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How to determine what hurts: kidneys or lower back. Kidney disease: how to recognize that you have diseased kidneys

Kidneys are vital important organ in the human body.

The kidneys not only remove waste and toxins from the body. The health of muscles and joints, the functioning of the genital organs and human reproductive ability depend on their condition.

So as not to miss kidney disease, you need to pay attention to the following symptoms:

  • Swelling of the face, especially in the eye area in the morning, swelling of the legs and abdomen,
  • May rise from time to time,
  • Possible weight loss
  • Frequent urge to urinate or, conversely, lack thereof (with normal operation kidney urges occur 4-6 times a day)

Kidney diseases may be accompanied by vomiting, thirst, lack of appetite, increased blood pressure, shortness of breath, weakness, increased fatigue, dryness and pallor skin.

The appearance of pain in the lumbar region signals the development of the disease and the need to urgently visit a doctor. Pain caused by kidney disease usually appears at night, while back pain from osteochondrosis is constant and intensifies with movement. Try tapping lightly on your lower ribs from your back - if you have kidney disease, you will feel pain from tapping.

Pyelonephritis

This is the most common kidney disease. It is provoked by acute infectious diseases, such as tonsillitis, scarlet fever, etc. From the source of inflammation (this can be a boil, a carious tooth, inflammation in the lungs, intestines, ovaries), pathogenic microorganisms enter the kidneys through the bloodstream and cause their inflammation. Pyelonephritis is characterized by fever, swelling, and pain in the lumbar region.

Stones in the kidneys

Kidney disease is also very common.

The reasons for its development may be:

  • various diseases of the kidneys and genitourinary organs,
  • hard water with great content salts,
  • sour or spicy foods,
  • bone injuries and diseases,
  • hot climate.

Signs of urolithiasis are:

  • severe pain in the lower back, groin,
  • painful urination,
  • the appearance of blood or sediment in the urine.

For the time being, kidney stones may not make themselves known, but due to physical exertion, nervous stress and other reasons, they begin to move and cause renal colic. Renal colic is characterized by unbearable pain in the lower back. It needs to be relieved with painkillers and see a doctor immediately.

Nephroptosis

Renal colic can be caused by nephroptosis. This disease occurs more often in women. Nephroptosis is a pathological mobility of the kidneys, in which the kidneys can descend and rotate around their axis. This disrupts the blood supply to the kidneys, which promotes the production of renin. Renin is a substance that causes an increase in blood pressure, and renal pressure is not reduced by conventional medications.

The kidneys are located in a layer of retroperitoneal fat, and only this fat supports them. If there is not enough retroperitoneal fat, the kidneys may “wander.” Nephroptosis is caused by sudden weight loss, physical activity, injury, and long periods of standing in an upright position.

Kidney failure

Because of infectious diseases, severe poisoning, previous kidney disease, kidney function may be impaired. May provide Negative influence factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking, heredity. Impaired kidney function leads to changes in the water-electrolyte balance in the body, and there is a gradual accumulation of harmful elements and urea in the blood. The manifestations of this disease are mild: general weakness and increased fatigue.

If you start treatment in the early stages of the disease, a cure is possible. The doctor prescribes medications and hormonal drugs, and a low-protein diet is recommended.

Without treatment, kidney failure progresses to chronic form and in the early stages it can be practically asymptomatic, with a gradual decrease in kidney function until it completely disappears.

Treatment of chronic renal failure consists of treating the underlying disease that caused the kidney disease. Appointed drug treatment, a low-protein diet, as well as a work-rest regime.

In the terminal (final) stage of the disease, in the absence positive results conservative treatment, to remove metabolic products from the patient’s blood, hemodialysis is used using an “artificial kidney” machine.

To protect your kidneys from diseases, you should:

  • monitor your health,
  • lead healthy image life, harden,
  • treat sore throat and other colds,
  • review your diet: avoid spicy, fried foods, reduce consumption of meat and foods that contribute to stone formation: nuts, chocolate, leafy green vegetables, black pepper,
  • drink more water.

To facilitate the work of the kidneys during the watermelon season, arrange fasting days. Two days a week, eat only watermelon pulp (1-1.5 kg per day).

As a preventive measure, drink tea made from dried melon flowers or a decoction of aspen bark.

If you feel unwell, do not be lazy to do a urine test to determine if there is an inflammatory process in the kidneys.

In view of anatomical features female body, kidney diseases in women are much more common and have a number of characteristic individual characteristics. Therefore, know about how the filtration organs hurt, symptoms and possible methods prevention, should be followed by all representatives of the fair sex. Knowledge will be especially important for those over 40, since this is the “borderline” age for identifying many hidden diseases.

Why women?

Possessing unique feature- bearing and giving birth to a child, a woman devotes all her strength to the birth of a new life and during this period becomes most susceptible various pathologies

Having a unique feature - bearing and giving birth to a child, a woman devotes all her strength to the birth of a new life and during this period becomes most susceptible to various pathologies. In addition, some structural features of the body contribute to nephrosis, for example, ascending nephrosis in women is much more common than in men. The same reasons include cystitis, love of swimming in cool water. And women of fashion are generally in the “risk zone”, since they do not like to dress for the weather, the result is hypothermia and various inflammatory infections.

