Kidney Pain Is Symptom of Many Different Health Issues

Posted by Dr Vinant Bhargava on March 22nd, 2021

Kidney pain is typically felt in the flank area, which is located at the lower back region under the lowest point of the rib cage on both sides of the spine. Kidney pain is sharp, very intense and usually comes in unpredictable waves. Kidney pain symptoms vary with the type of medical issue it is associated with, says kidney specialist in Delhi.

What is Not Kidney Pain

Throbbing, dull, aching pain in the back is sometimes mistaken for kidney pain symptoms, but that is usually not the case. Ligaments, muscles or even vertebrae and disks in the spinal column typically cause such pain in the middle and lower back regions. Musculoskeletal pain can be relieved with heat and massage treatments, however the pain typically gets worse with movement and non-treatment.

Common Causes Of Kidney Pain

Causes of pain: Kidney Stones cause pain to your kidneys when kidney stones become lodged in the ureter. This slender tube connects the kidney to the bladder, and when the urine flow is blocked it causes the urine to back up in the kidneys.

What to expect: The Kidneys will swell and enlarge the pain sensitive thin covering around it. The kidneys are stretched and causes “Colic” pain, which is described as pain that comes in waves. This type of pain can be compared to childbirth, where the patient finds being still is nearly impossible, and that constant motion, pacing, and writhing can help to lessen the pain. The intense severity of the pain can cause nausea and vomiting. The kidney pain may start on both the left and right flank area, although the pain might move as the stone migrates down the ureter. As the stones continue to travel through the lower abdomen in the front along to the groin, it may cause the patient further intense eye watering pain.

Kidney Infection (also known as pyelonephritis)

Cause of pain: Kidney Infection (pyelonephritis) pain is caused by inflammation and infection within the kidney tissue. The swelling and stretching of the pain-sensitive capsule that is around the kidney sends stabbing, sharp, aching pain again to the flank area.

What to expect: Patients with infected kidneys usually have symptoms such as fever, vomiting, nausea and are extremely sensitive to touch in the area of the flank. Although they may be similar, kidney infections are much more serious than a common bladder infection. Kidney infection is a serious condition that needs to be treated quickly by nephrologist in Delhi. Intravenous antibiotics need to be started in order to prevent the infection from spreading into the bloodstream.

Dull Aching Pains

Kidney Cancer: Rarely does kidney cancer rarely grows tumors or cancer cells so large that they can stretch the capsule slowly, or that involve nerves in the kidney, thus causing usual stabbing, colic, sever pain related to kidney issues. Kidney cancer or tumors usually cause no pain at all, says nephrologist in Gurgaon.

Polycystic Kidney Disease: Polycystic kidney disease is a hereditary condition that can lead to massive enlargement of the kidneys. If left untreated over a number of years, it can also cause dull aching pain in the front of the abdomen instead of the back.

Blocked Urine Flow: The condition known as blocked urine flow causes a gradual blockage of urine flow. It is not the same as kidney stones, where there is a immediate blockage. This kidney pain symptom causes the kidney to stretch and causes a dull aching pain which is not a typical kidney pain symptom, explains kidney specialist in Gurgaon.

Bladder or ureteral spasms that happen when the bladder is extremely full, just before or while urinating may cause great discomfort to the lower abdomen or on both sides of the flank. The discomfort or pain felt is most likely coming from a involuntary muscle contraction (peristalsis). This kidney pain symptom probably does not stem from the kidney itself, but instead by the brief periods of muscle spasms. These spasms may seem to be coming from the kidney, but after voiding the bladder the painful sensation should resolve itself relativity soon.

Other Causes

Some less common causes for kidney pain are due to injury that may cause bleeding, or infarction of the kidney which is a sudden blockage to the artery of the kidney where the blood supply is cut off causing pain.

The various kidney pain symptoms described above all show that it is uncommon for the kidneys to cause dull aching pain. The facts also show that is it highly unusual for a slowly occurring blockage to associate itself with the medical issues listed including cancer. If you have any doubts about the possible problems with kidney, consult the best nephrologist in Delhi for diagnosis and treatment.

The author Dr. Vinant Bhargava is one of the top nephrologist in Delhi, India for dialysis, kidney transplant, kidney disease management and other ailments of kidney. You can contact him at 09990610096.