Classification of kidney pain according to its location | Pain in the kidney area

Classification of kidney pain according to its location

The cause of kidney pain is not different for the right and left kidney. There are diseases that rather affect both kidneys and diseases that usually only occur in the area of one kidney. However, there are no typical diseases that mainly affect the right or especially the left kidney.

A typical disease of both kidneys, which can be accompanied by pain, is glomerulonephritis. This is an inflammation in the area of the kidney tissue. Pain is not a typical symptom, but can occur.

A typical unilateral kidney disease that is accompanied by pain is the inflammation of the renal pelvis. Renal cysts can occur in one or both kidneys. Kidney stones often occur in both kidneys.

A renal colic caused by a stone stuck in the ureter, however, usually occurs on only one side. As already described in the previous section, there are no diseases that occur specifically in one or the other kidney. Some diseases tend to affect one kidney, other diseases tend to affect both kidneys.Even pain that is localized in the right or left kidney area does not have different causes that are specific to the right or left side.

Kidney pain associated with digestive tract diseases

Diseases in the digestive tract rarely lead to pain in the kidney area. Diseases of the pancreas can lead to a belt-shaped radiation into the back, but this is more likely to affect the upper part of the back. Diseases of the blood vessels and the heart can also radiate into the back, but pain in the kidney area is rather untypical.

Bilateral kidney pain

Bilateral kidney pain can occur for example in diseases such as glomerulonephritis. However, pain is not one of the most typical symptoms of this disease. Very large kidney cysts on both sides can also cause pain.

Patients with kidney stones can suffer from renal colic on both sides, but rarely at the same time. The pain can then be localized in the flank, but also in the lateral lower abdomen, the groin or the genital region. In the case of inflammation of the renal pelvis, one kidney is usually very painful, but a rather dull flank pain can also occur on the other side. Chronic renal insufficiency, i.e. permanent kidney weakness, usually affects both kidneys, but is not accompanied by pain.