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Hydronephrosis

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

Additional names

This group contains additional names: - Hydronephrosis (swelling kidney from backup of urine) - Hydronephrosis with obstruction by stones - Hydronephrosis with renal and ureteral calculous obstruction - Hydronephrosis with ureteral stricture

General

Hydronephrosis is a condition in which urine builds- up in one or both of your kidneys, causing them to stretch and swell. Hydronephrosis is caused by a block in your urinary tract, which is the "pipe" that leads the urine out of your kidneys, into your bladder and then out of the body. The blockage can be unilateral and lead to hydronephrosis in one kidney, or bilateral and cause hydronephrosis in both kidneys. Some common causes of hydronephrosis are kidney stones, an enlarged prostate gland in men, pregnancy and cancer tumors that push the urinary tract and block the urine flow. Hydronephrosis does not generally cause any long-term problems if it's diagnosed and treated promptly.

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Signs & symptoms

In some cases, you might have no symptoms at all, especially if the blockage happened slowly over time. In other cases, you may experience back, lower belly or genital pain, and symptoms of urinary tract infection such as needing to pee more often and a burning sensation while peeing. Lastly, you might feel you need to pee less than usual.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will perform a *physical exam* and ask about your symptoms and risk factors. In order to complete the diagnosis, the following test might be needed: - *Blood* and *urine tests* - *Imaging test*- such as *Ultrasound* or *CT scan* to visual your kidneys and urinary tract.

Treatment

If you don’t have any symptoms, and your blood and urine tests are normal, you might not need any treatment. In other cases, treatment will be needed. Your doctor might offer to drain the urine by inserting a tube call catheter to your bladder or kidneys. This will reduce the swelling but will not solve the problem that caused the hydronephrosis initially. Further treatment will be needed, depending on the cause the hydronephrosis.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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