chills and patients can have a clear checkup through routine blood and urine tests and B ultrasound.

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    How Is Kidney Pain Treated

    The treatment for kidney pain depends on what is causing it. Be sure to call your doctor if you have any kidney pain. Your doctor may do:

    • A urine test to check for signs of infection
    • Imaging tests, such as an ultrasound or CT scan, to see if your kidneys are injured

    Once you know what is causing your pain, your doctor can work with you to find the right treatment.

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    What Is A Kidney Cyst

    There are different kinds of kidney cysts. A simple kidney cyst is a round pouch of smooth, thin-walled tissue or a closed pocket that is usually filled with fluid. One or more may form within the kidneys. Simple cysts are the most common type of kidney cyst, and they most often donât cause harm.

    Simple kidney cysts arenât related to polycystic kidney disease . PKD runs in families and causes large numbers of cysts to grow in your kidneys. This makes your kidneys get larger and damages their tissue.

    Over time with PKD, your kidneys donât work as well, and the disease can lead to kidney failure. Sometimes PKD can cause cysts to form in your liver or in other parts of your body.

    Acquired cystic kidney disease is another condition that causes cysts to grow in your kidneys. It doesnât run in families like PKD, but happens in adults and children with chronic kidney failure and end-stage renal disease. ACKD doesnât cause your kidneys to grow larger or lead to cysts in other parts of the body. It usually doesnât cause symptoms or need treatment.

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    Chronic Kidney Disease: Common Symptoms Of Ckd

    Health Check Certified By: Dr. Gerald Morris

    The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste through the blood using tiny filters, called nephrons, and flushing them out of the body via the urine. However, when nephrons get damaged, or worse, a kidney fails completely, waste builds up in the blood and cant be eliminated from the body, which will result in health concerns.

    Chronic kidney disease is often an issue for years before damage starts to take a serious toll on the body. However, the following 20 symptoms do exist and can indicate CKD. To help you get the treatment you need, be on the lookout for these common symptoms of chronic kidney disease!

    What Procedures And Tests Diagnose Kidney And Back Pain

    Could Lower Back Pain Be A Sign Of Kidney Problems

    The most important first steps in helping make the diagnosis of back or kidney pain is for the health care provider to talk to the patient, take a history of the illness and examine the patient. Most often, this can help determine the cause of the back pain and direct what tests might be done to confirm the diagnosis.

    If concern is that the kidney is the cause of the pain, then a urinalysis or urine sample is most helpful and can help guide further testing. If infection is a concern, urine and blood cultures may be helpful. Most often, patients begin antibiotics before culture results come back, but the results may allow a more specific antibiotic to be chosen.

    If a kidney stone is a concern, the provider may choose to treat the patient based on the history, physical exam, and evidence of blood in the urine, especially if the patient has had kidney stones in the past. For patients with their first stone, imaging the kidneys may be appropriate. This can be done with ultrasound or CT scan.

    Regardless of the cause of the kidney pain, the provider may choose to evaluate kidney function. Some blood tests include BUN , creatinine, and GFR .

    If the back pain is thought to be due to bones, muscles, nerves, or other structures of the back, the health care provider may or may not need to image the back with plain X-rays, CT, or MRI scanning. Other tests depend upon the symptoms and potential underlying cause.

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    What Causes Back Pain

    Back pain can be caused due to a number of reasons. Usually mild back pain does not require immediate medical attention. Back pain usually occurs due to inflammation. Sometimes back pain can be indicative of a serious medical condition like bone fracture, spinal fracture, multiple myeloma, osteoporosis, cancer, lumbar disc herniation, degenerative disc disease etc. Stress and dysfunctional family relationships are also known to cause back pain. During pregnancy, a majority of women experience low back pain which can be severe during the third trimester.

    How To Identify Kidney Pain

    In some cases, back pain may subside when you move, while kidney pain tends to be a constant ache.

    So if youre able to shift your body and the pain lessens or goes away, it may be back pain.

    If you are experiencing lower back pain, you can probably rule out kidney pain.

    The kidneys are located higher up in the back.