There are a lot of kidney diseases: pyelonephritis, nephroptosis, renal failure, cystitis, cysts, tumors, etc. But not every lumbar pain signals renal pathology, therefore, it is still better to know the symptoms of kidney disease in women in order to consult a doctor in time and stop the onset of the pathology with timely therapy.

Factors influencing the development of pathologies

Hypothermia is the cause of every second disease

Hypothermia is the cause of every second disease. Swimming in cool water, inappropriate wardrobe for the season, the habit of sitting on cold chairs, ground, stones - all this leads to inflammatory processes. Some types of diseases are caused by decreased immunity due to cravings beautiful ladies to diets – if the diet is improperly limited, the body does not receive enough necessary substances and reduces its defenses.

Everyone is susceptible to stress, but due to their greater emotional range, women “get bogged down” in problems and worries for longer. As a result, sleep and diet disturbances occur, there is no time for normal rest and, as a result, kidney pathology.

Lack of or improper hygiene is another common factor in the development of diseases. Girls need to be taught to wash themselves correctly (from top to bottom) in order to minimize the threat of ascending pyelonephritis. And, of course, the factor of genetic or congenital pathology also occurs. Many ladies, knowing that there were cases in the family kidney diseases, do not rush to the doctor. And in vain: these pathologies are often inherited, timely examination will help identify the disease in early stage and start treatment.

Important! Incorrectly selected underwear is another cause of illness. Synthetics, underwear that does not fit, tight sports sets intended only for sports - all accessories have an impact on health and can provoke the development of kidney pathologies

Symptoms of diseases

Bursting and aching pain on one side of the lower back indicates pyelonephritis

To recognize kidney symptoms for women, you need to know the following: acute attacks to “floaters” in the eyes clearly indicate the release of stones when stones move along the channels and scratch them. But dull, lingering and prolonged attacks of pain of a regular or irregular nature speak of diseases such as:

  • The bursting and aching nature of the pain on one side of the lower back indicates pyelonephritis. The accumulation of urine puts pressure on the walls of the organ, stretching the renal capsule and causing pain.
  • A bacterial infection can cause glomerulonephritis. This pathology affects the renal glomeruli and is characterized by severe acute pain of a paroxysmal type, radiating to the leg and groin. After the acute pain passes, a nagging and aching sensation remains.
  • Nephroptosis (wandering/moving kidney) manifests itself in a woman painful sensations when the patient is standing. The intensity increases and by the evening such attacks can last continuously, responding to the slightest movement. Sometimes the pain resembles renal colic. The main difference between the symptoms is that pain cannot be dulled by painkillers.
  • Kidney failure shows the most clear signs Kidney disease: these are very intense and acute pains. The attack may be short or long, the patient cannot take comfortable position, alleviate the condition with analgesics, and in the absence of help, loss of consciousness or painful shock sometimes occurs.
  • Important! Sometimes symptoms of kidney disease occur in completely healthy people. For example, with long-term physical activity the lower back may begin to hurt, radiating to the groin, leg, hypochondrium

    Recognize the disease and diagnose correct diagnosis Only a nephrologist can. But often a clear clinical picture occurs even with advanced pathology, so you should pay attention to additional signs of kidney disease:

    • anemia, weakness, pale skin, lethargy, loss of appetite;
    • frequent headache, feverish condition, temperature and blood pressure fluctuations;
    • morning swelling of the face and evening swelling of the arms and legs;
    • burning and pain when urinating, as during cystitis - this is how signs of pyelonephritis appear against the background of bacterial cystitis;
    • blood in the urine, change in color, smell, and total daily volume of urine.

    All symptoms depend on the type of disease. However, nonspecific signs are the same for all pathologies: decreased vitality in case of prolonged lumbar pain of any nature, this is a reason to consult a doctor and begin treating kidney disease at an early stage of development.

    Important! In women who have reached menopause, pathologies can occur due to hormonal changes. It is extremely necessary to know how any kidney disease and do not put off visiting the doctor

    Diagnosis, treatment

    An initial examination and history taking is necessary for a clear understanding possible reasons diseases

    To diagnose the disease, the specialist will perform the following steps:

  • an initial examination and medical history is needed to clearly understand the possible causes of the disease;
  • prescribing laboratory tests to detect changes in the composition of urine and blood;
  • instrumental diagnostic methods to clarify the diagnosis and identify the completeness of the picture and the dynamics of the disease. Types instrumental diagnostics a lot, the doctor can prescribe several types that need to be done all.
  • Important! The diagnosis will indicate correct treatment. Sometimes lower back pain is indicated gynecological diseases, therefore, if you have any “kidney-like” symptoms, starting self-medication is extremely dangerous

    Major kidney diseases in women: signs of manifestation

    Nephropathy during pregnancy is observed in first-time mothers or when multiple pregnancy during the 3rd trimester and disappears without a trace after childbirth

    Let’s take a closer look at what symptoms this or that kidney disease has in women:

  • Nephropathy during pregnancy. This female disease is observed in first-time mothers or in multiple pregnancies during the 3rd trimester and disappears without a trace after childbirth. The cause of the pathology is compression of the ureters, obstructed outflow of urine. The inflammatory process may manifest itself as signs:
    • hypertension;
    • morning swelling of the face;
    • visual impairment;
    • headache;
    • irritability;
    • proteinuria.

