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Kidney Pain - Causes and Therapy
contents
- The function of the kidneys
- Causes of kidney pain
- Kidney stones and ureteral stones
- Pyelonephritis
- nephritis
- Kidney pain from injury
- Narrowing of the urinary tract / urinary retention
- urinary reflux
- polycystic kidney disease
- Cause renal infarction
- Kidney cancer (kidney tumor)
- urogenital
- Renal vein thrombosis
- floating kidney
- diagnosis
- Therapy for kidney pain
- Treatment of kidney and ureteral stones
- Therapy for inflammation in the kidney area
- Medical care for kidney trauma and cystic kidney
- Treatment of ureteral stenosis, urinary retention and urinary reflux
- Remedies and interventions in renal infarction and renal vein thrombosis
- Kidney cancer
- Medical measures for urogenital tuberculosis and migratory animals
- Naturopathy with kidney pain
The function of the kidneys
The kidney is a paired, bean-shaped organ of the urinary system. The two kidneys are located in the human body to the left and right of the spine below the ribs and are about 12 inches tall. An essential task of the organ is the excretion of urinary substances, which are produced as end products of the metabolism in the organism. Also, the urine excretes toxic substances that could otherwise cause damage to health. The kidneys generally play an important role in the regulation of water balance, blood pressure and acid-base balance.
The two kidneys are part of the urinary system and are located to the right and left of the spine. (Yodiyim / fotolia.com) The organ has a decisive influence on the formation of certain hormones. In addition, the electrolyte content of the blood is largely determined by the kidneys. These are formed from numerous so-called nephrons (renal corpuscles and renal tubules), which in several steps separate valuable substances to be excreted. Reell healthy kidneys filter more than 1,000 liters of blood a day. The blood is freed from the harmful substances and these can then be excreted in the urine. The substances that are useful for humans go back into the bloodstream. Due to their filter function, the kidneys are colloquially referred to as detoxification organs.
Causes of kidney pain
Triggers can be a variety of diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract. Here are congenital and acquired malformations as well as viral or bacterial infections, overloads by the intake of drugs, various systemic diseases, hereditary diseases and tumors. Kidney stones and a backflow or backflow of urine can also be the cause of pain in the kidney area. In rare cases, the symptoms are caused by a so-called sarcoidosis (special connective tissue disease). Below is an overview of the most common causes of kidney pain.
Kidney stones and ureteral stones
Relatively often, underlying the discomfort are crystalline deposits in the kidneys or urinary tract, which are commonly referred to as urinary stones or (depending on their location) as ureteral stones and kidney stones. Urinary stones can be designed very differently. Often, uric acid crystals, oxalates and urates are constituents of the deposits.
Often the development of kidney and ureteral stones is due to the diet. Protein-rich foods, such as meat, are considered to be beneficial for the development of urinary stones, but coffee consumption is also considered to be a potential influencing factor. In addition, a common hereditary breakdown of certain components of the diet can occur, which leads to the formation of large amounts of uric acid in the blood.
The pain in ureteral stones are usually extremely violent and occur convulsively. They are caused by the stretching of the ureter in which the stone is located. The pain can be felt as back pain or flank pain. Some sufferers also complain of abdominal pain that drag into the genital area.
Kidney pelvic inflammation is usually caused by bacteria that rise from the bladder to the kidney. (Image: Adiano / fotolia.com) Pyelonephritis
Reason for the complaints may be a pyelonephritis. This, usually referred to in the art as pyelonephritis, usually bacterial inflammation usually arises from pathogens that rise from the bladder through the ureter. Thus, for example, intestinal bacteria of the genus Escherichia coli, but also Klebsiella, enterococci and special staphylococci can lead to pyelitis. In rare cases, the inflammation is caused by a fungal infection with the yeast Candida albicans.
