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Where Is My Left Kidney Located

What Is Kidney Pain

Kidneys (Anatomy): Picture and Function

Kidney pain is discomfort near your kidneys. Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located just below your ribcage, on each side of your spine. Kidney pain doesnt always mean theres a problem with your kidneys specifically but it does usually indicate an issue somewhere in your urinary system.

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 .

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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How Are Children Treated For Kidney Stones

Most childrens kidney stones can be treated with the shock wave lithotripsy , a completely non-invasive procedure. Your child is placed under anesthesia and sound waves of specific frequencies are focused on the stones to shatter them into fragments small enough to be easily passed during urination.

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What Should I Do If My Kidneys Hurt

Free For Health: Kidney Pain Causes

If you have kidney pain that doesnt go away, the first thing you should do is call your healthcare provider to schedule an appointment or go to the emergency room if you have symptoms such as uncontrolled pain, severe nausea or vomiting, fevers or chills, or an inability to pee. In the meantime, here are some things you can do to ease discomfort:

  • Stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water will help flush bacteria from your urinary tracts. Avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol.
  • Use heat. Place a heating pad on your back, abdomen or side to help reduce kidney pain.
  • Take pain relievers. To ease fever or discomfort, take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen .

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Kidney Pain Vs Back Pain

Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between kidney pain and back pain. Some muscular problems in the back or other diseases can mimic kidney pain. Dr. Davis goes on to explain that pain that comes from your kidneys is usually accompanied by other symptoms. For example, you may notice changes in your urination or you may have a fever.3

Usually, back pain is distinguished from kidney pain because it may get better or worse when moving the back muscles. Unlike kidney stone pain which comes on in sharp, painful waves, back pain is more constant and connected with movement.

In general, flank or kidney pain is usually higher in the back just under the ribs and the pain sensation is deeper. Back pain that is muscular is usually in the lower back.

How Do You Know If You Have Kidney Pain

Kidney pain, or renal pain, is usually felt in your back . It can spread to other areas, like the sides, upper abdomen or groin. If you have a kidney stone, you usually feel the pain in your back, side, lower belly or groin.

Back pain due to muscle problems is usually in your lower back. Pain due to kidney problems is usually deeper and higher in your back, under your ribs.

Signs that it is a kidney problem can also include fever, vomiting, pain in your sides or painful urination.

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Treating And Preventing Kidney Stones

Most kidney stones are small enough to be passed in your pee, and it may be possible to treat the symptoms at home with medication.

Larger stones may need to be broken up or removed with surgery.

Its estimated up to half of all people who have had kidney stones will experience them again within the following 5 years.

To avoid getting kidney stones, make sure you drink plenty of water every day so you do not become dehydrated.

Its very important to keep your urine pale in colour to prevent waste products forming into kidney stones.

The kidneys are 2 bean-shaped organs that are roughly 10cm in length.

Theyre located towards the back of the abdomen on either side of the spine.

The kidneys remove waste products from the blood. The clean blood is then transferred back into the body and the waste products are passed out of the body when you pee.

What Are Common Tests To Check The Health Of My Kidneys

Kidney Location and Structure

Healthcare providers use several tests to measure kidney function and diagnose kidney problems. Your provider may recommend:

  • Advanced imaging: An X-ray, CT scan, MRI, ultrasound or nuclear medicine image can show kidney abnormalities or obstructions .
  • Blood tests: Blood tests show how well your glomeruli filter your blood.
  • Kidney biopsy: During a kidney biopsy, your healthcare provider removes a small amount of your kidney tissue to examine it under a microscope.
  • Ureteroscopy: Your healthcare provider passes a tube through your urethra into your bladder and ureters to look for abnormalities.
  • Urinalysis: A urinalysis analyzes your pee. It measures specific substances, such as protein or blood.

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What Does It Feel Like When Your Kidneys Hurt

People often mistake kidney pain for back pain. But there are some key differences between kidney pain and how it feels compared to back pain.

Kidney pain vs back pain

Back pain usually affects the middle of your back, over your spine, and most commonly in the lower back. Spine-related issues can also cause back pain to sometimes radiate down your legs.

