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What Causes Kidneys To Hurt

Drinking Alcohol In Excess

Kidney Pain Causes – If Your Back Hurts, It Could Be One Of These Kidney Problems

Regular heavy drinking more than four drinks a day has been found to double the risk;chronic kidney disease. Heavy drinkers who also smoke have an even higher risk of kidney problems. Smokers who are heavy drinkers have about five times the chance of developing chronic kidney disease than people who dont smoke or drink alcohol to excess.

How Is Kidney Pain Treated

Treatment of kidney pain depends on what condition is causing it. In order to pinpoint a cause, a number of tools are available to help your doctor make a diagnosis:

  • Urinalysis: Checks for the presence of blood, excess white blood cells , proteins, and certain chemicals that are linked to various kidney disorders.
  • Imaging tests:Ultrasound or a CT scan provides an image of the physical structure of the kidneys and urinary tract, sees if stones are present, and helps determine if blood flow is adequate.

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 theirÂ;vaginaÂ;andÂ;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.

PregnantÂ;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 aÂ;kidney stoneÂ;orÂ;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:

Also Check: How To Tell If Kidney Infection Is Getting Worse

Eating Too Many Foods High In Sugar

Sugar contributes to obesity which increases your risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes, two of the leading causes of kidney disease. In addition to desserts, sugar is often added to foods and drinks that you may not consider sweet. Avoid condiments, breakfast cereals, and white bread which are all sneaky sources of processed sugar. Pay attention to the ingredients when buying packaged goods to avoid added sugar in your diet.

Can Kidney Infections Be Prevented

Can kidney problems cause back pain?

You can reduce your chances of developing a kidney infection by keeping your bladder and urethra free from bacteria. This can include drinking plenty of fluids, keeping your genitals clean and treating any constipation.

The symptoms of a kidney infection usually develop quite quickly over a few hours or days.

Common symptoms;include:

  • pain and discomfort in your side, lower back;or around your genitals
  • high temperature
  • shivering or chills
  • feeling very weak or tired
  • loss of appetite

You may have other symptoms;if you also have cystitis or urethritis;. These additional symptoms may include:

  • pain or a burning sensation during urination
  • need to urinate frequently or urgently
  • feeling that you’re unable to urinate fully
  • blood in your;urine
  • cloudy or foul smelling urine
  • pain in your lower abdomen

Also Check: Can Stress Cause A Uti Or Kidney Infection

When To See Your Urologist

While it would be nice to avoid the doctors office for kidney pain, its not always possible. Sometimes, the pain is not treatable using an at-home remedy and youll need to see your doctor or urologist to get relief. It should also be noted that just because you experience pain relief, doesnt mean that your infection is gone. To make sure that the infection doesnt spread to other parts of your body and cause further complications, you need to get a proper diagnosis and treat the problem. If you have a high fever, blood in your urine, vomiting, or chills, see your doctor immediately.1 If you experience back, groin, or abdominal pain, see your doctor.3 always better to seek medical treatment early to treat any serious infections and reduce the risks of complications or severe problems.

If you have kidney stones, but the pain is persistent and youre unable to pass them on your own, your urologist will recommend additional treatments. There are a number of different things that can be done to reduce the size of kidney stones and make them easier to pass naturally. Call your doctor if the pain persists and youre unable to pass kidney stones on your own.

How Is Pkd Diagnosed

Because ADPKD and ARPKD are inherited, your doctor will review your family history. They may initially order a complete blood count to look for anemia or signs of infection and a urinalysis to look for blood, bacteria, or protein in your urine.

To diagnose all three types of PKD, your doctor may use imaging tests to look for cysts of the kidney, liver, and other organs. Imaging tests used to diagnose PKD include:

  • Abdominal ultrasound. This noninvasive test uses sound waves to look at your kidneys for cysts.
  • Abdominal CT scan. This test can detect smaller cysts in the kidneys.
  • Abdominal MRI scan. This MRI uses strong magnets to image your body to visualize kidney structure and look for cysts.
  • Intravenous pyelogram. This test uses a dye to make your blood vessels show up more clearly on an X-ray.

In addition to the symptoms generally experienced with PKD, there may be complications as cysts on the kidneys grow larger.

These complications may include:

  • diuretics to help remove excess fluid from the body
  • surgery to drain cysts and help relieve discomfort

In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved a drug called tolvaptan as a treatment for ADPKD. Its used to slow the progression of kidney decline.

One of the serious potential side effects of tolvaptan is severe liver damage, so your doctor will regularly monitor the health of your liver and kidneys while on this medication.

Reaching out to a support network of family and friends can be helpful.