    Important! Severe form of nephroptosis increases the risk to the health of the expectant mother and baby

  • Polycystic disease. The disease is also more common in women than in men. Occurring against the background of defeat renal tubules, pathology provokes the replacement of normal tissue cystic formations different sizes. The cyst can be single and/or multiple. If measures are not taken, the pathology spreads to other organs (liver). Main symptoms:
    • long, boring lumbar pain that does not go away and does not reduce intensity;
    • thirst;
    • release of large amounts of urine with frequent urge to urinate;
    • hematuria due to impaired urine flow.

    Important! Symptoms of the pathology appear only in the developmental stage, at initial stage polycystic disease does not appear. The disease threatens chronic inflammation, which aggravates polycystic disease and will require not only therapeutic, but also surgical intervention. In addition, the disease provokes cardiovascular pathologies, problems with the gastrointestinal tract and other organs

  • Nephritis (pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis). Renal nephritis all have the same symptoms: nausea, headache, swelling, fever, temperature fluctuations and local lumbar pain. It is possible to distinguish the disease and confirm the diagnosis only on the basis of a complete examination.
  • Important! If left untreated, inflammatory processes can cause cramps, shortness of breath, numbness, and muscle pain. Glomerulonephritis is a sure path to kidney failure, which in severe form is fatal

  • Nephrolithiasis or kidney stone disease is one of the most unpleasant diseases. Excess salts that are not excreted in the urine provoke the formation of stones. The passage of stones is accompanied by severe pain and hematuria. Renal colic always occurs with particularly severe intensity; the person feels the urge to urinate, but the pain is so severe that it is difficult to do so. Immediate assistance must be provided, otherwise the patient may suffer painful shock. The pain is not only localized in the lower back, but also affects the groin area, inner surface hips, the patient has a fever, there are temperature fluctuations, nausea, and vomiting.
  • Important! Recent data from scientists have confirmed that kidney stones can be inherited. Therefore, if the family already had similar cases, better track possible symptoms for kidney diseases in women, to prevent the development of pathology, which is considered one of the most painful

  • Kidney cancer. The danger of the pathology is that it does not have any initial manifestations and may have symptoms of hematuria, indicated by pain in the lower back, radiating to the side, weakness and fatigue.
  • Important! Kidney cancer very often affects women after 40 years of age. It is detected by chance, mainly during instrumental examination aimed at another organ

    Knowing why and how kidneys hurt in women, the symptoms of the main pathologies, you should pay more attention to lower back pain. The sooner the doctor makes a diagnosis, the more accurate and effective the treatment will be.

    No one has any doubts or objections to the fact that every person wants to be completely healthy. Any diseases, including problems internal organs, can cause us suffering and have a direct impact on the quality of life. It is not without reason that kidney pain is considered one of the most excruciating types of pain that a person can experience.

    The kidneys are the most important paired organ in human body, therefore, interruptions in their work can have a particularly strong impact on the human condition. How do you know if you have kidney disease?

    How to find out that you have kidney disease by symptoms!

    How do you know if your kidneys are sick? First of all, try to remember if you were bothered by pain in lumbar region. For kidney diseases this symptom is the most basic. Presence acute pain may indicate renal colic - in other words, acute inflammatory process in the kidneys. If you're worried about stupid It's a dull pain- this is a sure sign of the presence of kidney disease, which has progressed to chronic stage.

    Carefully inspect your urine and check for impurities. If there is blood or mucus in the urine, this is, as they say, an alarm bell that is not even true - it is screaming about kidney disease. If you have problems with urination or there are any abnormalities, this is also a symptom of organ diseases urinary system.

    Try one day to determine the volume of urine that is excreted from your body in one knock, and write down the results. When you see that the result exceeds two liters, the question of the presence of polyuria arises. If, on the contrary, the secreted volume is very small, you have oliguria. In medicine, there is such a concept as anuria - quite unpleasant symptom, implying a complete cessation of urine excretion by the kidneys. If it hurts you too much frequent urination- this is pollakiuria. Each of the above signs is a symptom of kidney disease.

    Carefully examine your entire body and check for swelling. Take a closer look at the reflection in the mirror: if you see that your face is a little swollen, your eyelids are puffy, and your eye slits have narrowed, you most likely have problems with your kidneys. Renal edema can be distinguished from others due to its special pallor and very fast speed development. Often, renal edema appears not only on the face, but also on the entire body, especially on the limbs. Swelling of the body may be accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, a feeling of lethargy, nausea or vomiting, and an increase in body temperature.

