Diagnosis
For an accurate diagnosis of the underlying kidney disease, it is important to talk to your doctor, describe the symptoms in detail, and determine when they occur. The attending physician will perform a physical examination, taking into account the intensity of pain when tapping lightly on the flank region. In addition, the examination of the urine can determine whether unusual concentrations of various substances such as blood, proteins or bacterial pathogens are found in it.
Blood tests can also provide information on the cause of the disease, because if the filter function of the kidneys is disturbed, certain substances (for example creatinine or urea) can accumulate in the blood for excretion. Ultrasound is the imaging method of choice. It can be used to assess cysts, the blood flow in the kidney and any occlusion of individual arteries.
Treatment
If symptoms are mild, a lot of fluid should be consumed first, preferably in the form of water, isotonic drinks or tea. Bladder and kidney teas and green tea are particularly recommended. This will flush the kidney again after a night without fluid intake, resulting in cleansing and reducing irritation.
However, one should make sure that one does not drink too many acidic drinks, such as coffee or juices, especially in the morning, as this can increase the irritation. In addition one should not hold back its urine particularly in the morning, but rather more often to the toilet go, since one provokes otherwise an increased backlog of the urine. Heat pads or hot water bottles often help against the pain.
Depending on the severity of the illness, medical or drug treatment is necessary to treat kidney pain.In this case, the physician carries out a therapy tailored to the underlying cause. An inflammation of the renal pelvis can be treated with antibiotics. The therapy of urinary stones is used either with drugs or with an ultrasound therapy for comminution. They dissolve and can be excreted with the urine. Tumors are usually removed surgically and further treated with radiation.
