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Pain in the right and left kidney can occur suddenly, although sometimes people experience discomfort for a long time and do not rush to see a doctor for help. Meanwhile, pain in the kidneys almost never appears against the background of absolute health and always indicates the presence of a certain problem.
The kidneys are paired organs that resemble large beans in shape, while the weight of one kidney can reach 0,2 kg. The main function of the kidneys is to remove water and water-soluble substances from the body. This is a complex multi-stage process that ensures the normal operation of all organ systems and allows a person to live.
According to statistics, about 4% of the population in Russia suffers from kidney disease, and the vast majority of nephrological patients are women. It is important to understand that most of the pathologies of the kidneys are very dangerous. They can be fatal. The reasons that cause them can be very diverse: unhealthy lifestyle, physical inactivity, bad habits, burdened heredity, etc.
Very often, kidney pathologies are hidden, so even a slight discomfort in the right or left kidney, as well as in the lumbar region, should be the reason for contacting a specialist.
Types of kidney pain
At a doctor’s appointment, patients often indicate that they have symptoms of kidney pain. In fact, only high-quality laboratory and instrumental diagnostics will reveal the nature of pain. Nephrologists point out that the kidneys are quite patient organs and cannot get sick on their own.
So, the capsule that surrounds the kidney can react with pain in the lumbar region. Its stretching provokes unpleasant sensations, which is often observed with a heart attack or a pronounced inflammatory process of the organ.
Renal colic
A separate type of pain is renal colic. Its source is not the kidney tissue, but the ureter, along which the stone moves. The pain is most often one-sided, occurs unexpectedly for a person and is very intense.
The classic symptom of renal colic is severe cramping pain in the lumbar region, or in the costovertebral angle. It can manifest at night when a person is sleeping. Sometimes colic begins after exercise, after shaking (for example, while driving), after taking diuretics, or after drinking large amounts of fluid.
The pain can radiate to the iliac region, to the thigh, to the intestines, to the external genitalia.
The duration of renal colic is from 3 to 18 hours or more. During this time, its intensity and location may change. The person himself during an attack is very restless, cannot find a place for himself. In parallel, he experiences the urge to empty the bladder. In the future, oliguria or anuria, thirst, dry mouth, chills develop. Sometimes colic is of such intensity that it can provoke a state of shock with a drop in blood pressure, with blanching of the skin, with the appearance of cold sticky sweat, etc.
Other symptoms of kidney pain
Sometimes pain in the kidneys can be given not to the lower back, but to the area under the lower ribs. After all, that is where these organs are located.
As for the nature of the pain, aching, pulling, cutting, stabbing, sharp pain may occur. It can be paroxysmal, or it can be present on an ongoing basis.
Until the doctor examines the person, the cause of the pain cannot be determined. Moreover, it is impossible to even unequivocally state that the pain is of renal origin. After all, other organs are located nearby: intestines, spleen, liver, spine. All of them can be subject to a variety of pathologies and are often a source of pain, which is confused with the kidney.
Indirect signs indicating that the pain is of a renal nature can be:
Edema on the face, swelling of the lower extremities, which increase in the morning and become less noticeable in the evening.
Headaches, weakness and increased fatigue, which cannot be explained.
An increase in body temperature, both to subfebrile marks, and to high values.
Change in the usual color or smell of urine.
If a person has symptoms of kidney pain, then a doctor’s consultation is mandatory.
Causes of pain in the kidney area
The causes of pain in the kidney area can be varied. Etiological factors include various diseases of an infectious and non-infectious nature, diseases of neighboring organs, congenital developmental anomalies, etc.:
Kidney stones (urolithiasis or urolithiasis). Kidney stones are one of the most common causes of pain. This disease is widespread, and the frequency of its occurrence is increasing every year.
There are many factors influencing the development of urolithiasis: gastrointestinal pathologies, physical inactivity, injuries, abnormalities in the development of the kidneys, dietary habits, etc. Pain in the kidneys with urolithiasis may be limited to a single episode of renal colic, or may be recurrent. At the same time, urolithiasis is not always manifested only in colic, dull and intermittent pains may occur. This largely depends on the location of the stone and its size. An asymptomatic course of the disease is not excluded.
Pyelonephritis is an infectious disease of the kidneys, which is caused by various bacteria. Both kidneys or one of them can be inflamed at the same time. The disease develops at any age.
As for the pains, they are localized in the lumbar region, most often unilateral, aggravated by tapping on the lower back. The nature of the pain is dull, its intensity may vary. In parallel, headaches occur, there is an increase in body temperature to high levels, loss of appetite, profuse sweating, etc.