    If you nevertheless discover that you have any of the symptoms listed above, you should definitely and immediately make an appointment with a urologist. Modern medicine has such examination methods that make it possible to detect kidney diseases at the earliest stage and prevent further progression diseases.

    Especially important.

    Most likely, your urologist will prescribe you to undergo ultrasonography(ultrasound) of the kidneys, as well as Bladder. Do not worry: this method is absolutely safe and painless. When undergoing an ultrasound, you may need a clean sheet, so make sure you have one in advance, and also take with you all the results of previous examinations you have. Do not forget also that for a full examination of the bladder, it must be filled with urine.

    Kidney diseases and genitourinary system occupy an important place in the structure of population morbidity. The most common kidney diseases include glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis. According to research, 18-20% of the total population suffers from chronic pyelonephritis. Women get sick 5-6 times more often than men. Chronic glomerulonephritis and chronic pyelonephritis are the main causes of kidney failure.

    Glomerulonephritis is an acute or chronic inflammation renal glomeruli. As is known, the renal glomeruli consist of a capillary network surrounded by a special capsule. Blood flowing through the capillaries of the glomerulus is filtered into the cavity of the capsule - thus forming primary urine.

    Pyelonephritis- this is an inflammation of the intermediate tissue, blood vessels and tubular system of the kidneys, including the intrarenal tracts of urine excretion (calyces and pelvis). IN renal tubules urine formed during blood filtration at the level of the renal glomeruli (primary urine) is reabsorbed (reabsorption). More than 90% of the primary urine volume is reabsorbed. Thus, water is returned to the body, mineral salts, nutrients. Secondary urine is formed in the final sections of the collecting ducts, where various substances are released into it and it acquires its characteristic features.

    In addition to the function of excreting urine, the kidneys also perform other important functions: they participate in water-volitional and mineral metabolism, regulate the volume of circulating blood and arterial pressure, stimulate hematopoiesis through a special hormone - erythropoietin, and participate in the activation of vitamin D.

    Methods for diagnosing glomerulonephritis

    The first stage of diagnosing glomerulonephritis is collecting anamnesis (questioning the patient) and clinical examination (general examination) of the patient.

    The patient interview is aimed at clarifying the patient’s complaints - symptoms of the disease. Symptoms of the disease depend on the stage and form of the disease. In acute glomerulonephritis, patients complain of increased body temperature, general weakness and malaise. More specific symptoms indicating kidney damage are: the appearance of edema, darkening of urine (urine becomes cloudy, the color of “meat slop”), pain in the lumbar region, and a decrease in the total amount of urine. As a rule, acute glomerulonephritis develops as a result of a sore throat, pneumonia or erysipelas of the skin. As is known, group B hemolytic streptococcus, which causes tonsillitis, is involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. As a result of sensitization of the body towards streptococcal antigens and the deposition of immune complexes in the capillaries of the glomeruli, aseptic inflammation of the glomeruli develops. The glomerular capillaries become clogged with blood clots, and the capillary membrane becomes permeable to blood cells (red blood cells enter the urine). This explains the development of common symptoms of glomerulonephritis. Pain in lumbar region with glomerulonephritis are caused by stretching of the capsule of the inflamed kidneys.

    In some forms, progressive malignant development glomerulonephritis leads to the rapid establishment of acute renal failure. Renal failure is characterized by a complete cessation of urine excretion, an increase in edema, and signs of intoxication of the body.

    When examining a patient with acute glomerulonephritis, pay attention to the presence of edema (especially in the facial area). May also be present various signs streptococcal infection skin or tonsils (erysipelas, sore throat, etc.). When tapping the lumbar region, pain is noted in the kidney area. Blood pressure is most often elevated and the pulse is accelerated.

    Correct and careful collection of anamnestic data, diagnosis and clinical examination of the patient allow in most cases to establish a preliminary diagnosis of glomerulonephritis.

    To more accurately diagnose the disease, use laboratory diagnostic methods.

    General analysis blood– allows you to identify signs of inflammation: leukocytosis (increased number of leukocytes), increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), increased protein C concentration.

    Biochemical analysis blood– establishes an increase in the concentration of urea (normal concentration is up to 15 mmol/l, or 90 mg/100 ml) and blood creatinine (normal concentration is 15.25-76.25 µmol/l or 0.2-1.0 mg/100 ml) . In some cases, studies are carried out to determine antistreptolysin O (ASLO) antibodies - indicating the bacterial (streptococcal) nature of glomerulonephritis.

    Analysis of urine– defines increased content protein in the urine (normally there is no protein in the urine) and the presence of a large number of red blood cells - hematuria (normally the number of red blood cells in the urine does not exceed 1000 in 1 ml).

    Kidney biopsy allows you to determine the morphological type of glomerulonephritis. A characteristic picture of glomerulonephritis is the proliferation of mesangial cells and the detection of deposition of immune complexes on the basement membrane of the glomerular capillaries.

    Instrumental research methods, such as ultrasound diagnostics, help to establish an increase in the size of the kidneys, which, however, is a low-specific sign.

