Kidney Location Where Are Your Kidneys Located
As mentioned above most people have one kidney on each side of the posterior abdominal area. The specific location of the kidneys sometimes causes the pain sensation to be confused with other types of pain such as liver or back pain. It is very important to understand the exact location and sensation of kidney pain.
The picture below shows a drawing each kidney in the area where they are located. Flank pain is specifically found in this area. If movement of the muscle or massage does not relieve pain in this area you may be experiencing kidney pain.
Flank pain which is sharp or doesnt change upon movement is most likely kidney pain and not muscular pain.
Picture 1 : Surface of the kidney location Image source : meded.ucsd.edu
What Is The Function Of The Kidneys
The excess waste products and excess fluid are removed when the kidneys produce urine that is excreted from the body. Moreover, the kidneys play an important role in the regulation of the body’s salt, potassium, and acid content.
The kidneys also produce hormones that stimulate the production of red blood cells that help regulate blood pressure and help control calcium and electrolyte metabolism in the body.
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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What Is The Best Treatment For Kidney Pain Or Back Pain
When either your kidneys or your back hurt, you could either experience mild discomfort or a crippling pain. Since the actual problem might not be clear yet, consulting with a physician is imperative to determine the cause before they can administer treatment.
Issues with the kidney could either be a minor problem or a big one. If youre battling a kidney infection, your doctor would most likely prescribe antibiotics for you. A tiny kidney stone will require no treatment at all and pass naturally. In some cases, you many need a short hospital visit so they can get the stones out of your system smoothly. Drinking plenty of water can help with this problem. A larger kidney stone, on the other hand, would require surgery.
As for the back, various causes means many different cures are available. For non-serious back problems, you only need some rest, muscle relaxants, and a heating pad to relieve the pain. If the pain lasts for over two weeks, it may indicate a more severe problem that could require intensive care, physical rehabilitation, or minor surgery.
Evaluation And Treatment Of Flank Pain
After noting symptoms, the doctor examines the person and usually does a urinalysis to check for red blood cells or excess white blood cells. White blood cells in the urine suggest an infection. If an infection is suspected, a urine culture is usually done. A person with very severe, cramping pain and blood in the urine is very likely to have a kidney stone. A person with milder, steady pain, tenderness when the doctor taps over one kidney, fever, and excess white blood cells in the urine is likely to have a kidney infection.
If a kidney stone is suspected, the doctor often does computed tomography or ultrasonography to determine whether a stone is the cause, the size and location of the stone, and whether it significantly blocks urine flow. An intravenous contrast agent is not used for the CT scan. If the doctor is not sure of the cause of pain, often CT that uses an intravenous contrast agent or another imaging test is done.
The underlying disorder is treated. Mild pain can be relieved by taking acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . Pain from kidney stones may be severe and may require use of intravenous or oral opioids.
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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!
Less Common Causes Of Lower Right Back Pain
The following conditions may be common in the population, but are less likely to cause lower right back pain than pain in other areas, such as in the abdomen.
Lower right back pain may be an early symptom of the following:
- Gallbladder inflammation. Gallbladder inflammation or dysfunction is typically marked by severe indigestion, particularly following meals. Gallbladder dysfunction typically causes upper right abdominal pain and right-sided back pain.
- Liver problems. Pain related to the liver may be caused by inflammation , an abscess, liver scarring , or an enlarged or failing liver. Symptoms of liver problems include pain in the upper right abdomen and/or back, fatigue, nausea or lack of appetite, and jaundice. Liver problems are relatively rare in persons not already at risk.
If the above conditions are the suspected cause of troubling symptoms, seeking prompt medical attention is advised.
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Mesh Lumbar Back Support Cushion
If you spend a lot of time sitting you, most likely, can have aches in your lower back. To help you, we can propose to use Mesh Lumbar Back Support Cushion. It will not only ensure instant pain and discomfort relief but also will help prevent lower back area injuries. Another great feature is how it is easy to set it up so you could feel comfortable without making the extra effort.
When Back Pain Can Indicate Kidney Cancer
Its not unusual for kidney cancer to cause back pain, but then again, back pain is a very common symptom of aging and stress. Any severe pain should be cause for concern, but where you feel the pain will help to determine if your kidneys are to blame:
- Pain at the site. Poor posture, muscle strain, and spinal problems can cause consistent aches or shooting pains in any area of your back, but the pain of kidney cancer often presents just below the ribs in the back .
- Flank pain. Some patients may feel pain in the side, or flank the area between your upper abdomen and your back. It may be more prominent after a twisting motion, and it will likely only affect one side of the body.
- Painful lump. In some cases, a mass or lump can be found in the side or lower back. It may be painful to the touch, or it may just be disconcerting to see. In any case, a visible abnormality should be investigated right away.
- Pain with weakness. When back pain occurs with weakness in a specific area, you should pay a visit to your doctor. Progressive muscle weakness could be a sign that the tumour has grown or metastasized, and is pressing on nerves.
While certain pains can be serious warning signs, they may also point to nothing more than a mild illness or strain. Only a doctor can determine whether your back pain is something to worry about, and the better you can communicate your symptoms, the better your medical team can get to the bottom of the issue with the appropriate tests and scans.
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Early Warning Signs Of Kidney Disease
Kidney disease affects millions of people in the United States, and there are just a few indicators that reveal issues with kidneys. Often referred to as the “Quiet Disease” because of the lack of symptoms, most people do not discover they have kidney disease until it is very advanced. Also, many people ignore early warning signs, while catching kidney disease early can mean the difference between life and death. This is why vehicle donation is so important to fund the education of kidney disease.
