Pain in the kidney area when inhaling - what could it be?

Updated: January 27, 2021, 1:47 Expert: Yulia Evgenievna Mazur

When your kidneys hurt when you inhale, this is the first symptom of the development of a disease in the body. However, it is impossible to confirm the fact that pain comes from the kidneys the first time. Pain during breathing can indicate not only kidney pathologies, but also unrelated disorders. To do this, you need to conduct a comprehensive examination and determine what exactly is the causative agent of pain and immediately begin treating the problem.

Causes of pain in the kidneys when inhaling

The reasons that influence the fact that a person experiences feelings of pain when sighing are divided into primary and secondary. Primary problems are usually associated with diseases of the spine. Secondary problems indicate a connection with pathological dysfunction of internal organs. Only a doctor can determine what kind of violation a person has encountered after an examination and tests.

Possible causes of pain when inhaling in the kidney area:

The pain syndrome in a disease such as osteochondrosis disappears if the place of pain is warmed up. Also in this case, restrictions in mobility may be observed.

Possible reasons

All possible causes are divided into primary, associated with diseases of the spine, and secondary, caused by ailments of the internal organs.

• Osteochondrosis - not only of the lumbar, but also of the thoracic region, is the most common cause of various lower back pain, including those that are mistaken for renal colic. The fact is that with this disease, blood circulation in the muscles around the spinal column is disrupted; accordingly, the latter ceases to receive nutrition in the required amount, which leads to damage and destruction of the cartilage between the vertebrae. In turn, the reduction of cartilage blocks the mobility of the entire spine, leads to swelling and spasms of the surrounding muscles, and, therefore, to compression of the nerve fibers and their damage.

The pain can be very diverse - acute, aching, and shooting. However, unlike pain due to internal organs, this syndrome usually decreases with warming or, more effectively, cooling. In addition, pain due to osteochondrosis, as a rule, significantly limits mobility.

It is not so easy to separate this syndrome from renal colic, since swelling of the muscle tissue also affects the position of the kidney. And squeezing the tissues around the organ quite successfully simulates pain during inflammation.

• Intercostal neuralgia - causes very severe pain when inhaling or exhaling. If the sensations are localized not in the chest area, but in the lumbar region, this syndrome can be confused with a sign of kidney inflammation. However, it is not accompanied by any changes in the urine, does not provoke an increase in pressure or temperature, but only noticeably limits mobility.
• Gallstone disease - its clinical picture is very diverse and includes renal, hepatic colic, and dyspepsia. In this case, a diagnosis can only be made after hardware diagnostics.
• Pancreatitis - chronic or asymptomatic, is accompanied by a dull aching pain that intensifies with inspiration, although the latter is not a characteristic sign. However, most often such sensations appear after eating or drinking alcohol, which is quite easy to notice. In addition, the pain quickly becomes irritating.

The kidneys are not often the cause of pain when inhaling or exhaling. But even in this case, not everything is clear: several different diseases have similar symptoms.

• Inflammation of the kidney - pyelonephritis or glomerulonephritis. In its acute course, the disease develops quickly and leaves no reason for doubt: in most cases, inflammation is accompanied by fever and an increase in temperature up to 40 degrees. The pain in the lower back is acute and quickly becomes independent of the patient’s condition and position. Dizziness, headaches occur, and signs of intoxication quickly accumulate. In chronic cases, the symptoms are not as pronounced. However, the temperature rise is steady, the state of health noticeably worsens, and the skin becomes sallow or jaundiced.
• Nephroptosis – or prolapse of the kidney. When the organ is in place, it is supplied with blood in a normal way. However, when displaced, the vessels - arteries and veins - begin to stretch and, accordingly, narrow. As a result, the kidney does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients. To “correct” this situation, renin is produced in the kidney tissues, which helps to increase blood pressure in order to improve blood supply. But since the reason for the lack of blood is purely mechanical, this not only does not solve the problem, but also aggravates it.

A deep breath causes the organ to shift even more, which leads to even greater stretching and compression of the tissue, since swelling in this case is also inevitable. The result is a pain syndrome.

The second problem associated with descent is difficulty in the outflow of urine. When prolapsed, the ureter also changes its position, becoming tortuous, and in this case, the outflow of urine becomes difficult, which leads to its stagnation.

The clinical picture of the disease is very blurry. One of the additional signs by which the disease can be identified is the difference in blood pressure depending on the position: in the vertical blood pressure is higher.

Renal failure with many other symptoms can be characterized by pain, aggravated by deep sharp exhalation, and especially by coughing. However, with such a severe lesion, there are more than enough other symptoms to identify the disease: pain when urinating, noticeable pain when palpating the area, cloudiness and other changes in the urine, general signs of intoxication, weight loss, and so on.

Video about possible causes of kidney pain:

Symptoms of kidney disease

The nature of the pain syndrome varies.
The dislocation of pain points can be in one kidney or in two at the same time. The main cause of discomfort is an infectious-inflammatory complication in the body. Pain in the kidney area can be of different types:

• acute;
• pulling;
• piercing;
• pressing.

Depending on the type of disease, the following symptoms are distinguished:

• the pain intensifies even with a slight cough;
• pain appears when taking a deep breath;
• any physical activity on the body provokes discomfort;
• the pain becomes more intense in the morning or evening.

