Kidney Hydronephrosis (Kidney Swelling)
Hydronephrosis (upper urinary tract dilation) is a condition where something keeps urine from flowing from your kidney to your bladder. When that happens, one or both of your kidneys swell.
It can happen at any age, with some cases being diagnosed with prenatal ultrasounds. However, it can also have a sudden onset in adults or be a chronic condition throughout life.
Symptoms of Kidney Hydronephrosis
Sometimes there are no symptoms. However, when there are symptoms, they often include these:
- Sudden or intense pain in your sides, abdomen or back
- Nausea or vomiting
- Pain when urinating
- Blood in your urine
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Being unable to completely empty your bladder
- Urinating more or less than normal
These symptoms can be an indication of other conditions as well, so it is important to get checked if you experience them. Additionally, your chances of getting a urinary tract infection (UTI) increase if you have hydronephrosis because pee is trapped in your body.
Causes of Kidney Hydronephrosis
Some kind of blockage or obstruction is typically the cause of hydronephrosis. In adults, the conditions that most often cause hydronephrosis include:
- Kidney stones: Hard deposits made of calcium and oxalate that become lodged in your kidneys or urinary tract
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): Enlargement of your prostate gland, causing pressure on your urethra
- Urinary retention: A condition when you have difficulty emptying urine from your bladder
- Tumors: Tumors in your bladder, prostate gland, uterus or other organs that are part of or near your urinary tract may keep urine from flowing
- Nerve or muscle problems: Issues that can affect your kidneys or ureters
- Vesicoureteral reflux: Urine flows backward from your bladder to your kidneys
- Ureterocele: A condition where the lower part of your ureter may protrude into your bladder
- Narrowing of your urinary tract: Due to injury, infection, birth disorders or surgery
Diagnosing Kidney Hydronephrosis
During your visit with Colorado Springs Urological Associates, your urologist will discuss your medical history and perform a physical exam, concentrating on the area near your kidneys and bladder to check for tenderness or swelling. Women may require a pelvic exam to see if there are any issues with their uterus or ovaries.
Other tests may include:
- Urinalysis – To check for blood, stone crystals, bacteria or infection.
- Blood tests – To determine if infection is present.
- Imaging – These may include a CT scan, ultrasound, or MRI, depending on your situation
Treating Kidney Hydronephrosis
Sometimes no treatment is necessary but instead, simply watching your condition to make sure it doesn’t worsen.
If the onset is sudden, your doctor may insert a nephrostomy tube through your skin and into your kidney to drain excess urine. A ureteral stent, which is a soft plastic tube, can also be used to hold your ureters open so that you can urinate.
There are several approaches to treating the condition, depending on the underlying cause.
Kidney stones are the most common cause of Kidney Hydronephrosis. So, treating the stones is important. Learn more about kidney stone treatment here.