Due to the shorter urethra, women are significantly more likely to become ill than men. In addition to the kidney or flank pain, patients often suffer from concomitant symptoms such as urinary symptoms, fever, chills, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
In order to prevent the development of chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, drug treatment with antibiotics or antimycotics (for infections with Candida albicans) is usually indispensable. If the disease goes into a chronic state, the symptoms usually change too, and the people affected are more likely to experience general symptoms such as decreased ability to perform or concentrate, chronic fatigue, loss of appetite and headaches.
nephritis
Inflammation of the renal corpuscles and renal connective tissue is called nephritis. This can also be the cause of the discomfort. In the broadest sense, renal pelvic inflammation is also a form of kidney inflammation, but at this point a separate consideration is given.
If there is inflammation of the renal corpuscles, the medical term is glomerulonephritis. Inflammation of the renal tubules and kidney connective tissue is called interstitial nephritis. As the various names make clear, different areas of the kidneys may be affected, which in turn may be associated with different concomitant symptoms.
Inflammation of the renal corpuscles is not uncommon following a surviving viral, bacterial mycogenic infection. They arise through the deposition of so-called immune complexes (antigen-antibody complexes) in the kidney area. For example, glomerulonephritis after streptococcal disease should be mentioned here.
Typical symptoms include hematuria (increased secretion of red blood cells with urine), proteinuria (increased protein excretion with urine), a decline in urine production and edema in various parts of the body, as the balance of body fluids in the interstices, cells and vessels is disturbed , High blood pressure can also be a disease of kidney inflammation. Other possible causes of nephritis are damage from toxic substances and certain drugs.
A fall or accident can cause kidney trauma. (Image: Ingo Bartussek / fotolia.com) Kidney pain from injury
The pain in the kidney area can be due to external violence such as falls, traffic accidents or physical disputes. The disease is referred to in this case as so-called renal contusion. In addition to the pain, bruising (bruising) is often observed as a concomitant symptom.
Often, fractures (such as broken ribs) and trauma injuries to other internal organs are associated with kidney trauma. Depending on the extent of the injury, blood residue can be detected in the urine with the naked eye or under the microscope. In the course of kidney trauma, severe internal bleeding may lead to a life-threatening collapse of the circulatory system.
Narrowing of the urinary tract / urinary retention
Urinary tract obstructions such as narrowing of tumors or blockage of urinary or renal calculi can lead to urinary retention (obstructive uropathy), which in turn is often accompanied by pain. Due to the urinary retention generally increases the susceptibility to infection and the risk of pyelonephritis. Also, the increased pressure in the kidney can lead to tissue death.
If the strictures of the urinary tract are not remedied, there is a risk of extensive scarring of the kidney tissue and the development of a so-called contracted kidney. Furthermore, in the course of the urinary retention, a so-called hydronephrosis may develop (sac or sac). Urinary retention is also associated with neurogenic bladder voiding disorders, as may occur in various neurological disorders.
urinary reflux
Urinary flow disorders can lead to backflow or return of urine into the kidneys. Depending on where the urine drainage is blocked, one-sided or bilateral kidney problems are observed. An outflow obstruction immediately after a kidney leads to a reflux of urine in this very organ. If the causes of the urinary drainage or bladder drainage, the symptoms are in both kidneys.
Numerous causes are considered triggers of urinary reflux, ranging from congenital malformations on urinary stones and inflammation to uncontrolled tissue growth in the form of malignant tumors. Acute and chronic forms are distinguished. In the acute case, spasmodic kidney pain may occur which may radiate into the groin area. However, chronic forms often only become noticeable when kidney tissue dies off.
An acute reflux of urine causes spasmodic pain. (Image: Drobot Dean / fotolia.com) polycystic kidney disease
Cystic kidneys are usually hereditary and characterized by the concentrated appearance of tissue chambers containing body fluid in the kidneys. As a renal cysts, however, individual cysts in the kidney area are referred to, which usually represent a rather harmless symptoms.
