Kidney-related problems are one of the most common health problems due to today's nutrition and lifestyle habits. Since common diseases such as hypertension and diabetes pose a direct threat to the kidneys, clinical complaints about kidneys have been a matter of curiosity among the public, and questions such as "What are the symptoms of kidney pain, cold, how to understand kidney pain, my kidney hurts" have become a matter of curiosity. . In this sense, one of the common complaints about the kidney is flank pain, also known as kidney pain.
What is Kidney Pain?
Kidney pain, flank pain or flank pain; It is used to describe the complaints of pain felt in the part that is located at the junction of the abdomen and lumbar region and coincides with the anatomical region where the kidneys are located. Since the pain is subjective to the region where it is felt and can vary from patient to patient; it may cover the lower or upper quadrants of the abdomen and the lumbar region. For this reason, kidney pain can often be confused with abdominal or low back pain.
The kidneys are anatomically located separately from the peritoneum, where the internal organs of the abdomen are located. However, since the peritoneum is in close proximity to the organs in the inner part of the peritoneum, health problems affecting these organs can be confused with those affecting the kidney in patients with side pain complaints. For this reason, it is very important to be evaluated by a specialist physician in patients with kidney pain. as it can be felt in a single kidney region; It is a pain that can affect both kidney areas. Again, depending on the cause of the pain, the pain may reflect on the abdominal quadrants, lumbar region, back region, genital region or thighs.
How Does Kidney Pain Occur?
Stomach, pancreas, large intestines and kidneys, which are in close proximity to the kidney region, are organs with channels of different sizes and features. The stomach and intestines, which form the digestive system, and the channels of the pancreas and kidney are called lumens. It is particularly sensitive to tension and pressure since they contain the most spaces. In addition, due to various disorders affecting the muscle, fat, vascular and nerve tissues and kidney tissues in the kidney region, constant pain in the form of aching, which is felt deeply, whose source and effect area cannot be defined, may also occur.
In addition to these, chest, In diseases affecting the tissues of the abdomen, spine or genital area, the complaint of pain in this region can be described as kidney pain, since it may reflect on the kidney region.
What Causes Kidney Pain?
Causes of kidney pain, complaint although it is expressed by the name of the region to which it is related; It can be caused by many different health problems. In this regard, the following health problems are among the causes of kidney pain:
Kidney infections: Severe side pain complaints may occur in infections that develop in the kidney or in abscess formations due to infections.
Kidney stone: In the kidney and kidney channels Colic-like kidney pain is frequently seen in stone and sand formations that cause obstruction. This may result in kidney pain. Vascular diseases: In problems such as enlargement, narrowing or obstruction in the kidney vessels, pain complaints may develop due to the circulatory disorder of the kidney tissue. >Kidney cysts: Cysts arising in the kidney tissue or polycystic kidney diseases may cause flank pain through compression.
Developmental diseases: Especially in children, In diseases of the urinary tract, such as vesicoureteral reflux and ureteropelvic stenosis, kidney pain may occur with damage to the kidney tissue.
Skin infections such as shingles: In infections developing in the skin area corresponding to the kidney area, burning side pain may be felt.
Disc diseases: Pain due to bone and disc diseases involving the vertebrae near the kidney area can be described as kidney pain. br>
Spine fractures: Conditions close to the kidney region may be felt as kidney pain, especially in spinal fractures that can be followed with osteoporosis.
Muscle spasms: Spasm of the muscle groups in the kidney region for various reasons may cause pain. Pain due to muscle spasm is effective in the development of the perception that "kidney pain is due to cold" among the public.
Aortic aneurysm: Since the kidneys are close to the aortic artery, the enlargement of the aorta and the pain caused by the compression of the aneurysms can be described as kidney pain. br>
Appendicitis: Pain expressed as kidney pain can be observed in cases of appendicitis that develops as a result of inflammation of the appendix that progresses anatomically towards the posterior abdominal wall.
Lung infections: Infections such as pneumonia occurring in the lower parts of the lungs; It can be expressed as kidney pain due to its proximity to the kidney. Having kidney pain when coughing can be an important detail in this sense. Some diseases of the organs of the female reproductive system cause complaints in the form of kidney pain.
Conditions affecting the rib cage: Diseases affecting the tissues forming the rib cage, such as Tietze's syndrome, may feel like kidney pain in terms of neighborhood. Since it can be caused by many different health problems, it can accompany various symptoms in the clinical picture. In this sense, the following symptoms, along with kidney pain, can be observed in the course of the disease in patients:
- Redness, tenderness, temperature increase, swelling of the skin of the kidney area
- Fever
- Consciousness turbidity
- Nausea – vomiting
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Blood in the urine or darkening of the urine color
- Pain or burning sensation when urinating
- Bad-smelling urination
- Change in the amount of urine; urinating more or frequently, urinating less
- Dryness in the mouth, feeling thirsty
- Fatigue
- Headache
Which Department to Go to for Kidney Pain?
As kidney pain can be caused by many different health problems, as stated above, cooperation of different departments may be needed to eliminate it. In this regard, the following departments are frequently referred to in the investigation and treatment of flank pain according to the diseases associated with kidney pain:
- Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine)
- Pediatrics (For pediatric patients)
- Nephrology or Pediatric Nephrology
- Urology
- General Surgery or Pediatric Surgery
- Orthopedics and Traumatology
How is Kidney Pain Treated?
Since the complaint of kidney pain can indicate many different health problems, the underlying cause must first be correctly identified in order to provide a correct and effective treatment. In this regard, the patient's detailed disease history taken by a specialist physician It is important to evaluate it with the results of detailed physical examination with weight. If the physician deems it necessary, he or she applies to additional imaging and laboratory tests.
In the light of the data obtained as a result of all these examinations, the underlying cause is definitively diagnosed and the necessary treatment planning is made. ), imaging modalities such as voiding cystography are helpful. Rarely, in some patients, it may be necessary to stain the urinary tract with special staining methods or perform nuclear medicine-based imaging for more detailed examinations. In addition, complete urinalysis, examination of urine proteins, urine microscopy and kidney function tests are some of the laboratory tests performed. Accordingly, some kidney pain medications may be included in the treatment. In this context, patients may be prescribed antihypertensives, diuretics or anti-inflammatory drugs. Since kidney pain can cause nausea; Anti-emetics or anti-histamines may be added to the treatment.
In the selection of drugs for kidney pain; Care should be taken that the drugs do not have side effects on the kidneys or that their excretion from the kidneys is not affected. In this context, painkillers such as paracetamol and metamizole, which do not cause kidney side effects, are often preferred in the selection of painkillers for kidney pain. If necessary, intravenous serum and fluid support may be required. In conditions of electrolyte imbalance due to kidney problems, it is necessary to supplement the relevant minerals. Various interventional treatment methods or surgical treatments may come to the fore in anatomical problems such as large kidney stones, renal vascular diseases or tumors.
Interventional methods include cystoscopy, where the urinary tract can be visualized with the help of a camera, applied from the urethra, percutaneous nephrolithotomy performed through the skin of the kidney region, or removal of stones from the body.
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