Recommended Reading: Can A Kidney Infection Kill Me

Part 3 Of 3: Getting A Medical Diagnosis

  • 1Contact your doctor if you have pain that won’t go away. It is important to get medical problems that are causing you pain treated by a medical professional. If you don’t get them treated promptly, they could create larger issues that will cause you even more pain in the future.
  • Treating pain with an over-the-counter pain medication is a good temporary solution if you are in a lot of distress. However, you should get medical care for long-term pain so that there is a chance that the problem can be solved instead of simply masked with medication.
  • 2Have an examination and testing done. When you see the doctor they will ask you about your symptoms, including when they started and how strong they are. They will then do a physical exam that includes feeling the areas of pain. At this point they may be able to give you a general idea of what is causing the pain but they will also likely do a variety of tests on you to give you a specific diagnosis.
  • Whether the doctor suspects a serious problem in the back, such as a slipped disc, or a problem with the kidneys, they will order imaging to be done. This can be in the form of an X-ray, ultrasound, spinal magnetic resonance imaging , or a computed tomography scan.XTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source
  • What Is Peritoneal Dialysis

    4 Causes for Kidney (Low Back) Pain on Keto (Ketogenic Diet)

    Peritoneal dialysis uses the lining of the abdominal cavity as the dialysis filter to rid the body of waste and to balance electrolyte levels. A catheter is placed in the abdominal cavity through the abdominal wall by a surgeon, and it is expected to remain in place for the long-term. The dialysis solution is then dripped in through the catheter and left in the abdominal cavity for a few hours after which, it is drained out. During that time, waste products leech from the blood flowing through the lining of the abdomen , and attach themselves to the fluid that has been instilled by the catheters. Often, patients instill the dialysate fluid before bedtime, and drain it in the morning.

    There are benefits and complications for each type of dialysis. Not every patient can choose which type he or she would prefer. The treatment decision depends on the patient’s illness and their past medical history along with other issues. Usually, the nephrologist will have a long discussion with the patient and family to decide what will be the best option available.

    Dialysis is lifesaving. Without it, patients whose kidneys no longer function would die relatively quickly due to electrolyte abnormalities and the buildup of toxins in the blood stream. Patients may live many years with dialysis but other underlying and associated illnesses often are the cause of death.

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    What Causes Hydronephrosis

    Hydronephrosis diagnosed in pregnancy is usually mild. It’s;thought to be caused by an increase in the amount of urine your baby produces in the later stages of pregnancy.

    In more severe cases, it may be caused by a blockage in the flow of urine from the kidneys to the bladder, backflow of urine from the bladder to the kidneys, or a blockage in the flow of urine out of the bladder.

    In adults, hydronephrosis is commonly caused by:

    Read more about the;causes of hydronephrosis.

    Why Do My Kidneys Hurt

    Pain in the lower back or lumbar region is not just merely pain in many occasions, but can be related to kidney pain as it is in this area where these organs are found. There are several causes that can make you feel kidney pain, so the treatment to get rid of it can vary highly.

    Want to discover the possible origin of this problem? Keep on reading this OneHowTo article and find out why your kidneys hurt while you schedule a visit with a specialist to have a proper checkup.

    One possible cause of kidney pain is lumbago , which can appear due to a variety of causes such as poor posture, overworking of that muscle area, stress, not sleeping properly, etc.

    When this lower back pain lasts longer than 7 days, reaching or even surpassing 7 weeks, we can safely say it’s chronic lower back pain. In these cases the pain may be localized in this area of your back but can extend to other areas such as the bladder, groin or the inner thigh.

    We recommend you consult our article How to find the best positions to sleep to learn how to reduce it.

    Also, symptoms of herniated discs include pain in the lower back, which can be confused with kidney problems. A pinched nerve, such as the sciatic nerve, can also cause this type of pain.

    The symptoms of a herniated disc are:

    Also Check: How Do Doctors Break Up A Kidney Stone

    What Is The Treatment For Adpkd

    There is no cure for ADPKD, but a new treatment is available that has been show to slow the progression of ADPKD to kidney failure. For more information, .There may be other ways to treat the symptoms of ADPKD and to make you feel better. Talk to your doctor about the best ways to manage your condition.

    Swollen Or Puffy Face

    What causes kidney pain? Symptoms, treatment and home remedies

    Why this happens:

    Failing kidneys don’t remove extra fluid, which builds up in your body causing swelling in the face.

    What patients said:

    My sister, her hair started to fall out, she was losing weight, but her face was really puffy, you know, and everything like that, before she found out what was going on with her.

    My checks were always puffy and tight. Sometimes they would even hurt.