Glomerulonephritis. Glomerulonephritis is immunoinflammatory in nature, characterized to a greater extent by lesions of the renal glomeruli, to a lesser extent, the tubules of the kidneys and interstitial tissue. The disease can develop independently, or it can occur with other systemic pathologies, for example, with lupus erythematosus, with endocarditis, hemorrhagic vasculitis.
Pain in glomerulonephritis occurs during the acute period of the disease (most often it develops 2-3 weeks later from a sore throat, tonsillitis or other streptococcal infection). The localization of pain is the lumbar region. Her personality is often dull and aching. In parallel, the patient’s body temperature rises, appetite disappears, and general weakness develops. An important symptom that indicates glomerulonephritis is edema. In addition, in 60% of patients, blood pressure rises with a decrease in diuresis in the first 3-5 days.
Stenosis and thrombosis of the renal arteries. Stenosis of the renal arteries is accompanied by a narrowing of the lumen of one or both arteries, as well as their branches. The most common cause of stenosis is atherosclerosis and fibromuscular dysplasia.
Pain in the kidney is most often dull, characterized by the appearance of heaviness in the lumbar region. Pain occurs periodically, and as the disease progresses, it may be present on an ongoing basis. In parallel, a person’s blood pressure rises and persistent hypertension develops.
Thrombosis of the renal artery requires immediate medical attention. Pain in the kidneys is caused by blockage by a blood clot of one of the blood branches of the organ. The pains are very intense, localized mainly in the lumbar region, give to the back, side and stomach. In addition, a person’s blood pressure rises significantly, nausea and vomiting develop, urine is either absent or excreted in small quantities.
Kidney cyst Polycystic kidney disease is a congenital anomaly of development that leads to disruption of the functioning of organs. The disease always affects both kidneys. The cysts are small, but there are quite a lot of them.
In adulthood, polycystic disease manifests itself in painful sensations and a feeling of heaviness in the lumbar region. Also, pains of unknown etiology appear in the abdomen, which are explained by stretching of the kidneys. In parallel, a person experiences increased fatigue, frequent headaches. As the disease progresses, disturbances in the functioning of the kidneys increase, migraines, arterial hypertension, and chronic uremia develop.
Benign and malignant kidney tumors. Benign kidney tumors are oncocytoma, adenoma and hamartoma. As a rule, they do not manifest themselves for a long time. However, if the neoplasms are prone to rapid growth, then as the tumors increase in size, the person begins to experience discomfort. Most often, the pains are aching or pulling in nature, localized in the lumbar region. Sometimes a person cannot even call these unpleasant sensations pains, but designates them as a feeling of discomfort. However, it should be remembered that all benign tumors can degenerate into malignant ones, which means that they require timely removal.
With a malignant tumor of the kidneys, pain is absent at first, and as the disease progresses, they begin to gain intensity. Severe pain most often indicates a far advanced oncological process, when it is no longer possible to help a person. This is the main danger of all oncological pathologies.
You should pay attention to lack of appetite, unexplained weight loss, anemia, subfebrile body temperature and any, even minor, discomfort in the kidney area.
Hydronephrosis. Hydronephrosis of the kidney is characterized by the transformation of the organ due to a violation of the outflow of urine. Such violations are caused by obstruction of any part of the urinary system (tumor, blood clot, polyp, etc.), or failure of the bladder valves, which leads to a reverse flow of urine.
In acute hydronephrosis, pain is paroxysmal, localized in the lower back and proceeds according to the type of renal colic. They radiate to the groin, to the ureter, to the perineum, to the genitals. Urination also becomes painful, more frequent, vomiting occurs.
In chronic hydronephrosis, the pains are weak, predominantly localized in the lumbocostal angle, their character is dull. It is noteworthy that they increase after intense physical activity or after drinking a large amount of liquid.
Congenital kidney defects. As a rule, a person is aware of congenital malformations of the kidneys from an early age, since they are all diagnosed during ultrasound (during infancy). Most of them do not show any symptoms. However, from time to time, aching pain may occur. They can be provoked by a wide variety of factors (impaired urine outflow, clamping of the renal vessels or ureter, etc.).
Pain in the kidneys can occur with such malformations as:
Doubling of the kidney, its pelvis or ureter.
Polycystic kidney disease.
Congenital stenosis of the ureter.
Irregular shape of the kidney (S-shaped, horseshoe-shaped, biscuit-shaped kidney).
