Definition
In general, kidney pain that occurs mainly at night does not have a significantly different cause than kidney pain that can also be felt during the day. It should not be forgotten that pain in the kidney area is often interpreted as coming from the kidney although it does not come from the kidney at all. Especially impairments in the area of the spine and/or muscles can cause pain in the flank area which is misinterpreted as kidney pain. Which might also be of interest to you: Kidney pain: what to do?
Causes
Pain in the kidney area that occurs exclusively at night is suspected to be caused by pain that does not actually originate from the kidney. In this case, back pain can be considered because it is not uncommon for it to be caused by lying on the wrong side of the bed at night or by a mattress that has been worn out. If the pain is isolated at night and in the morning after getting up, spinal pain is very likely to be the cause.
The pain can occur in the whole back and radiate into the flanks, so that it can be assumed that the pain is related to the kidneys. Spinal problems often lead to muscular tensions that increase the pain. Otherwise, kidney pains that occur at night have the same causes as those that occur during the day.
Bilateral kidney pain occasionally occurs in the context of a bladder infection, but is not a typical symptom of such an infection. One-sided kidney pain can have several causes. In particular, the presence of kidney stones must be considered.
The passage of the stones from the kidney through the urinary tract often leads to colicky pain, in which case one speaks of renal colic. The pain comes and goes in waves and is often accompanied by restlessness and nausea. Occasionally, bloody urine (hematuria) appears.
Another cause of unilateral kidney pain is inflammation of the renal pelvis (pyelonephritis). It is often the result of a delayed inflammation of the bladder and is often accompanied by fever, chills and considerable fatigue. A doctor should be consulted both in the case of suspected inflammation of the renal pelvis and in the case of suspected kidney stones.
