Internal Medicine

Kidney pain with nausea

definition

Kidney pain is pain in the kidney regions. These are located on the left and right flanks of the body - this is why the term “flank pain” is often used as a synonym for “kidney pain”. The lateral torso is referred to as the body flank.

Kidney pain can extend beyond the flanks and radiate towards the groin or back. They are usually perceived as stinging or oppressive and can occur in a variety of disorders. It should be noted that it is not only diseases of the kidneys and the urinary tract that can cause pain in the flanks. Pain in disorders of the intestine and the female reproductive organs can also manifest itself in the kidney regions. Kidney pain combined with nausea can indicate an underactive kidney. The reason for this is that one of the tasks of the kidneys is to eliminate substances that increase nausea. If this function fails, nausea occurs. In addition, any severe pain can cause nausea and vomiting - kidney pain is no exception.

Causes of Kidney Pain with Nausea

Possible causes for simultaneous kidney pain and nausea are manifold. An important disease leading to these symptoms is kidney stone disease. Due to its frequency, it is always one of the first suspected diagnoses when kidney pain occurs. Kidney stones occur more often in people with repeated urinary tract infections and if they drink too little. If kidney stones form and, due to their size, cannot be transported out of the kidney or ureter, they can cause severe, colic-like pain and nausea. In addition to kidney stones, kidney tumors, obstruction of the renal blood vessels and infections of the kidneys can lead to kidney pain and nausea. These diseases often show additional symptoms such as high fever or visible blood in the urine.

In addition to disorders of the kidneys, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract can lead to pain in the kidney regions and nausea. Gastrointestinal infections are therefore sometimes mistaken for kidney disease. Pain that occurs in the spine can also be projected onto the flanks, simulating kidney pain. However, for the most part, they occur in isolation and without nausea.

diagnosis

In order to clarify the cause of kidney pain with nausea, the urine is usually examined. This is done in the first step with the help of the so-called "urine stix", a small stick that is held in the urine and can, for example, indicate whether there is blood or bacterial metabolic products in the urine. In addition, urine can be centrifuged and then under the microscope information about disorders in the kidney or urinary tract can be obtained. In a laboratory, culture media can be used to check for bacteria in the urine.

In addition to examining urine, blood tests and ultrasound of the kidneys and abdomen are usually essential in the diagnosis of kidney diseases.

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Concomitant symptoms

Which symptoms are present in addition to kidney pain and nausea depends largely on the underlying disease. As part of kidney disease, regardless of whether it is caused by an infection, tumor or a vascular blockage, blood often appears in the urine. Occasionally it is already visible to the naked eye. In the case of infections of the lower urinary tract, the majority of those affected feel a technical language as "imperative" A urge to urinate - it occurs suddenly, is very strong, and is difficult to hold back. If the infection has risen to the kidney, a fever often occurs. Without adequate treatment, an infection of the kidney can lead to blood poisoning, severe circulatory problems and organ failure in various organs such as the lungs. In some diseases, the kidneys are so impaired that they can no longer produce urine. Affected people then leave little or no urine, and excessive amounts of fluid accumulate in the body and are deposited in the legs and lungs. The pollutants that need to be eliminated accumulate in the blood and can lead to symptoms such as itching, tiredness, vomiting and seizures.

If a disease of the gastrointestinal tract is responsible for the supposed kidney pain and nausea, stool changes such as diarrhea, pain in other parts of the abdomen, loss of appetite or fever usually occur over time.

Therapy of kidney pain with nausea

The primary aim of treating kidney pain and nausea is to try to cure the underlying condition. The reason for this is that only combating the causes can bring about a permanent improvement in the symptoms. However, it is supplemented with medication for pain and nausea for rapid symptom relief. Frequently used painkillers are ibuprofen, diclofenac and metamizole. Butylscopalamin is usually given for spasms in the urinary tract, and drugs such as metoclopramide or dimenhydrinate for nausea. If kidney stones are diagnosed, small stones should first be tried to get rid of them by drinking plenty of fluids and exercising. If this does not work, they can be destroyed by external shock wave therapy or removed by surgery through the urethra, depending on their size and composition. If an infection of the urinary tract or the kidney is responsible for the kidney pain and nausea, antibiotics must be administered as soon as possible. Without adequate antibacterial therapy, kidney infections rarely heal and can be life-threatening.

Tumors usually only cause kidney pain when they are relatively large. The only way to cure the tumor is to remove it surgically. Depending on the type of ulcer, this can be followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In rare cases, symptoms such as kidney pain, nausea and failure of kidney function are caused by an overreacting of the own immune system. Diseases from this "Autoimmune" Formkreis are mostly treated with cortisone-containing, immune system-inhibiting preparations.

