Right Side Rib Pain: Appendicitis
In this section we will talk specifically about appendicitis , one of the most common causes of acute pain under the right ribs, a condition that if not treated quickly can be life threatening.
This pathology can be identified by acute pain , different from typical belly pain, only on the right side. The first of its symptoms is a kind of dull pain in the navel and in the pit of the stomach. At this point it can be confused with an upset stomach, however, as the hours go by, this pain increases and is located on the right side , becoming disabling. Here you will find the symptoms of appendicitis .
One of the best ways we have to identify if we are really suffering from appendicitis is to try to press hard on the area that hurts with our fingers. In case of appendicitis, the pain will become very intense and, generally, people cough or cry out. Another way to diagnose it is by walking, since when people suffer from acute appendicitis, people cannot walk upright, but rather shrink back on themselves so that the pain decreases.
Who Is More Likely To Get A Kidney Infection
Anyone can get a kidney infection, but it is more common in some people, such as:
- Women: A woman’s urethra is shorter than a man’s. Having a shorter urethra makes it easier for bacteria to get into the urinary tract. The urethra is also closer to the anus in women. Bacteria can spread from the anus or vagina into the urethra, and then travel up the urinary tract. Pregnant women are even more likely to have a kidney infection.
- People with diabetes
- People with a weakened immune system: This could be caused by a disease, such as diabetes or HIV, or by certain medicines called immunosuppressives. People who have had a kidney transplant or other organ transplant take immunosuppressives.
- People who have nerve or spinal cord damage that keeps them from feeling pain in and around their urinary tract: This can keep them from noticing symptoms of a bladder infection, which can lead to a kidney infection.
- People who use a catheter to drain urine from their bladder
- People with vesicoureteral reflux : People with VUR have urinary tracts that allow urine to flow backwards from the bladder to the kidneys.
How Can I Prevent A Kidney Infection
You may be able to lower your chance of getting a kidney infection by:
- Drinking plenty of water
- Urinating as soon as you feel the need to
- Urinating after having sex
- Wiping from front to back after going to the bathroom, if you are a woman. This helps to keep bacteria from your vagina or anus from getting into your urethra.
- Avoiding the use of deodorant sprays or douches in your genital area
- Getting treatment for constipation . Constipation is not a symptom of kidney infection but it can increase your chance of having bacteria in your urinary tract because it can make it difficult to empty your bladder fully.
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Burning Sensation You May Have A Uti
A urinary tract infection or UTI happens in millions of Americans each year. A UTI can cause pain during urination and more commonly affects women. Several signs show the severity of the infection. These include intense back pain. Understanding whats happening during a UTI can help people get the right treatment right away.
What If The Infection Does Not Clear Up With Treatment
Most infections clear up with treatment. However, if an infection does not clear up, or if you have repeated infections, you may be given some special tests such as:
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a type of x-ray called an intravenous pyleogram , which involves injecting a dye into a vein and taking pictures of your kidney and bladder
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an ultrasound exam, which gives a picture of your kidneys and bladder using sound waves
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a cytoscopic exam, which uses a hollow tube with special lenses to look inside the bladder.
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How Long Does Back Pain Last With A Uti
Minor back pain may accompany UTIs. Once antibiotics are started, you should feel better within 12 to 24 hours.
However, untreated UTIs can cause severe infection and complications. Constant, dull, or severe pain can signify a kidney infection. Unlike muscular pain, this pain will be persistent and unrelieved by any alleviating factors.
UTI back pain will last until you begin antibiotic treatment for your UTI.
A UTI that has spread to the kidneys is a serious infection that will typically not go away on its own. Its extremely dangerous for an infection of this nature to go untreated.
If you are experiencing back pain from a UTI seek medical attention immediately, youll likely need antibiotics.
UTIs typically cause lower abdominal pain and not back pain. Lower abdominal pain can last 2-3 days with a UTI and longer for untreated UTIs.
Signs Of A Kidney Infection To Know And When To Go To The Hospital
Youre probably not constantly on the lookout for signs of a kidney infection. But getting a urinary tract infection can open you up to also getting an infection in one or both kidneys, which means this is an illness that should be on your radar. Yep, it’s an unfortunate truth: A urinary tract infection can lead to a kidney infection, which is medically known as pyelonephritis and can be incredibly serious. So if youre experiencing symptoms of a UTI and thinking, Eh, I can wait a few more days to get those antibiotics, think again. Heres what you need to know about the signs of a kidney infection, its underlying causes, why its so important to get treatment as soon as you can, and more.