The first signs of hereditary cystic kidney usually occur from the age of 20 years on. Those affected, for example, have blood and protein residues in the urine, show a permanently elevated blood pressure and suffer from kidney pain. Not infrequently, however, the disease remains completely without symptoms until, relatively abruptly, complete renal failure occurs with correspondingly far-reaching consequences.
Cause renal infarction
Another possible cause is the so-called renal infarction. The kidney tissue is insufficiently perfused in the renal arteries because of a blood clot (thrombosis or embolism) that has formed on the spot or is washed up. The lack of perfusion or the associated lack of oxygen lead to a death of the tissue.
Typical symptoms of such a renal infarction are persistent flank pain, blood in the urine, increased white blood cells in the blood (leukocytosis) and in the worst case an acute renal failure.
Kidney cancer (kidney tumor)
A malignant kidney tumor is also considered as a trigger of kidney pain. The disease is called kidney cancer. The most common form is renal cell carcinoma or renal cell carcinoma.
As complaints, for example, blood residue in the urine and kidney pain can occur, but often the disease initially runs rather inconspicuously with nonspecific symptoms such as loss of appetite, chronic fatigue and possibly fever. In the late stage, the tumors are also palpable from the outside.
urogenital
A Urogenitaltuberkulose arises in the course of tuberculosis, when the pathogens pass through the bloodstream in the direction of the kidneys, urinary tract and urinary bladder. Here, the pathogens form a so-called tuberculoma, which represents a kind of calcification with contained living tuberculosis pathogens. If the immune system fails to do so successfully, the calcifications spread and kidney tissue begins to die off. In the long term, the kidneys are massively damaged and a so-called Kittniere is formed, which is characterized by a large number of tuberculomas and can no longer function properly.
Symptoms of Urogenital tuberculosis include flank pain, hematuria, urethral reflux, urinary problems, and nonspecific symptoms such as flatulence or constipation. Urogenital tuberculosis is today rather rare.
A congestion in the kidneys is often expressed by massive pain and high blood pressure. (Image: vchalup / fotolia.com) Renal vein thrombosis
If a thrombus forms in the renal veins, this leads to a build-up of blood in the kidneys, which, depending on the extent and localization of renal vein thrombosis, can lead to different symptoms. High blood pressure, severe renal colic, flank pain and abdominal pain are possible symptoms here.
Partial occlusions of the renal veins, on the other hand, are often symptom-free or at first only accompanied by a slight persistent pain. Consequence of renal vein thrombosis is a death of the kidney tissue, which causes an increasing impairment of organ function with corresponding other complaints. Renal vein thrombosis can be due to a variety of factors, such as general blood clotting disorders, kidney trauma or Beispie an acute lack of fluid or an internal dehydration (dehydration) are caused.
floating kidney
In some people, the kidneys are unusually mobile or mobile. This causes the organs to shift in position, which in turn causes the blood vessels and ureters to be compromised. Typical features are kidney or flank pain, which subside when lying down. Other nonspecific symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and decreased urine output. Women are more likely to suffer from the symptoms than men, with the risk being assessed as particularly high immediately after birth.
diagnosis
The basis of the diagnosis is a detailed survey of the patients on the symptoms. If this leads to the suspicion of kidney disease, a urine sample in the laboratory is first tested for blood residues, protein secretions, nitrite, pus, bacteria and other conspicuous ingredients. A blood test can provide important information on the diagnosis (for example, evidence of leukocytosis in renal pelvic inflammatory disease).
To further limit the symptoms, imaging techniques such as sonography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging are used. The so-called kidney scintigraphy, in which the patient is injected with a contrast agent to subsequently visualize the tissue structures with a gamma camera, represents a particularly specialized diagnostic instrument. To secure the diagnosis, a tissue sample is taken in renal cancer, but also in various other kidney problems required as part of a so-called puncture.
