Kidney Pain Vs Muscular
The flank area is an area of the back that is commonly injured in normal every day movements or during exercise. There are a few good ways to know the difference between kidney pain and muscular back pain.
If you answer yes to any of the following questions you could be experiencing kidney pain.
- Assess your body to see if you have any other symptoms such as fever, or difficulty with urination?
- Does the pain increase or decrease associated with your urination?
If you answer yes to any of the following questions you may be experiencing back pain.
- Does the pain get better or worse with stretching or movement?
- Is pain relieved with regular over the counter pain medications?
The Difference Between Kidney Pain And Lower Back Pain
The human body is very complex and sometimes the symptoms of two very different conditions can overlap and refer, creating confusion of where the pain is actually coming from. This is the case with your kidneys, located towards your back and underneath your lower rib cage. Therefore, its hard to tell if pain you are experiencing in that area is coming from your lower back or your kidney. Both present very similarly but have completely different causes. Knowing the symptoms location, type and severity of the pain, triggers, and characteristics of these conditions can help you differentiate the
Back Pan Vs Kidney Pain: How To Tell The Difference
Theres usually no easy way to differentiate between back pain and kidney pain, especially for the constant ache of a kidney stone thats not demanding to be passed. Passing a kidney stone is a different story since it hurts so badly, and kidney infections provide clues in the form of other symptoms.
Unsurprisingly, your best bet is to see a doctor for a formal diagnosis. Be prepared for a physical exam, providing your family and medical history and undergoing tests. The tests can include urine analysis or culture as well as a plain abdominal X-ray, CT scan or MRI.
There is no cure or quick fix for getting rid of kidney stone pain, as people who have experienced the excruciating pain know. Dr. Charney said. The only solution is to have a physician prescribe pain medications and sometimes fluids while just giving yourself time to pass the stone. However, there are antibiotics for kidney infections as well as home remedies. The home remedies include using heat to the area where you have discomfort, keeping yourself hydrated and taking over the counter pain meds when needed.
Overall, the best advice to keep kidneys healthy is to exercise, keep hydrated especially in warm weather or when exercising, maintain a healthy weight, and quit smoking. And the best part? That advice works for back pain as well.
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Kidney Pain Location And Sensation
Most people tend to associate pain in the area between the ribs and hips as either digestive problems or muscular back pain. However, kidney pain isnt always felt in the same place as the kidneys location.
Dr. Charles Patrick Davis on MedicineNet explains that renal or flank pain can be felt anywhere between the lowest rib and the buttocks. The pain may also radiate to the groin or abdominal area. Depending on the underlying cause of the kidney pain, you may feel the pain in just the left or right side of your back. However, sometimes kidney pain affects both sides of the back.3
Who Is At Risk Of A Kidney Infection
Certain medical conditions may increase your chances of having a kidney infection. These include:
- Conditions that may weaken the bodys immunity, such as diabetes and HIV.
- Frequent bladder or other urinary tract infections . A UTI in a pregnant female is a particularly serious condition and should be immediately brought to medical attention.
- Structural problems in the kidney that may alter the flow of urine, such as kidney stones, congenital structural problems of the urinary tract, and tumors present inside or outside the urinary tract.
- Females are at greater risk of a UTI since they have a shorter urethra compared to males.
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Type And Severity Of Pain
Muscle pain feels like a dull ache or soreness. Certain body movements can trigger or worsen muscle pain, the intensity of which can range from mild to severe and may fluctuate in response to stretching.
People with nerve pain may experience a burning or stabbing sensation that travels to other areas of the body.
Sciatica is a form of nerve pain that affects the back. People develop sciatica when the sciatic nerve becomes pinched or compressed, which causes a burning pain in the lower back that radiates through the buttocks.
Bone pain can result from vertebral fractures or an irregularly shaped spine. This type of pain comes on suddenly. Bone pain ranges from moderate to severe and usually worsens in response to movement.