    In chronic glomerulonephritis, the clinical picture of the disease is more blurred. Signs of progressive renal failure come first. Diagnostics chronic glomerulonephritis involves excluding all other possible causes of renal failure (chronic pyelonephritis, urolithiasis disease, nephropathy in diabetes or arterial hypertension, etc.). To clarify the diagnostic result, carry out histological analysis kidney tissue. Specific lesion glomerular apparatus indicates glomerulonephritis.

    Methods for diagnosing pyelonephritis

    Unlike glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis disrupts the process of urine excretion. This occurs due to damage to the excretory tubules of the kidneys. Inflammation in pyelonephritis is caused by the direct proliferation of microorganisms in the kidney tissues. Most often, the infection enters the kidneys from lower sections urinary system: bladder and ureters.

    Methods for diagnosing pyelonephritis are in many ways similar to those for glomerulonephritis

    At acute pyelonephritis patients complain of a strong increase in temperature (39-40°), chills, weakness, pain in muscles and joints. Pain in the lumbar region is a characteristic symptom. Unlike glomerulonephritis, which always affects both kidneys, pyelonephritis is often unilateral. Sometimes symptoms of pyelonephritis occur after renal colic. This indicates established obstruction (blockage) of the urine excretion pathways. Factors that provoke pyelonephritis are hypothermia, physical and mental overload, and poor nutrition.

    The severity of symptoms depends on the form clinical development pyelonephritis. Acute forms occur with pronounced clinical manifestations, whereas with chronic pyelonephritis, symptoms may be practically absent. Chronic pyelonephritis is one of the most common causes of kidney failure. When chronic renal failure occurs, the main symptom is an increase in the amount of urine excreted. This occurs due to the fact that the kidneys lose the ability to concentrate urine at the level of the collecting ducts.

    When examining a patient, as well as with glomerulonephritis, pay attention to the presence of edema, most characteristic of chronic pyelonephritis turning into renal failure, but this is only the primary diagnosis.

    Laboratory methods research with pyelonephritis, they allow us to identify some specific changes characteristic of this disease.

    Blood analysis determines signs of inflammation (leukocytosis, increase in ESR). Has great diagnostic value comparative analysis three blood samples taken from the capillaries of the finger and lumbar region (on both sides). The increase in the number of leukocytes is more pronounced in a blood sample taken from the lumbar region on the affected side.

    Analysis of urine characterized by severe leukocyturia (increased number of leukocytes in the urine). Leukocyturia serves important criterion For differential diagnosis between glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis. With glomerulonephritis, the number of leukocytes in the urine increases slightly, while with pyelonephritis, it reaches a significant level. Normally, the content of leukocytes in urine should not exceed 4000 per 1 ml. urine. A comprehensive urine test - Nechiporenko's test - determines the content of leukocytes, erythrocytes, and casts in the urine.

    For a more detailed diagnosis, carry out ultrasound diagnostics kidney (ultrasound). With pyelonephritis, the kidneys are enlarged in size and their mobility during breathing is reduced. Thickening of the walls of the calyces and pelvis is noted. Often ultrasound examination allows one to determine one of the most common reasons pyelonephritis – urolithiasis. CT scan is a more informative method than ultrasound. This research method is used in complex diagnostics complications of pyelonephritis - kidney abscess, kidney carbuncle, etc.

    Impairment of the concentrating function of the kidneys and the dynamics of urine excretion are tested using Zimnitsky samples. The essence of the method is to collect the entire amount of urine excreted in 24 hours under normal conditions. water mode. Urine is collected every three hours. At the end of the day, all 8 samples are analyzed to determine the relative density of urine. Renal dysfunction in pyelonephritis or renal failure is characterized by a decrease in the concentrating ability of the kidneys - hyposthenuria, that is, the relative density of urine is less than the relative density of blood plasma (a sign of insufficient absorption of water in the collecting ducts). The normal relative gravity of urine (isosthenuria) is approximately 1008-1010 g/L.

    Also, in addition to the relative density of urine, the Zimnitsky test allows you to determine the rhythm of urine excretion (determination of daytime and nighttime diuresis). Normally, daily diuresis is 60-80% of the total amount of urine. In kidney disease, this ratio is disrupted.

    Excretory urography – radiographic examination method functional state kidney The removal of a radiopaque substance through the kidneys makes it possible to judge the functional activity of the kidneys and the patency of the urine excretion pathways. The method is very informative in case of renal failure or in the presence of urinary tract obstruction.

    Bibliography:

    • Alekseev V.G Diagnosis and treatment of internal diseases Kidney diseases, M: Medicine, 1996
    • Whitworth J.A Guide to nephrology, M.: Medicine, 2000
    • Shulutko B.I. Inflammatory kidney diseases: Pyelonephritis and other tubulo-interstitial diseases St. Petersburg, 1996

    The main signs of kidney disease include swelling, changes in the color and transparency of urine, the appearance of blood clots in it, nagging, pain symptoms in the lumbar region. Also, pyelonephritis and similar diseases of the urinary system can be accompanied by an increase in temperature and blood pressure. Any of the above factors is a reason to consult a doctor.