There is no obvious direct relationship between the kidney and the organs that are involved in the breathing process. Nevertheless, depending on the location of the organs, a mechanical connection is observed. The kidneys are a mobile organ that can move slightly under the influence of the diaphragm. In the body, the kidneys are held in place by special ligaments, which, if damaged, can cause the “wandering kidney” effect. Such movement of the organ can cause pain that intensifies with inhalation and exhalation.

Symptoms

Any painful sensations during the breathing process are quite common.
It is immediately worth noting that the localization of such pain can be on one organ or on both sides at once. A common cause of such pain in the organ during breathing is an inflammatory process. Soreness in this case is uncharacteristic. It can be nagging, acute, paroxysmal, and even change over time.

Symptoms in this case can be very diverse:

• The kidneys may hurt during deep inhalation or exhalation. Most often this happens when inhaling. Moreover, the intensity of pain is in no way related to the time of day.
• Pain in the kidney area may occur when coughing.
• Pain syndrome can occur during intense physical activity.
• Also, painful sensations can be associated with the time of day, for example, pain appears only in the morning or at night.

Of course, there is no direct connection between the respiratory organs and the kidneys. But there is a mechanical dependence of these two systems. This is due to the location of the organs. Since the kidney is a mobile organ, during breathing against the background of the movement of the diaphragm it can move:

• with a deep breath, the organ goes down 40-60 mm;
• with normal breathing it moves by 20-40 mm.

Important: such movements of the kidney during breathing are useful and improve the outflow of urine. However, with pathologies of the organ and violation of its location, such displacements can cause pain.

To hold organs in one place, there is a ligamentous apparatus. Against the background of ligament damage, chaotic movement of the organ is observed. This is called wandering kidney syndrome. This displacement of the kidney, aggravated by inhalations, can cause pain.

Causes of tingling in the kidneys: diagnosis and treatment

Diagnostic measures

If lower back pain is not an isolated case, you should immediately seek help from a doctor. If the pain is associated with disturbances in the functioning of the muscles and spine, the patient is prescribed a course of warming procedures. But in the case when the kidneys are inflamed in the body, heating can aggravate the situation and provoke complications.

To diagnose the problem, you need to take a full blood test.

In any case, the following procedures are recommended for a patient with such pain:

• Taking a general blood test. In the case of renal inflammation, the patient's leukocytes and ESR increase, and anemia appears.
• Taking a urine test. If there is a kidney problem, the urine changes density, color, and leukocytes and red blood cells can be detected in it.
• Ultrasound diagnostics. Helps determine the location of organs in case of displacement, the presence of kidney stones and other pathologies;
• X-ray. In case of diseases associated with the spine, it will help to establish the cause of pain.

To obtain more reliable information about your health status, doctors may prescribe computed tomography and MRI scans.

Such studies are required if the following are added to the general symptoms:

• increased blood pressure;
• headaches;
• pain that gives off unpleasant sensations in the shoulder and is accompanied by numbness in the fingers;
• increased pain in the buttocks.

Diagnostics

If the pain syndrome does not go away for a long time, then you need to consult a doctor.
If the pain syndrome does not go away for a long time, then you need to consult a doctor. In most cases, especially if the Pasternatsky test was negative, warming up the lower back is used, since in this case there is a high probability that the pain is associated with the spine or muscles. However, this should not be done if the kidneys are inflamed.

To diagnose the disease, the doctor will prescribe the following tests:

1. UAC. In case of problems with the spine, no deviations from the norm will be found in the blood, but in case of problems with the kidneys, there is an increase in ESR, leukocytosis and anemia.
2. The most informative test for kidney problems is a urine test. In this case, leukocytes, red blood cells, protein, and pathogenic microflora can be found in the urine. The density of urine changes.
3. Using ultrasound, it is easy to assess the location of the kidneys, their shape, size, the presence of stones and other abnormalities.
4. An X-ray is taken both for osteochondrosis and for kidney problems. In the latter case, contrast radiography will be more informative.

Important: for renal tumors and osteochondrosis, CT and MRI are especially informative.

Magnetic resonance and computed tomography are prescribed if the following additional symptoms are present:

• headache;
• increased blood pressure;
• pain radiating to the shoulder with simultaneous numbness of the fingers;
• if pain occurs in the buttocks and intensifies.

Treatment of diseases

Antibiotics are often prescribed to treat the problem.
The main cause of pain associated with the kidneys is the inflammatory process caused by infection. In this case, a course of drugs is prescribed to eliminate foci of inflammation. Most often these are antibiotics and antibacterial medications. In addition to treating the main problem, medications are prescribed to relieve the symptoms of the disease: diuretics, drugs to regulate blood pressure, uroseptic medications. An important part in the treatment of diseases is adherence to diet and nutrition. The patient should also drink enough water.

Prevention measures

The main preventive measures are as follows:

• timely treatment of spinal diseases;
• if you have previously been diagnosed with kidney disease, undergo regular examinations;
• proper nutrition and adherence to water regime;
• avoid hypothermia;
• strengthen the immune system to avoid future infections;

An important measure to prevent pain is complete treatment during inflammation. Since if the foci of infection are not completely eliminated, relapses may occur with a decrease in immunity. To strengthen the body, it is recommended to regularly exercise, eat only healthy foods, excluding fried and fatty foods, and drink 1.5-2 liters of water daily.