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Risk Factors For A Kidney Infection
There are a few things that can up your risk factor of contracting a kidney infection, according to the Mayo Clinic, and some you have zero control over:
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Having avagina. The urethra, that small tube that carries urine out of your body, is shorter in people with vaginas than it is in people with penises. That makes it easier for bacteria to travel from outside your body into the bladder. Your urethra is also close to your vagina and anus, which opens you up to more chances that bacteria from one of those areas will get into your urinary tract.
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Having something blocking your urinary tract. That can be anything that slows down the flow of urine or makes it hard for you to fully empty your bladder when you pee, like a kidney stone.
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Having a weak immune system. Having an underlying medical condition like diabetes or HIV, or using medications that tamp down on your immune system, can increase your risk.
Other potential risk factors include having damage to the nerves around your bladder, using a urinary catheter for the first time, and having a condition like vesicoureteral reflux, which causes urine to flow the wrong way, the Mayo Clinic says.
Complications Of Kidney Infections
Most kidney infections are treated successfully without complications, although some people may develop further problems.
Complications of a kidney infection are rare, but you’re more likely to develop them if you:
- are a child
- rapid heartbeat
- breathlessness
Blood poisoning is a medical emergency that usually requires admission to a hospital intensive care unit while antibiotics are used to fight the infection.
If you’re taking certain medications for diabetes, such as metformin or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, they may be temporarily withdrawn until you recover. This is because they can cause kidney damage during an episode of blood poisoning.
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Pain In The Groin Or Testicles
According to the UK Kidney Foundation, the body experiences pain in unusual ways. A person with kidney problems can feel pain in other areas besides their back. The pain in the kidneys can be felt in the back and wrap around to the groin. A manâs testicles may become large from swelling. The pain may become worse during urination. Pain in the testicles is not common, but it can happen.
Women with kidney problems may feel pain in their groin or abdomen.
- According to the UK Kidney Foundation, the body experiences pain in unusual ways.
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Other Home Remedies For Kidney Infections
To alleviate kidney infection pain in the lower back and abdomen areas, you can use hot compresses. Kidney infections can cause the surrounding muscles to spasm and become painful. You can also use heating pads to increase blood flow to speed up healing with increased oxygen levels to the area from the blood cells.
Heat therapy also makes it easier to stretch the soft tissues and decreases stiffness to allow the muscles in the area to relax. Feelings of pain and soreness will also be reduced, even if temporarily.
Bubble baths are not recommended for those with a kidney infection. Frequent baths can remove the protective mucus covering the urethra, and some chemicals present in soaps can cause irritation, making it easier for bacteria to enter the urinary system. .
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Treatments For Kidney Infections
Kidney infections in men or women will typically require antibiotics. While home remedies exist, dont rely on them alone to take care of kidney infections. Delayed treatment can result in a very serious blood infection called sepsis.
Usually, doctors will prescribe empiric antibiotics to cover all the bases of potential bacteria that initially caused the infection until they can target the specific bacteria causing the infection.
A variety of available antibiotics are usually prescribed for at least a full week. Normally, you wont require a stay at a hospital for a kidney infection if you can move around and consistently keep down oral antibiotics.
Suppose you exhibit severe symptoms, including kidney infection symptoms or back pain, or cannot keep down the medication due to constant vomiting. In that case, you may be hospitalized so that your doctor may administer antibiotics and fluids intravenously. Pregnant women are most at risk of needing such additional care, and may be recommended to stay in the hospital for careful monitoring.
Other people who may require hospital stays due to kidney infections include those with sickle cell anemia, people aged 60 or over, patients in severe pain, and those experiencing severe vomiting. In addition, if the kidney infection progresses enough to create an abscess in the kidney, you may require more serious treatment.
Causes Of Kidney Infection
Normally, the urinary tract keeps out bacteria. On occasion, however, bacteria can enter the urethra and continue up into the bladder causing inflammation, urinary tract infection, and an infection of the kidneys.
It is also possible for blood to transmit a virus or bacteria to the kidneys from other parts of the body.
For around every 30 cases of urinary tract infection, one results in a kidney infection.
Urinary tract infections are more likely to occur in older people or those with other medical conditions such as:
- Infected bladder
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What Is A Kidney Infection
A kidney infection, medically known as pyelonephritis, is a common type of urinary tract infection , caused when bacteria have entered the bodys urinary tract and traveled from the bladder into one or both kidneys. Since a kidney infection commonly develops from an untreated bladder infection, the two share the same signs and symptoms.
Common urinary tract infection signs and symptoms include:
- Bad smelling urine
Understanding Bladder Infection Signs
It is crucial to always listen to the bladder infection signs that your body is giving you. Leaving an infection untreated is dangerous and could be deadly.
If you feel that you could be experiencing an infection, the best course of action is to contact a healthcare professional as soon as symptoms arise.