Kidneys perform important functions of the body such as regulating the acid content, potassium, and salt content. Waste removal is also a function of the kidneys along with producing vitamin D and balancing the bodys fluids. Kidneys produce hormones that regulate the metabolization of calcium and controls blood pressure. Here are a few of early warning signs of kidney disease:
Specific Symptoms And Causes Of Kidney Infection:
A kidney infection is when a urinary tract infection has gone on too long and begins to enter the kidneys. This is called pyelonephritis.
Bacteria enter the urethra from the skin and then climb up into the bladder causing the initial infection. Because the urethra is shorter in women this is much more common in females than males.
This infection can be very serious because it has the possibility to spread into the blood stream.
Symptoms consist of all those mentioned above plus:
- Fever and chills
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What Procedures And Tests Diagnose Kidney Diseases
The doctor usually will do a history and physical examination. Initial tests usually consist of a complete blood count , kidney function , and urine test, and when appropriate, a pregnancy test. A lacerated kidney may be suspected if the person has experienced a traumatic injury to the lower back.
If kidney stones are suspected, a CT exam or renal ultrasound is done an abdominal X-ray may be ordered but has been replaced in general by ultrasound and CT. As patients with kidney stones often need repeat X-ray studies or have repeat episodes of kidney stones, ultrasound with its lack of radiation is a good study to consider. Abdominal/pelvic CTs with contrast or magnetic resonance imaging and aortogram may be ordered to further define or differentiate underlying kidney and nonrenal causes of flank pain. Such studies are routinely performed if a kidney is suspected to be damaged by a traumatic event .
Fever And Chills Along With Your Back Pain
This could also mean that you have a urinary tract infection.
If you have any of these symptoms, along with your back pain, you should call your doctor right away.
If your pain is unbearable, is associated with fevers or chills, or you have nausea and vomiting that is preventing you from keeping down fluids or medications, you should seek immediate medical attention, Nguyen says.
Are you concerned about kidney stones? The experts at Keck Medicine can help guide you. If you are in the Los Angeles area, schedule an appointment with a urology specialist or call .
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Summary: 10 Tips On How To Differ Back Pain And Kidney Pain
Here are symptoms of kidney pain compared to back pain:
General back pain, on the other hand, can be felt anywhere on your back. So if the discomfort is in your center back or shoulders, possibilities are, it’s not a kidney rock.
As the kidney rock moves through your urinary system, you’ll feel pain differently. With a backache, the pain is typically constant.
If it’s a backache, some movement or position change can ease the discomfort. With kidney stones, the pain will not go away when you move, and some poses may even make it worse.
Back pain can range from moderate to severe, while kidney stone pain is always severe. Kidney stone pain is generally severe and can be sharp or dull.
Kidney stones can trigger your pee to be pink, red, or brown.
Kidney rocks can make you seem like you require to pee a lot more, and also, when you do go, you might only go a little.
This could also mean that you have a urinary tract infection.
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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Telltale Signs You Have A Kidney Stone
Most people have two kidneys located behind their abdominal organs along the middle of their back. The purpose of your kidneys is to filter blood and send any waste thats collected into your urine.
Sometimes, these waste products build up and form small, hard deposits called kidney stones. Stones develop inside kidneys, but they exit the body through the urinary tract.
Because the ureter is small, passing a stone can cause complications inside the urinary tract, as well as a range of unpleasant symptoms from abdominal pain to nausea. About 1 in 10 Americans will experience at least one kidney stone in their lifetime, but learning to recognize the telltale signs of a kidney stone isnt always easy especially if youve never had one.
Our team at Advanced Urology in Redondo Beach, Culver City, and Los Angeles, California, is here to help. While small stones might pass without your knowledge, larger stones can cause excruciating pain. Make an appointment at Advanced Urology if you have
How Do I Recognize Back Pain From Kidney Stones
Back pain caused by kidney stones is a unique type of pain caused by tiny stones blocking the flow of urine between the kidney and the bladder. You can recognize the difference by the type of pain felt. Back pain due to another condition tends to cause muscle aches and soreness in the spine or muscle tissue. Back pain from kidney stones, however, comes in cycles and is described as very intense pain that begins on the right or left side. Kidney stone pain often moves from the original location to the lower abdomen and may even be felt, at times, in the groin area as a stone moves about inside the ureter.
Besides back pain, a person with kidney stones may also experience nausea, vomiting, fever and urine tinged with blood. For some, kidney stones also produce back and abdominal spasms. It is not uncommon for individuals with kidney stone pain to also have symptoms of a urinary tract infection.
In order to clearly diagnose back pain caused by kidney stones, a medical professional will perform a urinalysis and an x-ray to determine if a stone is present and to determine whether or not it is likely that it may naturally pass during urination. If it is too large to pass, a stone may need to be removed via surgery or dissolved using medications. Once stones have passed, dissolved, or been removed, any pain should subside.
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What Do The Kidneys Do In Our Body
Kidney is considered as one of the major organs of the body. This is because of its important role in various functions that keep us in healthy condition. The major functions of it include the following.
- Maintenance of fluid volume within the body.
- Maintenance of acid-base equilibrium within the body.
- Blood is purified of waste products, chemicals and toxins by the kidneys.
- Electrolytes such as Sodium, potassium and chloride are kept in the required amount in body with the help of the kidneys.
- Kidneys are also known to produce hormones and chemicals required for information transmission through nerves.
This article will discuss a bit more about the anatomy of the kidney as well as possible causes for kidney pain.
Getting A Medical Diagnosis
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