In comparison, kidney pain is typically located higher on your back and it often feels deeper. Most of the time, kidney pain symptoms occur under your ribs, to the right or left of your spine. Kidney pain may also radiate to other areas, such as your abdomen or groin. Sometimes, hip pain is confused with kidney pain, but hip pain is lower down in your back than kidney pain.

What Causes Kidney Damage

Your kidneys perform several important functions within your body. Many different disorders can affect them. Common conditions that impact your kidneys include:

  • Chronic kidney disease: Chronic kidney disease may lessen your kidney function. Diabetes or high blood pressure usually causes CKD.
  • Kidney cancer: Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer.
  • Kidney failure : Kidney failure may be acute or chronic . End-stage renal disease is a complete loss of kidney function. It requires dialysis .
  • Kidney infection : A kidney infection can occur if bacteria enter your kidneys by traveling up your ureters. These infections cause sudden symptoms. Healthcare providers treat them with antibiotics.
  • Kidney stones: Kidney stones cause crystals to form in your urine and may block urine flow. Sometimes these stones pass on their own. In other cases, healthcare providers can offer treatment to break them up or remove them.
  • Kidney cysts: Fluid-filled sacs called kidney cysts grow on your kidneys. These cysts can cause kidney damage. Healthcare providers can remove them.
  • Polycystic kidney disease: Polycystic kidney disease causes cysts to form on your kidneys. PKD is a genetic condition. It may lead to high blood pressure and kidney failure. People with PKD need regular medical monitoring.

Countless other disorders can affect your kidneys. Some of these conditions include:

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When To See Your Doctor

Kidney pain is almost always a sign that something is wrong with your kidney. You should see your doctor as soon as possible to determine whats causing your pain.

If the condition that has caused kidney pain isnt treated promptly and appropriately, your kidneys can stop working, which is called kidney failure.

Its especially important to see your doctor right away if your pain is severe and started suddenly because this is often caused by a serious problem such as renal vein thrombosis or bleeding into your kidney that needs emergency treatment.

Telltale Signs You Have A Kidney Stone

Are The Kidneys Located Inside Of The Rib Cage : Sudden Sharp Pain ...

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

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What Happens If My Kidneys Fail

If your kidneys fail, that means they have completely stopped doing their job to filter waste from your blood. Kidney failure is also called end-stage renal disease. Waste may build up in your blood and cause health problems, such as:

If this happens, you will need to start dialysis or have a kidney transplant to live.

Why Kidney Health Is Vital To Your Overall Well

In ancient times the kidneys were viewed as the seat of feelings, conscience, and yearnings and the source of morality and ethical activity. The kidneys were associated with the innermost parts of a persons personality and well-being. While we know now that kidneys have no direct role in shaping our ethics, emotions and personality, these two bean-shaped organs are nonetheless vital to our well-being.

The kidney is a remarkably intricate organ that acts as the filter system of the body. Just as important, your kidneys also work to keep the whole body in a state of chemical balance. The kidneys regulate the substances, helpful and harmful, that float around in the body and keeps them within very tight parameters so the body can function as a well-oiled machine. This is called renal function.

You cannot live without proper renal function, even if the kidneys are assisted artificially. Life would not continue without the many functions these organs perform.

The kidney is the major player in the regulation of your blood pressure, and the make-up of the blood. Maintaining many hormones that are vital to our very existence, the kidneys even produce hormones that tell bones when to make more blood cells.

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Request A Talk To Your Doctor Guide About Adpkd

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Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disease. This means that it is caused by a problem with your genes. PKD causes cysts to grow inside the kidneys. These cysts make the kidneys much larger than they should be and damage the tissue that the kidneys are made of. PKD causes chronic kidney disease , which can lead to kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease . PKD causes about 2 percent of the cases of kidney failure in the United States each year.

There are two types of PKD: autosomal dominant PKD and autosomal recessive PKD. Autosomal dominant PKD causes cysts only in the kidneys. It is often called adult PKD, because people with this type of PKD might not notice any symptoms until they are between 30 and 50 years old. Autosomal recessive PKD causes cysts to grow in both the kidneys and the liver. Autosomal recessive PKD is often called infantile PKD because babies can show signs of the disease in their first few months of life, or even before they are born.