For more information on how you can get the healthcare, you need .
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Duration Of Kidney Infection
The onset of pain from a kidney infection is typically quite fast. It typically does not last any longer than a kidney infection lasts. This makes kidney pain acute. Typically, a kidney infection is resolved by the passing of a kidney stone or treatment of the infection. As soon as these things happen, the pain disappears completely. If you experience back trauma or a muscle spasm or sprain, the pain typically endures much longer than a kidney infection.
The Difference Between Kidney Pain And Lower Back Pain
The human body is very complex and sometimes the symptoms of two very different conditions can overlap and refer, creating confusion of where the pain is actually coming from. This is the case with your kidneys, located towards your back and underneath your lower rib cage. Therefore, its hard to tell if pain you are experiencing in that area is coming from your lower back or your kidney. Both present very similarly but have completely different causes. Knowing the symptoms location, type and severity of the pain, triggers, and characteristics of these conditions can help you differentiate the
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What Is The Urinary Tract
The urinary tract consists of:
- The kidneys: The majority of humans have two kidneys, one on either side of the abdomen. Kidneys clear poisonous substances from the blood.
- The ureters: Urine passes from the kidneys to the bladder through tubes called ureters. Each kidney has one ureter connecting it to the bladder.
- The bladder: This is a hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine.
- The urethra: A tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body. In males, the urethra travels down the middle of the penis to an opening at the end. In females, the urethra runs from the bladder to just above the vaginal opening. The urethra in females is shorter than in males.
What Is A Urinary Tract Infection
A UTI happens when foreign bacteria enter one or more parts of the urinary system. This includes the bladder, urethra, or kidneys. Because women have a shorter urethra than men, women are more likely to get infected. Some men get UTIs, and risk increases with age. Doctors classify the infections in two ways. A lower UTI affects the urinary tract and bladder. An upper UTI spreads to the kidneys and can be serious if left unchecked.
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When A Uti Spreads To The Kidneys Back Pain Will Likely Result
However, a UTI without kidney involvement can also cause back pain. Why would this be?
You may already know that if a urinary tract infection spreads to the kidneys, this can cause serious complications resulting in permanent kidney damage. It can even be deadly if not treated in time.
When people know this information, and they begin experiencing symptoms that suggest a UTI, they may then start panicking if their back begins hurting believing that the infection has made its way to the kidneys.
But back pain is also a well-documented symptom of an infection that is still confined to the urinary tract.
This then begs the question: Why can a UTI cause back pain if the kidneys are not involved?
Lots of medical conditions can cause back pain, begins Michael Ingber, MD, board certified in urology, female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, and founder of The Center for Specialized Womens Health, division of Garden State Urology.
Thus, if you have back pain along with the classic symptoms of a UTI , this doesnt automatically mean the cause of the back pain is whatevers causing your UTI-suggestive symptoms.
Nevertheless, a UTI alone can definitely cause back pain.
Kidney stones and kidney infections typically cause severe, one-sided pain that doesnt go away with changing positions, continues Dr. Ingber.
On the contrary, pelvic problems can often result in lower back pain. This can be from pelvic organ prolapse , endometriosis or UTIs.
Drink Plenty Of Liquids
Drinking plenty of liquids, particularly water, will help to wash bacteria from your bladder and urinary tract.
Drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry extracts may also help prevent urinary tract infections . However, you should avoid cranberry juice or extracts if you’re taking warfarin, a medicine used to prevent blood clots. Cranberry juice can make the effects of warfarin more potent, so there’s a risk of excessive bleeding.
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Pain That Comes And Goes In Waves And Changes In Intensity
As the kidney stone moves through your urinary tract, youll feel pain differently. With a backache, the pain is usually constant.
Kidney stone pain typically starts high up, near the kidney, migrates toward the abdomen and then eventually moves down toward the groin as the stone moves further down the ureter, says Mike Nguyen, MD, a urologist at Keck Medicine of USC and associate professor of clinical urology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Kidney stone pain is typically severe and can be sharp or dull. It usually occurs suddenly, without any provoking events.
Mike Nguyen, MD
Pain In The Right Side When Breathing
Pain under the right ribs or in the ribs can be due to muscle or bone reasons. In these cases the pains are usually stabbing, intensifying according to the movements that are made. Some of the causes of right rib pain are:
- Bone fractures
- Inflammation of cartilage in the ribs
- Bone cancer
Depending on the condition as well as on what level it is, the treatment should be one or the other. However, in those cases in which the pain in the right side is due to trauma or poor movement, recovery can be done with rest and the administration of analgesics to reduce the pain. In depending on which cases it will be necessary to immobilize the area.
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