Therapy for kidney pain
Basically, the treatment of kidney pain aims at a correction of the actual cause. Accordingly, the required therapeutic steps can vary significantly. Although most triggers can be successfully treated by medication, in some cases, an operation and possibly the transplantation of a donor kidney may be required.
An ultrasound scan can provide clues to the cause of kidney problems. (Image: eyetronic / fotolia.com) Treatment of kidney and ureteral stones
Urinary and cystine urinary stones can usually be removed relatively well with the help of special medicines. However, not all kidney stones can be repaired this way. In these cases, further treatment steps will be required. As a non-invasive method, for example, the so-called extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy is available, in which with the help of more targeted sound waves from the outside of the urinary stone is to be smashed. The smaller parts can then be eliminated via the urinary tract.
It is possible to introduce a special examination and treatment instrument (endoscope) via the urethra, which offers various options for the removal of ureteral stones (eg destruction by ultrasound or laser). In so-called percutaneous nephrolitholapaxy (PNL), the endoscope is inserted through a small incision in the skin and subsequently a fragmentation of the urinary stones (usually by means of shock waves) is performed. If the comminution is successful, the use of a ureteral splint, which widens the ureter and facilitates the excretion of the urinary stone fragments, is usually followed.
Therapy for inflammation in the kidney area
Renal inflammation is usually treated with antibiotics. If the inflammation goes back to a fungal infection, so-called antimycotics are used. If complications such as urinary retention, the formation of abscesses or signs of blood poisoning are observed, this may require surgery or even removal of the affected kidney (nephrectomy) even in renal pelvic inflammatory disease.
Not every kidney infection necessarily requires therapy, but in any case a medical examination should take place. Here, the cause is determined and, where appropriate, initiated a targeted treatment. Regular urine checks are used to monitor the course of the disease. In acute forms, which are based on an autoimmune reaction, immunosuppressants (especially Corison) are often used in the short term. Dehydrating remedies can be used against the edema, which forms in severe forms of kidney inflammation. However, special care should be taken when using them to avoid possible negative consequences of increased fluid excretion.
Medical care for kidney trauma and cystic kidney
Mild traumatic kidney injury is conservative, organ-preserving, in most cases. Under close monitoring of the patients, surgery is initially dispensed with. This also applies to the severe kidney trauma, which often requires surgery later on, while the slight kidney trauma usually heals without any problems even without surgery.
Indications for an absolutely necessary operation are, for example, open injuries of the kidneys such as a wound or puncture wound. Also, surgery is used if the circulatory status of the patient can not be stabilized, the ureter and renal pelvis have been separated from each other by the narrowing or further internal injuries are present.
If kidney pain is attributed to a kidney, long-term dialysis is usually necessary first, followed by a kidney transplant, if possible, since healing can not be achieved either by medication or by surgical removal of the cysts. Although intensive research is currently being conducted into further therapeutic options, promising initial drug treatment is not yet in sight.
Treatment of ureteral stenosis, urinary retention and urinary reflux
If there is a urinary blockage, there are various treatment options, whereby the causes of the symptoms are also fundamentally oriented here. For example, the constriction can be widened by means of an inserted catheter (ureter splint), the congested urine can be directed outward via a tube (nephrostomy) and / or the underlying infection can be treated with antibiotics.
Nephrostomy is also an option for relieving urine in the short term to relieve pressure. However, subsequent elimination of the causes will be required. Blocking urinary stones - as well as possibly existing tumors - must be eliminated in order to avoid a new reflux.
In renal infarction, a lysis therapy or even an operative removal of the thrombus may be necessary, (Image: awaygy / fotolia.com) Remedies and interventions in renal infarction and renal vein thrombosis
In renal infarction, drugs are usually used to inhibit blood clotting, to relieve pain and to regulate blood pressure. Also, a more advanced therapy with blood-thinning drugs in the form of a so-called lysis therapy may be required. In the worst case, operative removal of the thrombus is envisaged.
