Why Do my Kidneys Hurt - All Possible Reasons

One possible cause of kidney pain is lumbago (lower back pain), which can appear due to a variety of causes such as poor posture, overworking of that muscle area, stress, not sleeping properly, etc.

When this lower back pain lasts longer than 7 days, reaching or even surpassing 7 weeks, we can safely say it's chronic lower back pain. In these cases the pain may be localized in this area of your back but can extend to other areas such as the bladder, groin or the inner thigh.

We recommend you consult our article How to find the best positions to sleep to learn how to reduce it.

Also, symptoms of herniated discs include pain in the lower back, which can be confused with kidney problems. A pinched nerve, such as the sciatic nerve, can also cause this type of pain.

The symptoms of a herniated disc are:

• Pain in the lower back that can be confused with kidney pain.
• Pain in the back of the leg, which can extend to the calf and heel.This symptom is known as sciatica and is a clear symptom of a hernia, which discards problems with your kidneys.
• Cramps and rigid back.
• Weak lower limbs.

For women, it is also very common that the so-called kidney pain emerges due to menstruation. Some women suffer discomfort in the lower back area during the days of their menstrual cycle or those leading to it.

Pregnancy can also cause pain in the lower back, especially in the last trimester due to the excess strain on the lower back. In both cases, this pain will not last long and the pain will be relieved after giving birth or, in the first case, after the first days of your period.

Once we've discarded those conditions that could seem to be related to the kidneys but are not, it's time to answer the question: why do my kidneys hurt?. Let's take a look at the disorders that could make your actual kidneys hurt.

Kidney stones

The formation of kidney stones can be slow and progressive, and in most cases the patient does not know about its existence until they start to go down the urethra, creating discomfort that will surely make you visit a doctor. This condition is characterized by:

• Pain on the side of your back that can extend to the abdomen.
• Intense-colored urine that can also present blood.
• Fever, nausea and vomit in some cases.

Visit a doctor if you notice these symptoms.

Urinary or renal infection

A urinary infection can evolve to a renal infection or kidney stones, which need to be treated with bladder probes or several other treatments that can lead t renal infection. Both cases share similar symptoms:

• Pain in the groin, side or lumbar area. In the case of urinary tract infections, this pain is present when the infection has reached the kidneys.
• Frequent urination with scarce urination.
• Pain and burning sensation when urinating.
• Dark colored urine with a strong smell or, in some cases, blood.
• Fever, nausea and vomit.

Nephritis

This condition appears when your kidneys are inflamed, so it's a very common infection in this organ. Its symptoms are similar to an infection, though the patient will also present swollen limbs, headache, apathy, drowsiness or weakness.

Other causes of kidney pain

Other less common causes that can cause your kidney to hurt are the following:

• Kidney abscess
• Kidney cyst
• Kidney cancer

Any discomfort on the side of your lower back, groin or lower back that is accompanied by changes in urine, fever, nausea and vomit implies a kidney problem and needs to be medically assisted.

If you are worried about your kidney health, find out how to care for your kidneys.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to Why Do my Kidneys Hurt - All Possible Reasons, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.