Many people suffer from back pain. Sometimes it can be hard to tell exactly where the back pain is coming from. It is not uncommon for people to mistake a pain that is actually coming from their kidney for pain that feels like a muscle cramp in their back. When we have a kidney infection typically the pain is felt in the lower back and above the hip area. It can feel like you need to stretch to relief the cramped muscle when in fact it’s not coming from your back or muscles at all.
Kidney pain can be deceiving since it does affect people differently. Often times when a pain is felt on one person another may have different symptoms. The problem with kidney infections is that they can come on quite suddenly. You may go to bed feeling okay and wake up the next morning with a horrible pain in your side or back and a fever. The feeling of this backache can also be caused by the passing of a kidney stone which can be quite painful. If a back pain that resembles this of a kidney infection or a kidney stone arises then you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
If you are wondering how you can tell a back ache from a kidney infection then you will want to look for other symptoms that may be associated with kidney infections. These include painful or burning urination, blood in the urine, fever, chills and stomach upset. Again, different people have different symptoms.
When you show no other signs of a kidney infection then you may be passing a kidney stone. Other times in which you may have this type of backache is after trauma to the area or an actual cramped muscle, however, these are typically things you would know about at the time they are occurring and will be able to distinguish what caused the sensitivity. If you are unable to recall anything that may have caused the sudden pain then it is very likely that the pain is coming from your kidneys.
Kidney pain is nothing to take lightly. Whether it is caused by an infection, the passing of a kidney stone or the onset of kidney disease, this is something to be seen by a medical professional about as soon as possible. If you are experiencing pain due to infection, it is important to start on a course of antibiotics right away to prevent the infection from worsening or spreading. The infection will not go away on its own and will continue to cause you a lot of pain until you start treatments. If the symptoms are from the onset of kidney disease then that too is very serious and you will want to get that examined right away to figure out what is causing the problem.
When dealing with kidney back pain you can take some over the counter pain medications to relieve some of the pain and to lower your fever if one present. Also soaking in a hot bath or using a warm compress on the area may offer some relief. Be sure to drink plenty of water to flush the kidneys and avoid coffee and alcohol since they are irritants to the kidneys. Drinking cranberry juice may help to ward off future kidney problems as well as taking showers instead of baths and, for women, being sure to wipe front to back after urination. As soon as you notice any symptoms of a urinary tract infection you need to start treatment right away to avoid the bacteria to spread to the kidneys. See a doctor if you have the increased urge to urinate or burning during urination. These are the first signs usually noticed.
Comments are closed
I am a 52 year old woman and have struggled with Kidney stones and infections since the age of 27. My mother lost one of her kidneys due to artery stenosis. I have been in pain and have had an infection for over three months, my doctor has giving me antibiotics. I am scheduled for the scan when they check for artery blocking. I am over weight, I do smoke, and I am pre-diabetic. I take meds for high BP. Is this a genetic problem.