Kidney Pain And Alcohol Abuse
Although the kidneys do not directly filter alcohol, problems associated with the kidneys may be related to the alcohol abuse. Alcohol can affect certain renal hormones such as anti-diuretic hormone and result in dehydration.
Alcohol may also raises the risk of atherosclerosis and cause clot formation in the kidneys.
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What Are Clinical Trials And Are They Right For You
Clinical trials are part of clinical research and at the heart of all medical advances. Clinical trials look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease. Researchers also use clinical trials to look at other aspects of care, such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses. Find out if clinical trials are right for you.
What Is The Difference Between Back Pain And Kidney Pain
Here are the things you can watch out for to tell if you have back pain or youre having kidney pain:
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How Much Do My Kidneys Weigh
The weight of your kidneys varies. Variances may include your height, weight, age, body mass index and location.
For men and people assigned male at birth, your right kidney may range from 1/5 to about 1/2 lbs. . Your left kidney may range from a little less than 1/5 to a little more than 1/2 lbs. . Your kidneys may weigh between the weight of one tennis ball and four tennis balls.
For women and people assigned female at birth, your right kidney may range from a little more than 1/10 to 3/5 lbs. . Your left kidney may range from 3/20 to a little less than 3/5 lbs. . Your kidneys may weigh between the weight of one tennis ball or five tennis balls.
How Can I Keep My Kidneys Healthy
Its important to have regular checkups and blood and urine tests to measure your kidneys health. You can reduce your risk of developing a kidney problem by:
- Avoiding or quitting smoking and using tobacco products. Your provider can help you find ways to quit.
- Cutting out excess salt, which can affect the balance of minerals in your blood.
- Increasing daily exercise, which can reduce high blood pressure.
- Limiting your use of NSAIDs. NSAIDs can cause kidney damage if you take them too much.
- Watching your blood sugar levels if you have diabetes.
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Kidney Location In Body
Let us talk about the kidney location in the body. As a qualified medical doctor, and based of my knowledge of the human anatomy, I am aware that the kidneys are located in the posterior abdominal wall. By the way, let me clarify that the human abdomen extends from beneath your sternum to just above your pelvis.
Your kidneys are located just below the rib cage, beneath your liver in the back of your abdomen.
For the purpose of deeper understanding, the abdomen can further be divided into the front and back wallsotherwise called the anterior and posterior abdominal walls respectively.
Sometimes, if you have an underlying kidney diseases which cause pain and inflammation, you may begin to experience low back or flank pain. Flank pain could be a symptom of a urinary tract or kidney infection as the case may be. While you experience flank pain during a Urinary Tract Infection, doctors will elicit renal angle tenderness.
Unlike other causes of back pain, kidney pain often will not get better as you move, or even if you massage the area.
Renal stones otherwise called nephrolithiasis is also another common cause of flank pain which is felt in the middle of the back. You should be careful with acute sharp pain in your middle back and it is an important symptom that should make you book an appointment with your doctor.
Causes And Risk Factors
In general, the causes among these common kidney problems are the same, which are mainly:
- Dehydration
- Family history
- Prior medical conditions and previous surgeries
However, UTIs have very specific risk factors:
- Being a woman
- Being sexually active
- Having a catheter
- Having a diaphragm or use of spermicides for birth control
Most AKIs also occur as a complication from another serious illness or severe infection such as sepsis.
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What Are Symptoms Of Kidney Pain
Symptoms of kidney pain occur in the area of the kidneys, on the sides or middle to upper back, on one or both sides, and may be described as:
- A constant, dull ache in the sides, back, or belly
- Pain in the side
- Pain may come in waves
- Pain may radiate to the belly or groin area
Depending on the cause of the kidney pain, symptoms that may accompany it include:
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Kidney Pain Or Back Pain Sometimes It Can Be Tough To Tell But Each Will Provide Their Own Clues Heres What You Need To Know
Trying to understand why your back hurts can feel exhausting. Most cases of back pain go away on their own. But if the soreness or irritation lingers it can suggest a more substantial health concern possibly one associated with the kidneys.
