Other accompanying symptoms
Kidney pain and back pain are often not the only complaints. Often there are other accompanying symptoms that can indicate the possible cause of pain. For example, nausea and possibly vomiting are typical for pain caused by stones in the urinary tract.
Fever usually indicates inflammation and can be a warning sign of blood poisoning, especially in the case of kidney pain. It is then usually an inflammation of the renal pelvis (pyelonephritis), which is also characterized by a pronounced feeling of illness. Newly occurring water retention, especially on the eyelids, and rising blood pressure can be accompanying symptoms of an inflammation of the renal tissue, which is called glomerulunephritis.
However, the pain is often less pronounced. Inflammation of the vertebral body or intervertebral discs, for example, can also occur on the back, which also causes fever. The pain is usually felt in the back.
However, it can also be felt more strongly laterally and then misinterpreted as kidney pain. If it occurs as an accompanying symptom or even earlier bloody urine, kidney pain should also be considered as cancer. Even if only once bloody urine is determined, a cancer illness of the urinary tract should be excluded promptly.
In the case of a severe urinary tract infection, in addition to burning and pain when urinating, there is often pain in the bladder area, which is also perceived as non-specific abdominal pain. The bladder lies behind the pubic bone.If the infection continues to rise, kidney pain occurs. However, the pain can also be felt in the back.
In addition to this cause of combination also abdominal, kidney and back pain, a simple flu-like infection can also trigger the symptoms. It is not an isolated disease of one organ but the whole body is weakened for a few days. In addition, pain in the limbs and slight fever are possible.
It is also conceivable that the various symptoms are not connected at all, but are due to different causes. Kidney and back pain in connection with nausea can occur especially with so-called kidney colic. They are caused by kidney or ureteral stones in the urinary tract and have a wave-like pain character.
Reflex-like nausea or even vomiting is often triggered. Even though the symptoms may disappear spontaneously when the stone responsible for them comes loose, the symptoms may reappear at any time. For this reason, an examination and consultation with a urologist is recommended.
If back or kidney pain occurs together with fever, a doctor should definitely be consulted. The combination of symptoms is typical for an inflammation of the renal pelvis. It occurs when an inflammation of the bladder rises within the urinary tract and spreads to the kidney.
If no treatment with antibiotics is carried out, there is a risk of life-threatening blood poisoning, also known as urosepsis. Furthermore, the kidney can be severely damaged and even lose its function. Other possible symptoms are nausea and vomiting.
In some cases, even a harmless urinary tract infection restricted to the bladder can lead to fever. However, due to the risk of serious kidney disease, an examination should always be performed. Many women suffer from abdominal pain during their periods.
For many, this can also be perceived as kidney or back pain. If the pain occurs regularly and always around the time of the period, or disappears soon after, this is the most likely cause. The pain is therefore caused by a natural body process.
However, it can also be a sign of so-called endometriosis. This is when the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. This can adhere to all possible organs of the abdominal cavity, such as the ureter or kidneys.
During menstruation, the oestrogen level (female sex hormone) drops and endometrial tissue is shed. If, as in endometriosis, the tissue is in the wrong place, this causes pain in the corresponding organs or unspecific pain. The gynaecologist should be consulted if severe abdominal pain and other symptoms such as kidney or back pain occur repeatedly.
In general, diseases of the uterus can also radiate into the back and be perceived as back pain. It is also possible that the kidney pain and the abdominal pain have different causes. Kidney pain on the right side can occur if there is an inflammation of the right kidney.
Frequently, if the pain is localized on one side, a stone in the urinary tract on the corresponding side is also the trigger. Kidney pain is often misinterpreted as back pain. Especially in the case of atrial fibrillation of the heart as a concomitant disease, a sudden onset of severe kidney pain on only one side can also indicate a kidney infarction.
This causes a blood clot to detach from the heart, which then blocks an incoming kidney vessel. Especially on the right side, pain in the back or the kidney area caused by gallstones can also be noticed. Kidney pain on the left side can be caused by a stone in the urinary tract.
Similarly, inflammation of the left kidney is a possible explanation. Kidney pain is often misinterpreted as back pain. However, if the pain is clearly on the left side, a disease of the left kidney is the more likely cause than the back.
Especially in the case of atrial fibrillation of the heart as a concomitant disease, a sudden onset of severe kidney pain on only one side can also indicate a kidney infarction. This causes a blood clot to detach from the heart, which then blocks an incoming renal vessel. Bilateral kidney pain can occur if there is an inflammation of both kidneys.
This can be caused, for example, by urinary retention or a prolonged bladder infection. Furthermore, the presence of so-called cystic kidneys increases the risk of inflammation of the renal pelvis, which in such a case can also occur on both sides.One speaks of cystic kidneys when there are at least three water-filled cysts per kidney. Much more frequently, however, a kidney pain felt on both sides is based on a misinterpreted back pain that radiates into the kidney regions.
For clarification the family doctor should be consulted first. During pregnancy it can happen that the ureters are squeezed by the growing child and urine accumulates in the renal pelvis. If this so-called urinary retention occurs, a doctor should be consulted without delay.
A lateral posture can also lead to a rapid improvement of the symptoms. The risk of a urinary tract infection, which can also lead to inflammation of the renal pelvis (pyelonephritis), is also increased during pregnancy. This can be explained, among other things, by the fact that the kidneys of pregnant women release more sugar through the urine.
This serves as a nutrient for pathogenic bacteria in the urinary tract so that they can multiply better and cause an infection. In any case, kidney pain during pregnancy should be examined by a doctor, as it can be a serious illness worthy of treatment. It does not matter whether the pain occurs on the right, left or both sides.
Back pain during pregnancy can also occur frequently. Although the woman’s suffering can be very great, the cause is usually harmless, unlike kidney pain. This is because the weight of the child pulls the mother’s back forward.
The mother has to hold her back against it with her back muscles, which leads to an extremely heavy strain. Especially in the last few months, back pain can be caused by the weight of the growing child, which can also be misinterpreted as kidney pain. You can find additional information here : Kidney pain during pregnancyKidney pain that occurs only at night or in the morning after getting up can be caused by a disorder of the urine flow.
In some cases the urine flow is obstructed by lying down. As a result, the urine accumulates up to the kidney and causes pain. After getting up, the symptoms improve after urination at the latest.
The urologist, as an expert in the urinary drainage system, can use various diagnostic methods to determine a possible disorder and, if necessary, make a therapy recommendation. Back pain, which occurs particularly at night, is not unusual. In most cases there is a harmless cause for this pain and with relaxation exercises and stress avoidance an improvement can be achieved. However, if the pain becomes so severe that it prevents you from sleeping, a doctor should be consulted.
