Does Kidney Disease Cause Back Pain

When To Contact A Doctor

A person who is experiencing kidney pain should contact a doctor as soon as possible to find out what is causing it.

People must contact a doctor to diagnose and treat kidney pain. Receiving the correct treatment ensures that the kidneys do not become damaged, which can lead to kidney failure.

Doctors may order tests such as:

• urine tests, which can help them identify any infections
• imaging tests, such as CT or ultrasound scans
• cytology, which can help them identify cancer cells in the urine

What Causes A Kidney Infection

The commonest cause of kidney infection is the bacteria called E coli . The mode of infection is ascending of the germ from the anogenital area.

The urinary system includes the kidneys, ureters , urinary bladder, and the urethra . These bacteria can enter the urinary tract via the urethra. The infection can occur during sexual intercourse or because of poor hygiene habits after bowel movements. On entering the urethra, the bacteria can migrate upwards to infect the bladder and the kidneys . Although pyelonephritis is rarer than cystitis, it is a serious condition and needs prompt medical management. Kidney infections can even occur in the absence of a bladder infection. This may be seen in conditions, such as kidney stones , and with weak immunity, such as diabetes and HIV.

How Kidney Issues Can Cause Back Pain

Back pain affects an estimated 80% of people, with many people experiencing chronic pain throughout their lives. Whats more, the causes of back pain can be surprising.

Our compassionate staff at Osteoporosis and Rheumatology Center of Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida is led by Jeffrey Miller, MD, a rheumatology and internal medicine specialist with years of experience in treating different types of pain. While you might think the pain youre feeling in your back means that you may have hurt your back, its possible that it could be your kidneys.

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Where Are Kidneys Located In The Body

Kidneys play a key role in your urinary system. They are very important on what to remove and what to keep in your blood. About 200 quarts of blood is filtered by the kidneys every day. Without them, your circulation system is affected and the body loses its healthy-balanced blood.

They also produce essential hormones to help regulate red blood cell production, keep your bones strong, and other bodily functions. They also produce rennin, hormones that help control blood pressure. Ironically, high blood pressure is the leading cause of kidney disease.

You have two kidneys bean-shaped organs located behind the stomach, upper abdominal area against the back on both sides of the spine and closer to the back than the front of the body. Each about the size of your fist!

What Can You Expect When You See Your Doctor About Kidney Pain

If youre going to see the doctor about regular musculoskeletal back soreness, your M.D. is most likely going to perform a physical exam to figure out whats causing the problem. And if they think its a more serious issue, they may order an ultrasound or some other type of imaging.

A kidney evaluation may involve more testing, however.

First, theyll ask you about your symptoms and if you’ve had any history of kidney problems in the past or family members with kidney disease. Then they will palpate the area over your kidneys and check your blood pressure and your temperature.

After that, theyll ask you to pee in a cup. This is called a urinalysis. With this test, your doctor is looking to see whether or not they see microscopic blood or smaller crystals. And depending on how sick you are, they may also order some blood tests to check for other signs of infection and see how well the kidneys are actually doing to clear toxins, says Dr. Rajan.

If your doctor is very concerned, they might do an ultrasound to look at the structure of your kidneys and check for stones.

Physicians often prescribe antibiotics for UTIs, and in the case of a small kidney stone, they may just recommend drinking more water and taking pain meds until the stone passes. But more serious or complicated conditions could require other procedures, so its important to see your doc to receive the proper assessment and treatment.

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What About Kidney Stones Are They Involved Here Somehow

Sort of. A kidney stone isnt an infection, but a collection of salt and minerals that hardens and turns into a stone. While some stones may be small others can be much larger. They may stay in the kidney, or begin to move into the ureter, the tube that connects the kidney and the bladder. When this happens, kidney stones can become extremely painful.

Kidney stones can be tricky, since they may have many of the same symptoms as a UTI or a kidney infection pain when urinating, needing to urinate often, and cloudy or strong smelling urine, blood in the urine, fever, nausea or vomiting. And while stones often pass on their own, larger stones sometimes need to be broken up, or removed.

