If you are feeling a dull pains in your upper back, specifically on one side, then most likely you are experiencing kidney pain. Kidneys are vital organs in the body. They perform lots of essential functions that help to keep our bodies fit and in appropriate shape.
The key function of the kidneys is to get rid of excess physical fluids and other physical waste from the body. They are located in the upper region of the abdominal area versus the muscles situated at the back on both the right and the left side. This organ is extremely fragile and need to be protected at all expenses, failure to which the impacts will be devastating.
There are various kidney illness, all which produce what we call kidney pains. These pains tend to occur in the deep and high back areas located just under the ribs.
What Does Kidney Pain Feel Like?
The pain felt in the kidneys will differ from a single person to another, but common descriptions include the following: intense, chronic, moderate, sharp, dull, cramping and frequent. The pain can at times be a lot that you can ask, “does pancreas pain seem like this too?”
Where does the Kidney Pain Hurt?
- Generally, the pain that comes from the kidney in case of a kidney-related issue will be felt in 3 main areas:
- The most notable area where you will first feel the pain will be in one or both flanks in the region lying in between the hips and the lower ribs.
- You will also be likely to feel the pain in the much deeper region of the upper abdominal area, either on the left or on the right side or on both at the same time.
- If the pain is as an outcome of kidney stones then one will feel the pain from the front region down towards the genitalia, groin and inner thigh region.
Causes of Kidney Pains
Kidney pains are triggered by a variety of aspects such as urinary tract infections, kidney stones, permeating injury, blunt trauma, or because of the kidneys being lacerated.
Other significant causes consist of:
- Arteriosclerosis of the kidney artery, which is the obstruction of the arteries that prevents appropriate movement of blood. This includes a strain on the kidney resulting in renal pain.
- Hydronephrosis which comes about as an outcome of excess urine being kept in the kidney causing an enhancement that causes pain which is felt on the flanks.
- Polycystic kidney condition, which is brought on by the development of cysts within the kidneys that make them increase the size of causing renal pain that is also felt on the flank sides.
- Cancer of the kidney, medically called Carcinoma. It likewise causes pain in the kidney which is generally accompanied by a painless loss of blood during urination.
Symptoms of Kidney Pains
If you establish one or all these signs and symptoms then more than likely you could be experiencing kidney discomforts:
- High body fever
- Pain during urination. For women it can be a painful affair during menstrual circulation.
- Anorexia nervosa and general body weak point. If it worsens it results in the loss of body weight
- Flank pains and back pains that can radiate to other areas like the groin.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Regular urination that at times can be painful
- Body swellings (edema). This is a result of the kidney not being able to remove the excess water from the body.
- Lumps on either side of the upper abdomen
- Anorexia and chills
Pain in the Back
Because kidneys lie in the upper back, the pain will mainly be felt in this area. It is very common and it mainly stems from the muscles located in the back region and in the spine section.
The pain from the kidney is usually consistent and very sharp. The pain originating from the back or the spinal column region happens as a result of flexing or carrying weights and is normally felt not from the side over the kidney, however from the middle of the back.
Pain in the Genitalia and Groin Region
In some cases you can be hurt in a particular part of your body, however you do not feel the pain at that region however in a completely different region. For example, during an injury or infection of the gall bladder, one will not feel the pain at the belly area, but in the shoulders. This is similar to kidney discomforts.
The pain at times can be so severe that it is felt all the way from the spinal column and back area to the groin area and at times even in the testes area.
Diagnostic Tests for Kidney Pains
Urine dipstick
This is used to test a little sample of urine from a patient for any traces of protein or blood in the urine. It can be carried out in centers and in health centers.
Urine culture
A urine sample is gathered for a number of lab tests to see if there is any presence of bugs. For this test to be done, it needs a clean urine sample. This is collected midway during the urination procedure.
Scan or X-ray imaging
Through the scans, the doctors can acutely study how the kidneys and bladder are carrying out and the state they are in. They can use the ultrasound and an IVU scan. Usually, you will be required to drink a lot of fluids before the test and not to pee during the test.
Blood tests
A series of blood tests can be taken to determine if the kidneys are working well and are removing waste from the body as needed. Also, high blood pressure must be inspected as any kidney disease can result in it surging up.
Treating the Kidney Pain
- Kidney problems need correct management, as they are vital organs in a body. So it is important to deal with all the involved results arising from the kidney diseases.
- Kidney discomforts can be really excruciating and can at times cause stressful and unpleasant durations. Dealing with the pain is for that reason paramount. Some individuals will recover completely from the pains; while others will recuperate from the kidney issue but will still experience the pain which can sometimes turn chronic. In case it ends up being chronic pain, then a pain expert need to be sought immediately. The professional can schedule a series of therapy programs to assist reduce the pain effect.