    What are the symptoms of kidney disease?

    There are signs whose appearance is characteristic of a particular disease. Such signs are called symptoms. With kidney diseases, symptoms can be varied, and the patient may not always attribute them to kidney pathology. Some kidney diseases, sometimes even very serious ones, are asymptomatic. What should you do if something bothers you and when should you see a doctor?

    The most common symptoms of kidney disease include the following:

    • swelling;
    • pain in the lumbar region;
    • increased blood pressure;
    • disturbance of the color and transparency of urine.

    Important are the appearance general weakness and ailments, shortness of breath and nausea, decreased performance. But this is not characteristic symptoms kidney diseases - these complaints are so nonspecific that their development can only lead to the idea of ​​some kind of disease without any idea of ​​which organ is affected.

    The first symptoms of kidney disease: swelling of the legs and under the eyes (with photo)

    Swelling is one of the main symptoms of kidney disease, although very often patients say that they excrete much more fluid in their urine than they drink. At the same time, they do not have edema, and their body weight does not increase. Of course, this is a misconception. Before determining kidney disease, it is necessary to consider the rates of fluid intake and loss.

    Under physiological conditions, there is a balance between the intake of fluid into the body and its release, which determines the approximate equality of these two components. The approximate volumes of daily fluid intake and consumption are as follows.

    Approximately 300 ml of water is formed in the body daily from the oxidation of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. A person consumes about 1100-1400 ml of liquid per day in the form of liquid food and drinking, another 800-1000 ml - in the form of solid food, but this figure can vary significantly depending on physiological, climatic, emotional and social factors.

    When drawing up the balance of fluid intake into the patient’s body, the volume of fluid during infusions must be taken into account by the doctor:

    • The kidneys excrete about 1500 ml of urine daily (normouria). Every hour an adult produces an average of 40-80 ml of urine. The volume, concentration, and composition of urine vary significantly depending on fluid intake and extrarenal fluid loss.
    • By oliguria (decreased amount of urine) we mean a decrease in the volume of daily urine (in the absence of obstacles to urination!) to 400 ml or less.
    • With anuria (cessation of urine output due to renal failure), urine production (i.e., the flow of urine into the bladder) is less than 100 ml per day.
    • Polyuria is understood as an excessive amount of daily urine, which under physiological conditions should not exceed 3000 ml. Polyuria, as a rule, is explained by excess fluid consumption by the body, and also occurs as a result of drug mobilization of endogenous water reserves (diuretic therapy).

    When analyzing water balance The body must also take into account extrarenal (extrarenal) fluid losses, which are divided into: natural (through the skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract) and artificial (through a fistula, extensive wound surface, drainage systems).

    That is why all attempts to increase the volume of diuresis strictly to the volume of fluid intake for a long time always end in failure. Some patients say that they drink a lot, but urinate little and rarely. The number of such complaints is increasing dramatically in summer time. This is due to large extrarenal fluid losses, because sweating, sometimes imperceptible at first glance, increases significantly at high temperatures environment. It is impossible to blame the patient for not knowing the elementary law of conservation of mass of matter, since even doctors with extensive experience often forget about this. And sometimes such patients end up with a nephrologist, who within a few minutes dispels vague doubts about the health of the patient’s kidneys.

    In a number of diseases, fluid can be distributed into the intercellular space, which can lead to the formation of edema of the subcutaneous fatty tissue. These swellings most often form on lower limbs, namely on the feet. With increasing phenomena of hyperhydration (excessive fluid content in the body), swelling intensifies. With kidney disease, swelling spreads to the legs, thighs, torso, upper limbs, face, and neck. This distribution of fluid occurs if the patient spends most of the daytime on his feet.

    Look at the photo of swelling of the legs due to kidney disease and swelling of other parts of the body due to overhydration:

    If the patient is in bed, the distribution of fluid can occur in such a way that swelling first appears on the upper limbs, face, torso. This explains the appearance of facial swelling in the morning and the increase in swelling of the lower extremities in the afternoon.

    A feature of edema in kidney diseases caused by overhydration is its symmetry (if the right lower limb swells, then the left one also swells). However, this allows for the presence in some patients of varying degrees of edema, for example, in the right and left lower extremities, which may be of a positional nature (for example, a long position, lying on the side).

    Swelling is not always detected with overhydration; in the body of an adult, up to 2-3, and sometimes 5 liters of fluid can be retained without the appearance of edema visible to the eye and determined by palpation (by palpation). These are the so-called hidden edema. Fluid can also be retained in the cavity spaces (pleural, peritoneal, pericardial cavities, testicular membranes).

    Sometimes, with kidney disease, swelling under the eyes (“bags” under the eyes) occurs. What people don’t do to get rid of them! These include expensive beauty salons, diuretic medications, resorts, and pointless visits to doctors. Why pointless? The thing is that swelling under the eyes in most cases is not a pathology.

