The effects of untreated kidney pain vary depending on the cause, but it can lead to problems like kidney scarring, chronic disease, kidney failure, hypertension, and blood poisoning.
A kidney infection is not to be taken lightly, and you should never ignore the symptoms. Left untreated, this type of infection can cause permanent damage to your kidneys and lead to other severe complications.
If a kidney infection isn't treated, it can get worse and cause permanent kidney damage. Symptoms of a kidney infection often come on within a few hours. You can feel feverish, shivery, sick and have a pain in your back or side.
Most people who are diagnosed and treated promptly with antibiotics feel completely better after about 2 weeks. People who are older or have underlying conditions may take longer to recover. If your symptoms show no sign of improvement 24 hours after treatment starts, contact a GP for advice.
Most acute cases of back pain usually resolves on its own within days rather than weeks. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) usually relieve back pain. Severe kidney pain usually does not go away with the NSAIDs, and nothing will relieve the pain unless the problem is addressed.
Without dialysis or a kidney transplant, kidney failure is fatal. You may survive a few days or weeks without treatment. If you're on dialysis, the average life expectancy is five to 10 years. Some people can live up to 30 years on dialysis.
Pain due to kidney problems is usually deeper and higher in your back, under your ribs. Signs that it is a kidney problem can also include fever, vomiting, pain in your sides or painful urination. CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the kidney pain Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.
Kidney pain can have many causes. It may be a sign of an infection, injury or another health problem, such as kidney stones. Because of where your kidneys are in your body, kidney pain is also often confused with back pain.
Kidney pain (renal pain) is discomfort near your kidneys. Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located just below your ribcage, on each side of your spine. Kidney pain doesn't always mean there's a problem with your kidneys specifically — but it does usually indicate an issue somewhere in your urinary system.
The most common causes of kidney pain that radiates to the back are infections and kidney stones. A kidney infection may have started with a urinary tract infection (UTI). Kidney stones can cause a person to experience excruciating pain that feels like spasms. This pain may also spread to the groin.
you're particularly frail and your general health is poor. your symptoms fail to improve within 24 hours of starting treatment with antibiotics. you have a weakened immune system. you have something inside your urinary tract, such as a kidney stone or a urinary catheter.
Moving around will not affect the pain. It likely won't provide relief, but it will not worsen the symptoms either. In most cases, nothing you do will get rid of the pain until your doctor or specialist properly treats your kidneys.
Generally, earlier stages are known as 1 to 3. And as kidney disease progresses, you may notice the following symptoms. Nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, loss of appetite, swelling via feet and ankles, dry, itchy skin, shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, urinating either too much or too little.
Acute kidney failure — also called acute renal failure or acute kidney injury — develops rapidly, usually in less than a few days. Acute kidney failure is most common in people who are already hospitalized, particularly in critically ill people who need intensive care.
In Stage 1 CKD, the damage to your kidneys is mild. Your kidneys are still working well, but you may have signs of kidney damage or physical damage to your kidneys. Stage 1 CKD means you have a normal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 90 or greater, but there is protein in your urine (i.e., your pee).
Hospitalization for severe kidney infections
If your kidney infection is severe, you may need to go to the hospital. Treatment might include antibiotics and fluids through a vein in your arm.
A kidney infection can start off similar to a UTI, but then it gets more severe. Kidney infection symptoms include fever, pain in your back or side, and weakness. Other infections, like sexually transmitted infections, can feel similar to a UTI — but the treatments are different.
If left untreated, a kidney infection can lead to potentially serious complications, such as: Kidney scarring. This can lead to chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure and kidney failure. Blood poisoning.
Reduced GFR is a red flag for six major complications in patients with CKD: acute kidney injury risk, resistant hypertension, metabolic abnormalities, adverse drug reactions, accelerated cardiovascular disease and progression to end-stage kidney disease.