The renal vein thrombosis is also treated with anticoagulant drugs, taking a dose over several months is required. Sometimes the sufferers have to take appropriate medicines throughout their lives.
Kidney cancer
Kidney cancer is treated by surgical removal of the tumor as long as no metastases have formed. For example, smaller tumors can be eliminated with the minimally invasive procedure of cryotherapy (icing treatment). However, the tumor must not be larger than four centimeters.
For large tumors, a complete removal of the kidneys and the surrounding tissue is usually provided. Against metastasized forms of kidney cancer, various relatively new medicines are now being used as part of a so-called medical system therapy, which even at this stage of the disease still enable a cure.
Medical measures for urogenital tuberculosis and migratory animals
Urogenital tuberculosis is treated with special antibiotics that have to be taken over a period of several months. If the treatment does not show the desired success and / or the kidneys are increasingly damaged, an operative procedure or surgical removal of the affected tissue may also be necessary here.
The symptoms of migrating animals today are successfully treated in most cases with a conservative therapy. By strengthening the abdominal muscles while being supported by a corset, the extraordinary mobility of the kidneys can be significantly reduced and, at best, the symptoms disappear completely. However, based on the conservative treatment can not always achieve a cure. In these cases, an operation may be performed in which the kidneys are "attached" to the psoas muscle.
Naturopathy with kidney pain
Many causes can not be resolved by naturopathic means - but naturopathy can often make a helpful complementary contribution to the treatment. For example, in inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and urinary tracts, herbal medicine uses extracts of bearberry leaves, sourthorn, stinging nettles, parsley, horsetail, birch leaves, goldenrod, reticulum rootwort, verbena and other medicinal plants.
In the field of homeopathy, preparations such as Nux vomica, Cantharis, Acidum benzoicum, Berberis and Eucalyptus are used against inflammatory processes in the kidneys and urinary tract.
In addition, the nutritional therapy is based on a special diet with reduced salt content, low sugar, low protein content and a largely abstaining from fatty foods. Which diet is specifically suitable depends on the individual symptoms and the general condition of the person affected. The aim is also to balance the acid-base balance in the diet, as there may be a link between the kidney problems and the presence of acidification of the body.
Against natural stones in the naturopathy, among other things, verbena (water pepper), brooms, meadowsweet or woodruff are used. Furthermore, a decoction of various medicinal plants can be created and then taken. Well suited for this are, for example, dog roses, real celery, broad beans, ash bark, field horsetail, hawthorn, knotweed or dandelion.
Lemon juice contains a lot of citrate and can help naturally to dissolve kidney stones. (Image: Sea Wave / fotolia.com) Homeopathy in kidney stones offers agents such as Acidum benozoicum, Acidum oxalicum, Berberis vulgaris and Coccus cacti. Here, too, an accompanying change in diet has special significance. Low-fat and low-protein diet, high calcium intake (inhibits oxalate uptake in the intestine) and reduced salt intake form the basis of the treatment.
Since the formation of kidney stones from calcium oxalate is promoted by an increased Oxalatufuhr should high-grade foods such as spinach, rhubarb, sorrel, sorrel or Swiss chard be avoided as possible. Meat consumption should also be reduced. A preventive effect on kidney stones is attributed to the intake of (diluted) lemon juice - for example in the form of homemade lemonade - because the citrates contained counteract the formation of stones.
In renal inflammation as well as kidney pelvic inflammation and kidney stones, natural medicine can certainly achieve considerable treatment success. However, medical supervision is urgently required and advised against therapeutic measures. In the other (severe) kidney diseases such as a cystic kidney or renal cancer on the basis of naturopathic treatment no cure is possible, so that there is no way around the conventional therapy - possibly with removal of the kidney or even a kidney transplant. (fp, last updated on 24.10.2017)
Specialist supervision: Barbara Schindewolf-Lensch (doctor)