Kidney pain or back pain? Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.
Healthy kidneys help eliminate waste from the body, regulate blood pressure, make red blood cells, and perform other essential jobs all day every day. Youll find these bean-shaped organs below your ribs, close to the middle of your back. Thats why kidney problemsstones, infection, chronic kidney diseasescan easily be mistaken for mid-or upper back pain.
Heres the thing, though. People with kidney disease sometimes have pain caused by their kidney disease, says Alan Charney, MD, a nephrologist at NYU Langone Health and clinical professor at the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Remarkably, though, the kidney itself has no pain receptors!
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Can You Live Without A Kidney
You can live with just one kidney. Healthcare providers may remove one of your kidneys in a radical nephrectomy.
Someone may have only one kidney if they:
- Had a kidney removed due to cancer or injury.
- Made a kidney donation to someone else for a kidney transplant.
- Were born with only one kidney .
- Were born with two kidneys but only one kidney works .
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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When It Could Be Kidney Pain And What To Do
Kidney pain can be caused by an underlying issue such as a urinary tract infection or UTI. If you feel a sting when urinating, need to urinate more often, have cloudy urine or if you have pain in the groin area, these should be treated promptly. A quick urinalysis can tell us if you have a UTI and it can be treated easily with antibiotics. An untreated UTI can spread to the kidneys and cause more serious complications. You may develop a fever, tiredness and more significant pain which may signal a kidney infection as well.
If you see blood in your urine and there is no reason to suspect this to be normal such as after a prostate procedure you should visit your urologist as soon as possible to learn more about what the potential issue could be. While most cases of urine in the blood are easily treatable, we do have to rule out more nefarious causes. Remember, blood in the urine is not always visible, so be sure to have your annual physical/checkup, which should include a urinalysis.
Where Do I Feel Kidney Pain
You feel kidney pain in the area where your kidneys are: Near the middle of your back, just under your ribcage, on each side of your spine. Your kidneys are part of the urinary tract, the organs that make urine and remove it from your body. The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.
You may feel kidney pain on only one side or both sides of your back. Having pain in these areas does not always mean there is something wrong with your kidneys. Because there are muscles, bones and other organs around your kidneys, it can be hard to tell what exactly is causing your pain. If you have constant pain you think may be caused by your kidneys, talk to your doctor.
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Associated Symptoms Of Kidney Pain May Include:
- Fever
- Pain during urination
- Flank pain- pain in the middle back near the sides. Can be noted on either the right or the left side.
Image 4 : A clear depiction of where the flank pain is represented.
| Kidney cysts | |||
| Pain location | Starts as a dull pain and continues to be a sharp stinging or burning pain as the stones move. This pain will come and go in waves | Remains as a dull ache and is usually confused with back pain. | If pain is noticed it will remain dull and usually be accompanied by bloody urine. |
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Pain On Right Side Of The Chest
1. Heart attack
Although the pain caused by heart disease usually occurs on the left side of the chest, this pain can sometimes spread to the right side of the chest.The pain caused by heart disease usually happens suddenly, and it feels like a heavyweight on your chest.
2. Heartburn
Heartburn is also a common cause of pain on the right side of the chest.When stomach acid returns from the stomach to the esophagus, it causes irritation and discomfort on the right side.This pain is similar to a heart attack because the esophagus and the heart are very close.However, the pain of heartburn usually does not radiate to other parts of the body.
3. Muscle strain or chest injury
Muscle strain is one of the common causes of pain on the right side of your chest. Depending on the cause of the injury, the pain may be mild or severe. You may feel chest pain around the ribs, especially when you move or breathe deeply. Usually, applying ice or getting plenty of rest can help repair the muscle tissues quickly.
Chest injuries are usually more severe conditions that cause excruciating pain on the right side. The pain typically occurs in the right side under the ribs. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or low blood pressure. If the internal organs of the body are injured, you must seek medical attention in time.
4. Lung disease
5. Stress, panic, or anxiety
6. Costochondritis
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