- To alleviate the pain once in a while, some pain relievers can be acquired over the counter and used. For an effective pain reliever, Paracetamol is the safest at dealing with any type of pain as it does not have any side effects.
- One need to use the recommended dosage at all times. In case it does not completely deal with the pain, pain relievers that have codeine can be used.
- Nevertheless, not all pain relievers can deal with kidney pain successfully, such as Ibuprofen, which is dangerous particularly when there are possibilities of a kidney failure. It must only be taken under the recommendations and guidance of a doctor.
- In a nutshell, kidney pain should be treated inning accordance with its parent cause. Treatment will normally include dosage after dose of antibiotics and sometimes a long-lasting bed rest.
Kidney disorders can sometimes come with extremely serious ramifications, which will need immediate medical attention. Other times, some kidney disorders will need surgical interventions to treat, as holds true with kidney stones.
Prevention of Kidney Pain
As they state, prevention is much better than remedy. By living a healthy lifestyle, you can prevent yourself from getting kidney pains that come as a result of kidney-related complications.
- Make certain to drink great deals of water on a regular basis. The water will act as a cleanser, cleaning your body of those toxins that can have a negative result on your kidneys.
- Quit alcohol and smoking
- Aim to eat a balanced diet at all times. Some foods are thought to have the capability to cause kidney stones if consumed regularly, especially those with calcium oxalate such as carrots and cauliflower, foods abundant in amino acids, and fruits– especially those with high vitamin C levels.
- Many people who have recovered or are currently suffering from kidney-related problems will inform you that they will not wish for you to experience what they have or are going through. The pain at times can be agonizing to a point that it renders a person hopeless and dependant on others, and they are bed-ridden most of the time.
- Handling the pain related to kidney associated problems is vital to make the condition bearable. Dosages of antibiotics, surgical procedures and therapy techniques can be used to deal or manage the pain at the acute level. It is essential to handle the cause of the kidney problem to be able to handle the pain quickly.
I likewise checked out that kidney issues can have no inform tail signs. I would be inclined to believe that kidney pain would feel the exact same if it was caused by inflammation of an infection or inflammation of lupus (but I could be absolutely incorrect about that). I must most likely ask next time I am at the medical professionals though, because I have back pain that I understand is at least in part triggered by muscle spasms … but I likewise have problems from time to time with frequent urination troubles. They did some kind of test about a month ago, included checking my urine, due to the fact that they believed I might have had a bladder infection, but I am quite sure they test protein levels when they do that, and it came back fine (was one of the instantaneous ones, results in a few minutes). Anyways, much better to be checked out than questioning.
Back in January I got up one night/early morning about 4am with HORRIBLE back pain. I have ulcerative colitis and with all the medications I am on I am constantly informed to make sure I report any kidney pain and I constantly questioned what the difference between kidney pain or simply back pain would seem like – I totally knew it was my kidneys (so, I think most of you understand how does kidney pain feel like – awful!!). I had to lay on my bathroom flooring since I was disturbed from the pain and almost got ill. I nearly went to the ER however it started to go away after about 20 minutes and I was lastly able to go back to bed, and returned to sleep. The next early morning it felt like someone had kick boxed me in both kidneys. I was exceptionally sore, but it wasn’t the “on fire” burning unbearable pain like the night before. Also when I peed as soon as that morning, my urine was the color of iced tea.
Once again this month, nearly the exact same thing occurred! Other than this time during the day. Early morning started completely fine – I felt fine, no UTI symptoms preceding anything. My quickly my back began feeling unpleasant and it got worse and worse and within MINUTES my kidneys felt like they were on fire once again, and it was radiating around my sides and down into my pelvis. Nothing relieves it – I kept standing since sitting or putting down was practically worse due to the fact that I was so agitated since it injured so badly. Since I have UC, I have Emtec-30 for pain that I take every now and then. I normally take one, but I took two for the kidney pain. It helped a bit – enough that I picked not to go to the ER – but this time the pain lasted much longer than it performed in January. After about an hour I went to a walk-in center since I had used the washroom and my urine was SO dark – almost the color of soda – and it horrified me. I saw a MD right away who told me it was probably a UTI and had actually just reached my kidneys and I was prescribed macro bid which I took for the week and the outcomes returned that I did have a UTI. Again, when I did a test my urine was quite normal colored. Just a little foggy.
Has anybody else skilled anything like this? I have absolutely ZERO symptoms leading up to this event. Just random kidney pain that harms like no other. I have actually had people tell me it seems like I have a kidney stone, however I absolutely don’t since a) it’s in both kidneys and b) the pain does not continue for hours that agonizing or anything.