People with malformations of the kidneys should be more attentive to any abnormalities in the functioning of the organs, as they are at risk for kidney diseases.
Kidney injury. Naturally, the resulting kidney injury will provoke the appearance of painful sensations. However, it should be clarified that the intensity of pain will not always correspond to the degree of damage to the organ. Sometimes, even with a severe injury, the pain can be mild, and, conversely, with a minor injury, the pain can be quite intense.
So, bruises are most often manifested by mild pain in the lumbar region, and kidney ruptures are characterized by acute painful sensations. The detachment of a part of the kidney refers to severe injuries, which are characterized by extremely intense pain, up to a state of shock. Any injury to the kidneys requires qualified medical assistance.
Nephrotuberculosis is a lesion of the kidney parenchyma by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the early stages, the infection is hidden and does not give itself away. Lower back pain occurs as the disease progresses, they are of moderate intensity, are dull in nature. In the event that there is a violation of the outflow of urine, the pain proceeds as colic.
Kidney nephroptosis. This is a condition in which an organ is displaced in one direction or another. Often, during a violation of the position of the kidney, a person experiences characteristic pains that are localized in the lumbar region and radiate to the stomach.
What can be confused with pain in the kidney?
It should be understood that pain in the lumbar region is not always associated with kidney pathologies.
Sometimes they can occur for other reasons, including:
Carrying a child. Pain can occur due to the fact that the growing fetus and the enlarged uterus presses on the kidneys. This is especially noticeable in late pregnancy.
Osteochondrosis. If a person has degenerative changes in the vertebrae and intervertebral discs of the lumbar region, then this can also cause pain, which people often confuse with pain in the kidneys. The pain is so acute that it literally fetters a person and forces him to accept his forced position. It becomes difficult for him to sit down, get up, walk. The pains are often dull and are present on an ongoing basis. (read also: osteochondrosis – causes, symptoms and prevention, how to treat?)
Herniated disc. The pain syndrome that a person experiences with a herniated disc can often be confused with pain in the kidneys. Painful sensations are always sharp and quite intense. They tend to radiate to the lower extremities, to the buttocks, to the inguinal zone.
Lumbago. If osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine and disc herniation are the most well-known diseases that provoke pain in the kidney area, then there are many other pathologies of this department that cause similar sensations. Therefore, all pain in the lumbosacral region is called lumbago. Lumbago is accompanied by acute pain and limitation of motor activity. This condition can characterize malformations of the spine, subluxation of the vertebrae, trauma to the vertebrae, overwork and overstrain of the muscles of the lumbar region, pinched nerve, and any destructive changes in the spinal column. A distinctive feature of the pain in the kidneys is the fact that the pain intensifies when the hand is planted behind the back.
Acute appendicitis. Although pain in the kidneys with appendicitis occurs infrequently, this phenomenon is sometimes still observed. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the inflamed appendix in humans is located in the wrong place.
Prostatitis and prostate adenoma. Pain in prostatitis can radiate to the lower back and resemble kidney pain. However, in parallel, a man will experience problems with potency, a violation of the outflow of urine and other symptoms that are characteristic only for prostatitis.
bowel disease, such as: ulcerative colitis, inflammation of the diverticulum, intestinal tumors can provoke lumbar pain.
Pain in the region of the right and left kidneys can be provoked not only by the pathology of these particular organs, but often the suspicion arises precisely in relation to the kidneys. However, you can even suspect another disease on your own, because each of them is accompanied by a number of specific signs, and kidney symptoms (edema, pressure surges, dysuric disorders, etc.) are usually absent.
Treatment of pain in the kidney area
The treatment of pain in the kidney area directly depends on what provoked the cause of its occurrence. In infectious diseases, antibiotics and antiseptics are required. In some cases, diuretics are prescribed. Severe pathologies require surgical intervention, for example, when it comes to kidney tumors.
Sometimes doctors take expectant tactics, its duration depends on the patient’s condition. So, as a rule, malformations of the kidneys do not require treatment if they are not complicated by any diseases.
If the patient has a prolonged attack of renal colic, then he is given a novocaine blockade of the spermatic cord or uterine ligament from the side of the lesion.
As for home remedies for kidney pain, such as taking hot baths, this can be quite dangerous. So, in acute kidney diseases, accompanied by an increase in body temperature (for example, with pyelonephritis), any thermal procedures are contraindicated.
It is important to understand that adequate treatment of pain in the kidney area can only be carried out by a doctor after the cause of this condition has been clarified.
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