    As you can see in the photo, swelling under the eyes due to kidney disease differs from swelling caused by genetic factors:

    In this case, swelling does not affect other parts of the body. When examined by a doctor, no signs of pathology are revealed, and he throws up his hands, and we become disappointed in one doctor and go to another. Slight swelling under the eyes is due to the increased hydrophilicity (ability to absorb and retain liquid) of the subcutaneous fatty tissue in this area. This ability is inherited. Pay attention to your parents' faces and you will understand everything. Therefore the only in an effective way the fight against bags under the eyes is Plastic surgery at the center of aesthetic surgery. If your face suits you, then this is where the fight against puffiness under the eyes ends.

    A characteristic symptom of kidney disease: lower back pain

    What other symptoms are typical for kidney disease and how do they manifest? A common sign is pain. This is one of the first symptoms of kidney disease, and it indicates the localization of the pathology in these organs.

    But lower back pain also occurs when: pathologies of the spine and peripheral nervous system (ankylosing spondylosis, spinal injury), (colitis), (tumours), female genital organs (uterine fibroids, adnexitis, malignant tumor uterus, appendages, endometritis), flatulence (intestinal bloating), aortic aneurysm (sac-like expansion) and other pathological conditions.

    Lower back pain due to kidney disease occurs when: pyelonephritis, stricture (narrowing) of the ureter, compression of the ureter and calyces by the accessory renal artery, nephroptosis (prolapse of the kidney), thrombosis renal artery or veins, urolithiasis, kidney tumors, polycystic disease, less often - glomerulonephritis and a number of other diseases.

    If pain occurs in the lumbar region, if it is chronic and has been bothering you for more than a day, and also if it is acute and intense, sometimes unbearable (renal colic), you must seek medical help. medical care.

    What are the mechanisms of pain as a symptom of kidney disease and how do they manifest themselves? First of all, this is an increase in pressure in the lumen urinary tract due to an obstruction to the flow of urine. In this case, there is an increase in urine pressure on the walls of the pelvis, calyces, and ureter, where pain receptors are located, signaling to the central nervous system.

    The second cause of pain in kidney disease is stretching of the kidney capsule, which also has pain receptors. Stretching occurs with inflammatory swelling of the kidney (glomerulonephritis, interstitial nephritis), as well as overflow of the kidney with blood (with thrombosis of the renal vein).

    In case if pathological process localized in the ureter, pain occurs along the ureter, i.e., along a conditional oblique descending line. If the bladder is sick, the pain is localized in the suprapubic region. With diseases of the urethra, pain occurs in the groin. In men with prostate diseases, pain occurs in the groin and rectum.

    How to determine kidney disease pain symptoms and the strength of their manifestation?

    Pain sensations vary in intensity: from discomfort and heaviness in the lumbar region to intense paroxysmal pain (renal colic). At renal colic the patient cannot find a place for himself, psychomotor agitation is noted, the patient groans.

    How to determine chronic kidney disease by urine analysis and color

    Each of us has seen our urine more than once and could evaluate its color and transparency. How many vivid impressions arise from the sight of cloudy urine, urine the color of blood! Most of us, seeing redness of urine or heavy sedimentation, consult a doctor. But there's a whole row serious illnesses kidneys, the color of urine does not change, and microscopic and biochemical examination is required to identify these changes.

    How to determine kidney disease by urine and in what cases does a change in its color indicate the onset of the disease?

    Normally, urine can change color - from colorless (“urine like water”) or straw yellow to dark yellow (“beer color”). The yellowness of urine is given by pigments - urochromes, which are formed in the body and excreted in the urine. If the concentration of urochromes is high, then the color of the urine is deep yellow; if it is low, then it is colorless or light yellow. As you might guess, with an increase in the volume of urine excreted, the concentration of urochromes decreases, they seem to be diluted big amount urine, and it becomes lighter (this happens normally after drink plenty of fluids, as well as in the cold season, when fluid loss from the skin is reduced and the consumed fluid is excreted in large quantities in the urine; By the way, for the same reason, in the winter season, the volume of urine we excrete - diuresis - is higher than in the summer).

    With a decrease in urine volume, on the contrary, the concentration of urochromes increases, and the urine is more intensely colored. So in most cases, if your urine is yellow or deep yellow more often than not, consider whether you're not drinking enough fluids. And if your urine is often clear, shouldn’t you limit your fluid intake?

    But if only it were that simple. Some diseases cause dark yellow urine. These include jaundice caused by hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), cirrhosis of the liver (irreversible restructuring of the microstructure of the liver with the formation of fibrosis). Colorless urine may be early symptom kidney disease such as And then this is explained by the low concentration of urine in the kidneys. Colorless urine in kidney disease occurs if the disease is accompanied by the development of thirst and excessive fluid intake (polydipsia), and therefore polyuria.

    These include: diabetes, diabetes insipidus(with this disease, the volume of fluid consumed per day can increase to 10-15 liters!), etc.