Sometimes, kidney stones can lead to a urinary tract infection or a kidney infection, so its important to get them checked out by your doctor. And, since the symptoms are so similar, getting a checkup is probably a good idea anyway just to rule out the possibility of an infection, and to make sure the stone is moving along as it should.

Over The Counter Medications For Urinary Tract Infections

• Brand names listed as examples do not imply better quality over other brands. Generic equivalents may also exist.
• Use only as directed on the package, unless your healthcare provider instructs you to do otherwise.
• OTCs may interact with other medications or be potentially harmful if you have certain medical conditions. Talk to your pharmacist about options that are right for you.

You can do some things at home to feel better while you have an infection:

• Drink plenty of fluids to flush out germs.
• Get extra rest.
• When you go to the bathroom, sit on the toilet instead of squatting over it, which can keep your bladder from completely emptying.
• Take a pain reliever with acetaminophen. Donât use aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen because these can raise your risk of kidney problems.
• Use a heating pad on your belly, back, or side.

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The Back Pain Can Be Symptoms Of Stage 3a Moderate Chronic Kidney Disease

We have heard so many stories of people losing their life to Chronic Kidney Disease. In most cases, you will find that they did not know about the failure until the very end. Here, hence you will find the different aspects of Stage 3A Moderate Chronic Kidney Disease. One must have knowledge of different stages and this will only help you to tackle the problem safely.

How Is Kidney Cancer Diagnosed

There is usually no early symptom of the condition. The signs and symptom are likely to occur when it has become advanced. Therefore if you are at high risk of developing the condition, you may be asked to take a routine screening such as urinalysis which can be a part of your complete medical checkup.

Early diagnosis of this cancer is important for the prognosis and outlook of patient. It can be treated more easily if caught early. On the other hand, advanced cancer is more difficult to treat and has worse life expectancy.

Tests and procedures to diagnose kidney cancer include:

Urine and blood tests. These are often used to help diagnose numerous different medical conditions, including kidney cancer. Something that goes awry in the blood and urine can help analyze the health of your kidneys. But the result is usually not final. Other further tests are often required for a clearly diagnosis.

Imaging tests. They are usually used to help find any abnormality in the kidneys. These include CT-scan, MRI test, and ultrasound scan.

Biopsy, a minor surgical procedure to take a small sample of cells or tissues of the kidneys especially from a suspicious area with abnormality. This sample is then tested and closely analyzed under microscope to find any sign of cancer.

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Kidney Infection Risk Factors

Anyone can get a kidney infection. But just as women get more bladder infections than men, they also get more kidney infections.

A womanâs urethra is shorter than a manâs, and itâs closer to their vagina and anus. That means itâs easier for bacteria or viruses to get into a womanâs urethra, and once they do, itâs a shorter trip to the bladder. From there, they can spread to the kidneys.

Pregnant women are even more likely to get bladder infections. This is because of hormone changes and because a baby puts pressure on the motherâs bladder and ureters and slows the flow of urine.

Any problem in your urinary tract that keeps pee from flowing as it should can raise your chances of a kidney infection, such as:

• A blockage in your urinary tract, like a kidney stone or enlarged prostate
• Conditions that keep your bladder from completely emptying
• A problem in the structure of your urinary tract, like a pinched urethra
• Vesicoureteral reflux , which is when pee flows backward from your bladder toward your kidneys

Youâre also more likely to get an infection if you have:

• A weakened immune system, as with type 2 diabetes

How To Tell If Its Kidney Pain Or Back Pain

Your kidneys are located just below the ribcage, with each kidney positioned on either side of your spine. Kidneys help to filter toxins and extra fluids from the body to ensure the rest of your body works normally. Common causes of kidney pain include UTIs, kidney infections, and kidney stones. Because your kidneys rest against your back muscles, it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate kidney pain from back pain. To help you distinguish between the two, were breaking down the signs and symptoms of how to tell if its back pain or kidney pain.

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Does Kidney Cancer Cause Lower Back Pain Too

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?

Stage 4 Kidney Failure: Back Pain And Nausea

A person with Stage 4 Kidney Failure has advanced kidney damage with severe decrease in the GFR to 15-29ml/min. At this point, some patients will experience symptoms such as back pain and nausea. Want personalized advice? Chat with our online doctor directly!