Duration

How long kidney pain and nausea last depends largely on the triggering cause. The duration of symptoms can be very different even within individual clinical pictures due to the different basic equipment of each patient and the different degrees of severity of diseases. For example, some kidney stones are passed in the urine minutes or hours after the first symptoms, even without proper treatment, and then no longer cause discomfort. Larger kidney stones, on the other hand, may not be excreted in the urine and, without treatment, can lead to life-threatening secondary diseases. Kidney infections behave similarly: they rarely heal without antibiotics and the symptoms worsen over time. If the visit to the doctor is postponed, they can be life-threatening.

More symptoms with kidney pain and nausea

Vomiting, fever, and diarrhea

If flank pain occurs at the same time as symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea and vomiting, this is an indication that the symptoms are not caused by the kidneys but by the intestines. Projecting pain from the gastrointestinal tract onto the kidney regions, while not common, does happen. Possible triggers are diseases such as gastrointestinal infections, appendicitis, gallstone disease and chronic inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, disorders of the kidneys and the gastrointestinal tract can occur simultaneously but independently of one another and cause flank pain with diarrhea, vomiting and fever.If such symptoms are unusually strong, last for several days, or recur within weeks or months, they can be caused by potentially life-threatening diseases and should be discussed with a doctor. If the symptoms are only mild and the fever is not very high, gastrointestinal infections are among the most common triggers. They can be treated with various home remedies such as light foods, large amounts of drinking and physical restraint and should improve significantly within 3-5 days.

stomach pain

If kidney pain and stomach pain occur at the same time, the cause of the pain is often only in one of the organs. Many diseases cause radiating pain that can simulate disturbances in other organs. Most of the time, the diseased organ is the one where the pain started or that is near the most severe pain.

The pancreas can cause pain near the stomach in various diseases, for example, which radiate into both flanks. If such complaints occur simultaneously or in quick succession, an inflammation or tumor of the pancreas should be considered. Occasionally, diseases of the kidneys and stomach occur independently of each other and cause pain in both organs in close temporal relation, although they have nothing to do with each other.

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stomach pain

In the case of abdominal pain, the exact location and intensity of the complaints are crucial in order to narrow down possible causes.

For example, if, in addition to kidney pain and nausea, abdominal pain around the navel, this indicates a disorder in the gastrointestinal tract. The kidney itself is rarely affected, alleged "kidney pain" is simulated by a disease in the abdomen. On the other hand, severe side abdominal pain that pulls into the groin or slowly moves in its direction are a clear sign of kidney stones.

fatigue

Fatigue is a very common symptom and only counts as pathological if it exceeds the usual level and has no simple explanation such as lack of sleep.

Excessive tiredness, when combined with kidney pain and nausea, can be a sign of kidney failure. The reason for this is that in severe kidney disease, toxins that are normally excreted through the kidneys remain in the body. The resulting tiredness is usually very strong and differs significantly from being tired every day.

In addition to tiredness, symptoms such as loss of appetite, itching all over the skin and inflammation of the heart and lungs can occur as part of an underactive kidney.

Loss of appetite

Loss of appetite, along with flank pain and nausea, can occur in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In many of these clinical pictures, the main pain can occur in the kidney regions or radiate into them, even though there is no kidney disease.

In addition, persistent loss of appetite, pain in the kidneys, and nausea are occasionally signs of underactive kidney function. Therefore, permanent symptoms that do not improve within a few days should always be clarified by a doctor.

constipation

Constipation is the painful or incomplete evacuation of hard stools. When constipated, stool and gases build up in the bowel, stretching it and causing abdominal pain. Occasionally, this pain is projected onto the kidney region, simulating kidney disease. Constipation is sometimes associated with nausea and loss of appetite due to the disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. In the case of mild complaints, it is advisable to drink a lot, eat a diet rich in fiber and do sports. If this does not improve the symptoms or if they continue to increase over time, a doctor should be consulted. If necessary, the doctor can prescribe laxative medication or order a colonic irrigation.

Kidney pain with nausea in pregnancy

Kidney pain should not be taken lightly in pregnant women - especially if it occurs at the same time as nausea. Even if the symptoms are often harmless triggers such as muscle tension or back pain radiating into the kidney region, potentially dangerous causes can only be ruled out through close observation and an examination by a doctor. Due to various factors, pregnant women are predisposed to urinary tract infections and ascending infections of the kidney, which can lead to kidney pain. If they are neglected and early treatment is missed, this can endanger not only the health of the pregnant woman, but also that of the child.

Additional information