    There is no doubt that urine should not normally be red or pink and certainly should not contain blood clots. If your urine is red, then this is a reason to urgently consult a doctor. In some cases, the urine may turn red due to certain medications and chemical substances and not related to kidney damage. This condition is called pseudohematuria. In this case, after stopping the medication, the color of the urine returns to normal and no consequences for the body occur.

    Causes of blood in urine as a symptom of kidney disease

    It is logical to assume that if there is pseudohematuria, then there is hematuria (translated from Greek as “bloody urine”). Redness of urine is associated with the appearance in it of a large number of red blood cells - erythrocytes. To identify kidney disease with blood in the urine, the doctor always prescribes a large list of examinations, since the search for truth occurs among a large number probable causes its development.

    The main causes of this symptom of kidney disease are: glomerulonephritis, urinary tract malformation, urolithiasis, tumor of the kidney, ureter, prostate, bladder or urethra, kidney infarction. Women should not forget that during menstruation, urine is not collected for analysis. IN as a last resort, in case of urgent need, you should use a urinary catheter or collect urine after a hygienic tampon is inserted into the vagina and hygienic treatment of the external genitalia is performed.

    Urine is cloudy most often due to the crystallization of salts, the concentration of which in it increases for one reason or another. Often cloudy urine is a symptom of kidney disease pyelonephritis, when urine is excreted a large number of mucus and pus.

    Detection of pus in the urine under microscopy, consisting of leukocytes (white blood cells that perform protective function), is always a sign of pathology. Most often, leukocytes are detected in acute and chronic microbial inflammatory diseases organs urinary system. In the event that urine for analysis for the presence of kidney disease is collected in violation of the rules, some of the leukocytes and bacteria from the vulva of women and from preputial sac in men it can get into it, distorting the result of the analysis. Therefore, it is very important to strictly follow the rules for collecting urine.

    High temperature with kidney disease and how to bring it down

    High temperature in kidney disease is an optional symptom. Normally, basal body temperature does not exceed 37 °C and ranges from 35.8 to 37.0 °C, averaging 36.1 °C. Basal is the temperature measured in a person under the armpit (axillary) or orally (in the mouth) in the morning after waking up from sleep in a lying position, while the ambient temperature should be 21-28 ° C. During the day, the temperature gradually increases, reaching a maximum between 18 and 22 hours (increases to 37.2-37.3 ° C), and then slowly decreases, reaching a minimum between 2 and 4 hours. Thus, evening temperature 37-37.3 °C cannot be considered pathologically elevated.

    In addition to axillary and oral, rectal thermometry (measuring temperature in the rectum) is used, however rectal temperature usually 0.5-1.0 °C higher. Physiological increase body temperature can also be accompanied by high ambient temperatures and intense physical activity. Fever is called an increase basal temperature body temperature above 37 °C or body temperature measured in the evening above 37.3 °C.

    Fever is observed in a number of diseases, of which there are so many that we will give only the main groups of these diseases.

    The appearance of fever is a reason to consult a doctor. Remember that uncontrolled use of all kinds of antipyretic drugs often only delays you from seeking timely medical help. If the doctor did not see the fever as a symptom of a serious disease and sent you home with a diagnosis, in this case he will recommend necessary treatment, including antipyretics. Despite the apparent safety of antipyretic drugs for the body, they all have side effects, which with a certain probability may appear. The use of diphenhydramine to reduce body temperature in patients with kidney disease is puzzling.

    High temperature due to kidney disease or any other disease is an adaptive reaction of the body developed during the process of phylogenesis. Fever contributes to disruption of the proliferation of microorganisms, enhances metabolic and reparative processes in the body, stimulates immune system. It is believed that it is generally not recommended to reduce the temperature to 38.5 °C. This is also repentance high temperature for kidney diseases, including pyelonephritis.

    But there are always exceptions: children; diseases accompanied by the development of convulsive syndrome; poor tolerance to high temperature (vomiting, severe nausea, the appearance of psychomotor agitation or retardation, convulsions during fever that have occurred previously).

    How can you lower the temperature in case of kidney disease and in other cases? To reduce the temperature, the doctor should recommend paracetamol (1-2 tablets) and ibuprofen (1-2 tablets).

    Kidney disease and high blood pressure: nephrogenic arterial hypertension

    Kidney disease and high blood pressure– phenomena are often interrelated. According to statistics, about 45-60% of patients with kidney disease have blood pressure that is far from normal.

    Arterial hypertension is understood as a persistent, prolonged increase in blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg. Arterial hypertension can be independent genetic disease, and then it is called hypertension, or primary arterial hypertension. It is also possible to develop arterial hypertension due to chronic kidney disease. In this case, arterial hypertension in kidney disease is called secondary, or symptomatic, or nephrogenic.

    What signs suggest nephrogenic arterial hypertension? First of all, a prerequisite is the presence of chronic kidney disease. Nephrogenic arterial hypertension develops against the background of existing kidney disease. Often, with kidney disease, blood pressure is disturbed.

    Besides these simple signs there are many symptoms confirming the nephrogenic nature high pressure for kidney disease identified by a doctor after a detailed examination.

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