Back pain in Stage 4 Kidney Failure

Chronic kidney disease back pain is often felt as a dull ache anywhere in the mid-to-lower portion of the back, on one side or the other – this is called flank or loin pain at times. This pain may occur due to conditions such as Polycystic Kidney Disease, kidney cyst, kidney infection, kidney stone, etc.

Natural remedies that are available to relieve back pain including:

– Acupuncture. It is an ancient, safe and effective technique of treating renal disease. Acupuncture can regulate the physiological functions and controlling pain.

– Yoga. Yoga is found to be one of the most efficient techniques to relieve pain in the back in kidney disease.

– Herbal remedies. Consult a doctor before starting herbal treatment like ginger, chamomile, garlic, etc.

If you are interested to know more details about natural remedies, feel free to Email us at .

Nausea in Stage 4 Kidney Failure

Due to severely impaired kidney function, toxic wastes like nitrogen cannot be removed properly and will buildup within the blood. With elevated BUN level, massive ammonia will occur and stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in nausea.

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Does Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease Cause Back Pain

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.

When Should You Go See Your Doctor About Back Or Kidney Pain

Back pain

Back pain can be incredibly frustrating, but the good news is: It usually gets better on its own. MCG doctors suggest avoiding aggravating movements and giving heat, ice, or anti-inflammatories a try. If it doesnt clear up within six to 12 weeks, go see your primary care doctor who can assist you in finding better treatment.If, however, you are experiencing back pain after traumatic accident or have other concerning symptoms, head over to urgent care for immediate treatment.

Kidney pain

If you suspect that you have a kidney issue, you should always schedule an appointment with your primary care physician. Really anyone who has symptoms of a urinary tract infection or kidney stones should follow up with their physician to make that determination, says Santiago.

If you are pregnant and experiencing a significant fever, see emergency care to get evaluated right away, adds Santiago. Pregnant women are at a greater risk for complications so if primary care isnt available, urgent care is the best place to seek assistance.

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What Are The Stages Of Kidney Cancer

Your prognosis depends on your general health, as well as the grade and stage of your kidney cancer.

These are the stages of kidney cancer. The higher the stage, the more advanced the cancer.

Stage I

• A tumor 7 centimeters or smaller that is only in the kidney

Stage II

• A tumor larger than 7 centimeters that is only in the kidney

Stage III

• A tumor that is in the kidney and in at least one nearby lymph node
• A tumor that is in the kidney’s main blood vessel and may also be in nearby lymph node
• A tumor that is in the fatty tissue around the kidney and may also involve nearby lymph nodes
• A tumor that extends into major veins or perinephric tissues, but not into the ipsilateral adrenal gland and not beyond Gerota’s fascia

Stage IV

• Cancer has spread beyond the fatty layer of tissue around the kidney, and it may also be in nearby lymph nodes
• Cancer may have spread to other organs, such as the bowel, pancreas, or lungs

• Cancer has spread beyond Gerota’s fascia

Kidney Cancer Can Cause Back Pain

Pain is common in people with cancer. It can be a consequence of cancer growth that has become large enough to cause extra pressure on nerves, bones, or other organs in the body. Or it may be caused by some cancer treatments. Both cancer and its treatments are difficult to cope!

Depending on the cause, the pain can be acute or chronic. Acute means it usually lasts at short time. And chronic means it can come and go. Sometime cancer pain may also be there all the time, causing persistent pain.

The location of kidneys and the back is quite close. Even if compared to the front of the body, the kidneys are relatively closer to the back, as noted before. Thats why pain arising from the kidneys often affects the back.

Back pain, especially in the upper back below the ribs is one of possible kidney cancer symptoms. But this symptom can also be attributed by a number of different conditions. Having it doesnt mean you definitely have cancer in the kidney.

Its not unusual to attribute pain in the side of the upper back to the kidneys. However more often than not, the kidneys probably are not the cause. Even though if you have back pain arising from the kidneys, kidney cancer is also not the single answer! For instance, kidney infection and kidney stones are often to blame.

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