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    Signs You May Have Kidney Disease

    More than 37 million American adults are living with kidney disease and most dont know it. There are a number of physical signs of kidney disease, but sometimes people attribute them to other conditions. Also, those with kidney disease tend not to experience symptoms until the very late stages, when the kidneys are failing or when there are large amounts of protein in the urine. This is one of the reasons why only 10% of people with chronic kidney disease know that they have it, says Dr. Joseph Vassalotti, Chief Medical Officer at the National Kidney Foundation.

    While the only way to know for sure if you have kidney disease is to get tested, Dr. Vassalotti shares 10 possible signs you may have kidney disease. If youre at risk for kidney disease due to high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney failure or if youre older than age 60, its important to get tested annually for kidney disease. Be sure to mention any symptoms youre experiencing to your healthcare practitioner.

    Fatigue Being Tired All Of The Time

    Why this happens:

    Healthy kidneys make a hormone called erythropoietin , or EPO, that tells your body to make oxygen-carrying red blood cells. As the kidneys fail, they make less EPO. With fewer red blood cells to carry oxygen, your muscles and brain tire very quickly. This is anemia, and it can be treated.

    What patients said:

    I was constantly exhausted and didn’t have any pep or anything.

    I would sleep a lot. I’d come home from work and get right in that bed.

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    When To See Your Gp

    See your GP;if you have a fever and persistent;tummy, lower back;or genital pain,;or if you notice a change;to your usual pattern of urination.

    Most kidney infections need;prompt treatment with;antibiotics to stop the infection from damaging the kidneys or spreading to the bloodstream. You may also need painkillers.

    If you’re especially vulnerable to the effects of an infection; for example, if you;have a pre-existing health condition or are;pregnant, you may be admitted to hospital;and treated with antibiotics through an intravenous drip.

    After taking antibiotics, you should feel completely better after about two weeks.

    In rare cases, a kidney infection can cause further problems. These include blood poisoning and a build-up of pus in the kidney called an abscess.

    Read more about;treating a kidney infection;and the complications of a kidney infection

    Alcohol And Kidney Disease

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    Drinking alcohol heavily can have several long-term health consequences including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. These conditions commonly lead to kidney disease. Excessive drinking is considered to be more than four drinks per day. This doubles your risk of developing chronic kidney disease or long-term kidney damage. The risk increases if youre a smoker.

    Kidneys that have been overworked due to excess alcohol consumption dont function properly. This makes them less able to filter blood and maintain the correct water balance in the body. The hormones that control kidney function can also be adversely affected.

    Heavy drinking can also cause liver disease, which makes your kidneys have to work harder. When you have liver disease, your body doesnt balance the flow and filtering of blood as well as it should. This has a harmful effect on your overall health and can increase the chance of complications.

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    Why Do Doctors Examine The Contents Of The Stone

    There are four types of stones. Studying the stone can help understand why you have it and how to reduce the risk of further stones. The most common type of stone contains calcium. Calcium is a normal part of a healthy diet. The kidney usually removes extra calcium that the body doesn’t need. Often people with stones keep too much calcium. This calcium combines with waste products like oxalate to form a stone. The most common combination is called calcium oxalate.

    Less common types of stones are: Infection-related stones, containing magnesium and ammonia called struvite stones and stones formed from monosodium urate crystals, called uric acid stones, which might be related to obesity and dietary factors. The rarest type of stone is a cvstine stone that tends to run in families.

    What Does Kidney Pain Feel Like

    Your kidneys are fist-sized organs shaped like beans that are located at the back of the middle of your trunk, in the area called your flank. They are under the lower part of your ribcage on the right and left sides of your backbone.

    Their main job is to filter waste out of your blood and produce urine to remove that waste along with extra fluid from your body.

    When your kidney hurts, it usually means theres something wrong with it. Its important to determine whether your pain is coming from your kidney and or from somewhere else so that you receive the right treatment.

    Because there are muscles, bones, and other organs around your kidney, its sometimes hard to tell if its your kidney or something else causing your pain. However, the type and location of the pain and other symptoms you are having can help point to your kidney as the source of your pain.

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    What Causes Autosomal Dominant Pkd

    ADPKD is caused by a problem with a specific gene. It is almost always inherited from a parent who also has ADPKD. To inherit the disease, a child needs to have just one parent with ADPKD. On average, if both parents have ADPKD, there is a 75% chance that their child will also be born with PKD.

    The genetic problem that causes ADPKD can sometimes happen on its own, meaning that a child may be born with ADPKD, even though neither parent has it. This happens in only 1 out of every 10 cases of ADPKD.

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