    Kidney pain tends to be in the mid-to-upper back region on the sides, not in the center.

    Still think your pain may be in your kidneys?

    Here are some key symptoms and pain indicators you should look out for if you suspect you have a kidney issue.

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    What Says That One Is Suffering From Stage 3a Moderate Chronic Kidney Disease

    Like all the other stages are diagnosed with the help of the GFR test. There is a certain level that you have to maintain, and it is necessary.

    This stage is broken up into two: a decrease in glomerular filtration rate for Stage 3A is 45-59 mL/min and a decrease in GFR for Stage 3B is 30-44 mL/min. As kidney function declines waste products can build up in the blood causing a condition known as uremia.

    In stage 3A person is more likely to develop complications of kidney disease such as high blood pressure, anemia which means a shortage of red blood cells and/or early bone disease.

    Does Kidney Cancer Cause Lower Back Pain Too

    Kidney Problems can cause Low Back Pain! Know the 7 symptoms | Doc Cherry

    Lower back pain is a common symptom that can affect anyone at some point in live. How does it feel? This ranges from a dull ache to shooting /stabbing sensation. You may find difficulty to move or stand up straight.

    Fortunately, many times it is a mild problem. It often improves and gets better on its own. You might also like to read the effective home remedies to help relieve low back pain in here!

    But sometime it may also difficult to improve, depending on the underlying cause. See a doctor promptly if it doesnt get better within 72 hours!

    In general, youre at high risk of the condition if you have the following risk factors:

  • You are a sedentary individual. Lack of physical activity is bad for your overall health, including for back health.
  • Overweight and obesity. More pounds of extra weight you gain can give more pressure on your back.
  • If you work at workplace that often requires heavy lifting.
  • And poor posture.
  • Although most of the time low back pain is a minor condition, it can also be associated with a number of particular conditions from muscle strain to chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia and spinal stenosis .

    It seems that the problem can be attributed by numerous different causes. How about kidney cancer?

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    Muscle Twitches And Cramps

    In addition to sleep problems, people with late-stage CKD may also experience muscle twitches and crampsmost commonly in the legs. There are a variety of different causes of these cramps, including poor blood circulation as a result of fewer red blood cells transporting oxygen to the muscles.

    Cramps can also occur if the individual is low on nutrients such as calcium and magnesium, or as a result of fluid and electrolyte loss from frequent vomiting or diarrhea. Nerve damagewhich results due to the poorly functioning kidneys allowing a build up of toxins in the bodymay also be responsible for the cramps.

    When To See A Doctor

    Once youve determined whether your pain is coming from your back or your kidneys, consider seeing your doctor for evaluation and treatment.

    You should always be seen if you think you have a kidney infection or kidney stone.

    You might be able to treat acute back pain thats mild without seeing your doctor, but if it doesnt get better, is more than mild pain, or spreads, you should see your doctor.

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    Signs Of Acute Pyelonephritis

    Acute pyelonephritis is a painful bacterial infection of the kidneys which occurs when bacteria enter the urethra, move into the bladder, travel up the ureters and affect the kidneys. It is usually caused by the bacterium Escherichia coli, but can sometimes be caused by other bacteria.

    Acute pyelonephritis is a common kidney problem in females, especially those between the ages of 15 and 29. The condition is rare among males, although it is more common in men over the age of 65 or men with anatomical abnormalities of the urinary tract. It can, however, affect people of any age. Although it is quite uncomfortable, acute pyelonephritis is seldom a cause of long term kidney problems. Some underlying conditions can increase the risk of developing acute pyelonephritis. These include:

    • Urinating painfully or with difficulty
    • Producing no urine
    • Low blood pressure, which can manifest as dizziness and/or faintness

    In men and women older than 65, the above-mentioned symptoms may be absent, and additional symptoms may include:

    • Confusion
    • Jumbled speech
    • Hallucinations

    Good to know: In babies and toddlers, the only sign of acute pyelonephritis may be a high fever.

    For more information, consult this resource on acute pyelonephritis. If you are worried that you or a loved one may have pyelonephritis, you can do a symptom assessment with Ada.

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