Hydronephrosis Symptoms

In normal circumstances, the urine is stored in the bladder and thrown out of the body after passing through the ureters. However, when the urine is not able to flow out of the body due to a blocked or narrowed ureter, it causes swelling of kidney. This leads to distention or dilation of kidney with urine. This dilation occurs due to the backward pressure of the obstructed urine. This distention or dilation is called hydronephrosis. There are different hydronephrosis symptoms that help in differentiating the condition as acute or chronic disorder. Lets go into the details of hydronephrosis symptoms and learn some hydronephrosis facts.

Hydronephrosis Facts
Unilateral hydronephrosis is a condition where swelling of the kidney occurs due to the backward pressure of blocked urine. This conditions usually occurs along with an underlying disease. It is however, not a kidney disease in itself. Conditions that lead to occurrence of unilateral hydronephrosis symptoms include the following:

• Acute unilateral obstructive uropathy
• Chronic unilateral obstructive uropathy
• Backflow of urine from bladder to kidney
• Kidney stones
• Pregnancy

One of the interesting hydronephrosis facts includes that this condition is seen affecting about 1 in 300 people. The blockage of urine can occur anywhere in the narrow tubes of the ureter. It is mainly seen in the renal pelvis region where the kidneys join the ureter. This condition can affect people irrespective of age. It can be detected with the help of the routine sonography test on the pregnant mother. When the condition is detected in the early stages and given prompt treatment, it will help get rid of the condition. Let us now have a look at unilateral hydronephrosis symptoms.

Unilateral Hydronephrosis Symptoms
The unilateral hydronephrosis symptoms depends on whether the blockage happens quickly or gradually. In case of acute hydronephrosis, that happens due to a sudden development of kidney stone, the symptoms will be seen within a few hours of blockage. Chronic hydronephrosis occurs over weeks or months. There are very few symptoms or no symptoms observed in chronic hydronephrosis. Let us have a look at the unilateral hydronephrosis symptoms.

Acute Hydronephrosis Symptoms
The symptoms of acute hydronephrosis include the following:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Swelling in abdomen
• Urinary tract infection
• Fever
• Increase in frequency to urinate
• Pain when passing urine

Chronic Hydronephrosis Symptoms
There are generally no symptoms observed in case of chronic hydronephrosis. However, one may feel a dull aching pain, or discomfort on the affected side.

Hydronephrosis Symptoms in Infants
Most of the infants with hydronephrosis are born with this condition. However, it is possible the infant develops the condition later on after birth. It can occur due to a defect or obstruction of the one way valve that controls flow of urine. The hydronephrosis symptoms in infants tends to go unnoticed as they are not visible in most cases. However, the symptoms include pain, infections, bleeding, swelling on the abdomen and decrease in urination. The baby may even develop a skin rash or itchy skin as the toxins are not flushed out of the body. The baby may cry uncontrollably due to the abdominal and lower back pain due to the kidney swelling.

Hydronephrosis Symptoms in Children
Like most infants, there are no symptoms of hydronephrosis observed in children. This is because their kidneys tend to compensate the loss of normal function. The hydronephrosis symptoms in children in severe cases include urinary tract infections, painful urination, cloudy urine, back pain and fever.

Hydronephrosis Symptoms during Pregnancy
The enlarged uterus of a pregnant women makes her more susceptible to develop unilateral hydronephrosis symptoms. This is because the growing uterus tends to take up a lot of space and makes its difficult for the kidneys to pass urine. Hydronephrosis symptoms during pregnancy include sharp and intermittent pain near the ribs and hips.

The treatment of hydronephrosis includes removal of obstruction that causes the back flow of urine. A nephrostomy tube is inserted into the urinary tract in case of acute obstruction. Chronic hydronephrosis is treated by insertion of a uteric stent. This was all about hydronephrosis symptoms. For any further information, speak to your health care provider for more details.