Kidney Pain And Alcohol Abuse

Percussion of the Kidneys – Clinical Examination

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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Specific Symptoms Of Kidney Cyst:

A cyst is a pouch of skin filled with liquid. Cysts may form in the kidneys and sometimes do not cause any symptoms. Some of the symptoms that it can cause:

  • Side or back pain
  • If they get infected you will have fever and chills.
  • You may have kidney function issues.

If there are no symptoms you will not need treatment, but if the cyst is causing issues you will need to have the cyst drained. This is done with ultrasound guidance and only done by medical professionals.

Image 7 : Here you can clearly see the liquid filled pouches on the kidney surface.Picture Source : www.mayoclinic.org

When Should Call A Doctor For Kidney Pain

Individuals should not postpone seeing a doctor about kidney pain or flank pain. Although flank pain is often seen in underlying problems with the kidney, there are many other diseases that can mimic kidney pain, and a physician can help with an accurate diagnosis of underlying problems that result in kidney or flank pain. Any acute onset of intense kidney or flank pain should be evaluated immediately.

Warning signs that kidney disease is present and may result in kidney pain or flank pain are the following:

  • High blood pressure
  • Swelling of the hands and feet and/or puffiness around the eyes
  • Testing that shows an abnormal creatinine, blood urea nitrogen , or glomerular filtration rate less than 60

In addition, if an individual has diabetes or any of the congenital problems that lead to kidney dysfunction, the individual should be routinely checked for the onset of kidney dysfunction or kidney failure by their physician.

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What Causes Autosomal Recessive Pkd

Like ADPKD, autosomal recessive PKD is an inherited disease. In this case, however, a child may be born with the disease only if both parents are carriers of the gene that causes it. A carrier is someone who has the gene, but does not have the disease. When both parents are carriers of the gene that causes ARPKD, their child has a 1 in 4 chance of being born with ARPKD. The child has a 1 in 2 chance of being a carrier of the gene that causes ARPKD and a 1 in 4 chance of neither having the disease nor being a carrier of the gene. The disease usually does not affect every generation of a family.

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Associated Symptoms Of Kidney Pain May Include:

bladder (Patient)
  • 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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What Are The First Signs Of Kidney Problems

Most kidney problems dont have signs in their early stages. As kidney damage progresses, you may notice:

  • Cramping muscles: Electrolyte imbalances cause your muscles to stiffen.
  • Dark urine or urine with blood in it: Damage to your kidneys filters lets blood cells leak into your urine.
  • Foamy urine: Bubbles in your pee can signal excess protein.
  • Itchy, dry skin: An imbalance of minerals and nutrients in your blood leads to itchy skin.
  • More frequent urination: Problems filtering waste cause you to pee more often.
  • Puffy eyes or swollen ankles and feet: Reduced kidney function can cause your body to hold onto protein and sodium, resulting in swelling.
  • Sleep problems, fatigue and lack of appetite: If toxins build up in your blood, your sleep, appetite and energy levels may be off.

Whats The Urinary Tract How Does It Work

Your urinary tract is vital to your body because it gets rid of waste and extra fluid. Its made up of both your kidneys, two ureters, your bladder and your urethra. Each organ has an important job :

  • Kidneys: Your fist-sized, bean-shaped kidneys are located on either side of your spine, below your rib cage. Each day they filter 120 to 150 quarts of your blood to remove waste and balance fluids. Your kidneys make one to two quarts of urine every day.
  • Ureters: After your kidney creates urine, the liquid travels through the tube-shaped ureter to the bladder. There is one ureter per kidney. Kidney stones can pass through the ureters or, if theyre too big, get stuck in them. You may require surgery if the stone is too large.
  • Bladder: Between your hip bones is your bladder, an organ that stores urine. It stretches to hold about one and a half to two cups.
  • Urethra: Like a ureter, your urethra is a tube through which urine passes. Its the final stop of the urinary tract where your urine leaves your body. This is called urination.

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