10 Incredible Home Remedies for Kidney Pain You Should Know

10 Incredible Home Remedies for Kidney Pain You Should Know

Dealing with kidney pain can be debilitating and is far from pleasant. When the pain is severe, it disrupts your life and causes excessive discomfort in everyday life. Knowing how to relieve kidney pain at home will help you feel comfortable and confident while treating the underlying problem. Try the following home remedies and always talk to your doctor if you have any questions or serious concerns.

Causes of kidney pain

There are a number of causes of kidney pain, from infections to kidney stones and more. Even if relieving your pain seems to be a top priority, you should never skip seeing a doctor to get a treatment plan that will eliminate the cause of the pain. The most common causes of severe kidney pain include urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

Infections in the area of ​​the urinary tract

While most of these infections are simply referred to as a urinary tract infection, the location of the infection makes a difference. Lower urinary tract infections are very common and easy to treat, but the further up the infection travels, the more difficult and dangerous it becomes.

Lower urinary tract infection

We commonly refer to an infection of the lower urinary tract as a urinary tract infection. It occurs when bacteria invade the urethra and cause frequent urination, burning, dark urine, bladder discomfort and kidney pain.2

Cystitis

A bladder infection occurs when the lower urethra invades the bladder. Similar symptoms occur, often lasting over a long period of time and increasing in frequency or intensity.

Kidney infection

A kidney infection, also called pyelonephritis, occurs when excess bacteria build up in the urinary tract and reach the kidneys.1 It is considered an upper urinary tract infection and is significantly more serious than lower urinary tract infections.

Once the infection spreads to the kidneys, it is even more dangerous. Kidney infections can be very serious and may require hospitalization. If you think you have a kidney infection, don't hesitate to make an appointment with your urologist for an accurate diagnosis. In addition to a urine culture, your doctor will need to order imaging tests, blood tests, or a combination of both to confirm the location of the infection.

Kidney stones

Another common cause of kidney pain is the presence of a kidney stone. Kidney stones are hard deposits that form in the kidneys because too many minerals have built up in the kidneys or urinary tract.2 Most kidney stones can be passed without medical intervention, but large stones may require additional treatment or surgery. If you have kidney stones, the pain is quite severe and localized on the back and side, between the lower abdomen and the groin. They can also cause painful urination, nausea, and vomiting.

Relieve Kidney Pain at Home – Urinary Tract Infections

If you are suffering from kidney pain due to a urinary tract infection, try the following remedies. If they don't help, you should make an appointment with your urologist to discuss a treatment plan to ensure the infection doesn't spread.

Drink enough water

Hydration is the key to flushing out urinary tract infections. Adequate hydration not only helps eliminate bacteria, but it can also reduce pain by reducing the concentration of your urine. Instead of reaching for sugary drinks, drink more water. Water is always a better choice as it causes less irritation. As a rule of thumb, you should drink 8 glasses daily.2 If you are active or lead a busy lifestyle, you may need more water to stay hydrated.

Take probiotics

Probiotics help fight bacterial buildup in your gut and replace them with good, immune-boosting bacteria.3 Taking probiotics regularly can also help your kidneys process waste, making treatments more effective.3

Drink cranberry juice

Urinary tract infections are often associated with cranberry juice, and for good reason – it helps relieve the pain. Avoid overly processed cranberry juice cocktails and instead opt for pure juice or some type of supplement to relieve kidney pain and reduce symptoms of a urinary tract infection.

Run a warm bath with Epsom salts

Epsom salt has a detoxifying effect and helps your body relax overall. This is not a long-term remedy, but a warm bath with Epsom salts will help your body relax and ease your kidney discomfort while you soak.

warmth

If a hot bath doesn't help, try applying direct heat with a heating pad or hot water bottle. Place it on the affected area for about 20 minutes at a time to relieve pain.

Painkillers – but no aspirin

Aspirin is a blood thinner that can cause bloody urine when taken for kidney pain. To relieve the pain, you should use non-aspirin painkillers such as ibuprofen or Advil.

Drink parsley juice

Parsley is a diuretic that helps increase the frequency and amount of urine excreted.3 This helps eliminate bacterial buildup in the urinary tract and fight infections. If parsley juice sounds too gross on its own, you can mix it with cranberry juice in smoothies to mask the taste.

Avoid irritants

Limit your alcohol and coffee consumption, as both irritate the urinary tract. Drinking irritants during an infection will interfere with your body's natural healing process and may increase dehydration.

Eat apples

The acidity of apples can help your kidneys maintain acidity in the urine, reducing the chances of the bacterial infection spreading.3 Apples are also great for fighting inflammation, which can help relieve pain.3

Drink green tea

Some studies suggest that green tea may have an antibacterial effect on bacteria that cause urinary tract infections.1 To experience this effect, drink plenty of green tea or opt for a more concentrated green tea extract.

Relieve kidney pain at home – kidney stones

If you are suffering from kidney pain due to kidney stones, you should try the above solutions. Because they help reduce irritation to your urinary tract, they can also relieve the pain of kidney stones. Additionally, there are a few other things you can do to relieve kidney stone pain at home.

Reduce your alcohol consumption

While it's recommended to reduce alcohol consumption overall and avoid it altogether while taking antibiotics, wine has been shown to help prevent kidney stones and the pain associated with them.2 Red wine is also rich in beneficial antioxidants. Limit your consumption to 5 ounces per day and continue to drink plenty of water.

Eat more acidic foods

As mentioned earlier, acidic foods have the potential to relieve kidney pain. They have also been shown to actively fight kidney stones.2 Increase your acid consumption, but don't overdo it.

Water with citrus fruit juice

The best way to increase your acid consumption is to add a splash of citrus to your water. Try a combination of lemons, oranges, grapefruit, and limes for best results.

When to see your urologist

While it would be nice if you didn't have to go to the doctor if you had kidney pain, that's not always possible. Sometimes the pain cannot be treated with a home remedy and you will need to see your doctor or urologist for relief. Just because you experience pain relief doesn't mean the infection is gone. To ensure that the infection does not spread to other parts of your body and cause further complications, you must make a correct diagnosis and treat the problem. If you have a high fever, blood in your urine, vomiting, or chills, you should seek medical attention immediately.1 If you have back, groin, or abdominal pain, you should seek medical attention.3 It is always better to seek medical attention early to treat serious infections and reduce the risk of complications or serious problems.

If you have kidney stones but the pain persists and you are unable to pass them on your own, your urologist will recommend further treatment. There are several ways to reduce the size of kidney stones and make them easier to pass naturally. Contact your doctor if the pain persists and you are unable to pass the kidney stones on your own.

conclusion

Kidney pain can severely impact daily life. To relieve the pain, you can try some of these home remedies. If you are still experiencing pain or experiencing other symptoms of infection, you should see your urologist today. If you would like to learn more about urologic devices, urologic problems and complications, or educational resources, visit our educational support page or our product selection guide. Byram is proud to be a full-service provider of urological care and we have all the high-quality urological products you need. As an added bonus, all of your accessories can be discreetly delivered to your home at any time of the day. If you have any questions or would like personal, confidential service, our knowledgeable urology customer service representatives are available to help.

The following articles may also help you as they look at the same topic from a different light:

Related articles:

[fu_postlist search=’stuff’ maxposts=10 search=”Kidney pain”]