Doctors diagnose kidney pain with blood and urine tests to check kidney function and look for infection/blood, plus imaging like ultrasounds, CT scans, or X-rays to find stones, blockages, or structural issues, often starting with a physical exam and history to pinpoint the cause. A kidney biopsy might be used for complex cases to examine tissue directly.
Urine tests.
Checking a sample of your urine can reveal signs of chronic kidney disease. Urine tests also could provide clues about what's causing your kidney disease. Having protein, called albumin, and blood present in the urine could be a sign of kidney disease.
To relieve pregnancy kidney pain, prioritize hydration, use pregnancy-safe pain relievers like acetaminophen as directed by your doctor, apply a heating pad, get rest, and wear loose clothing, but always consult your doctor first for severe pain, fever, or vomiting, as it could signal a kidney infection or stones needing specific treatment like antibiotics or procedures.
Dull or sharp pain in the low back (often confused for kidney pain) is more likely due to a muscle pull, spinal issue, such as sciatica, or an injury. Kidney pain is usually felt higher up in the back and very rarely that low.
The main test for kidney disease is a blood test. The test measures the levels of a waste product called creatinine in your blood. A doctor uses your blood test results, plus your age, size, and gender to calculate how many millilitres of waste your kidneys should be able to filter in a minute.
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. However, these are usually in the later stages, but they can also happen in other disorders.
Albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR)
A UACR test is often used to detect early-stage kidney damage, especially in people at higher risk, such as those with diabetes or high blood pressure. The UACR is a simple urine test: You will give a small sample of urine (about two tablespoons).
You know your kidneys might hurt if you feel a deep, dull ache in your back or side, under the ribs, that doesn't improve with movement, often accompanied by nausea, fever, chills, painful/frequent urination, or changes in urine (cloudy, bloody). Unlike back pain, kidney pain is typically deep, constant, and not relieved by shifting or resting, potentially spreading to the groin, especially with stones or infection, and warrants a doctor's visit.
It is important to avoid sleeping on your stomach when experiencing kidney stone pain, as this position can put additional pressure on the kidneys and exacerbate the discomfort. Additionally, it is recommended to avoid sleeping in a fetal position, as this can also increase pressure on the kidneys and worsen the pain.
Kidney stones can be tricky, since they may have many of the same symptoms as a UTI or a kidney infection – pain when urinating, needing to urinate often, and cloudy or strong smelling urine, blood in the urine, fever, nausea or vomiting.
Where do I feel kidney pain? You feel kidney pain near the middle of your back, just under your ribcage, on each side of your spine where your kidneys are. Your kidneys are part of the urinary tract, the organs that make and remove urine from the body.
See your doctor immediately or go to your local hospital emergency department if you have kidney pain and: you have a fever or feel very unwell. you are unable to pass urine. the pain is on both sides of your body.
Place a heating pad on your back, abdomen or side to help reduce kidney pain. Take pain relievers. To ease fever or discomfort, take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen (unless you have known liver or kidney damage and are not supposed to use these medications).
Blood test for GFR
a GFR of 60 or more is in the normal range. Ask your health care provider when your GFR should be checked again. a GFR of less than 60 may mean you have kidney disease. Talk with your health care provider about how to keep your kidney health at this level.
Depending on the root cause of your kidney pain, you may experience sharp kidney pain that comes and goes or a dull pain that never goes away.
High blood pressure
Stress, if left unmanaged, contributes significantly to blood pressure spikes. This creates a scenario where chronic stress might not cause kidney pain directly, but may lead to conditions that do.
Symptoms of a kidney infection may include fever and chills, frequent or painful urination, and nausea or vomiting.
You can check kidney function at home using at-home test kits for urine (detecting protein/albumin) or finger-prick blood tests (checking creatinine/eGFR), often with smartphone apps for analysis, or by monitoring symptoms like increased nighttime urination (nocturia), swelling, or changes in urine (blood, foam) and discussing results with a doctor, as home tests screen but don't replace professional diagnosis.
Kidney failure symptoms often develop slowly and include extreme fatigue, swelling (edema) in legs/ankles/eyes, changes in urination (frequency, amount, foamy), shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, metallic taste/bad breath, itching, and muscle cramps, but can be subtle until later stages. Because kidney disease is often "silent," see a doctor if you have these signs, especially sudden changes in urine or severe symptoms like confusion, as they can signal acute failure.
Sharp back or abdominal pain.
Pregnant women should also be aware that urine buildup stretching and swelling the kidneys—a condition known as hydronephrosis—is also more likely in later stages of pregnancy as the baby is producing its own urine.
A urinalysis is a simple test that looks at a small sample of your urine. It can help find conditions that may need treatment, including infections or kidney problems. It can also help find serious diseases in the early stages, like chronic kidney disease, diabetes, or liver disease.
A BUN, or blood urea nitrogen test, measures the amount of urea nitrogen in your blood. Urea nitrogen is a waste product that forms as your body breaks down proteins. It's carried in your blood and then removed by your kidneys when you urinate (pee). Having a small amount of urea nitrogen in your blood is normal.
A urine test can't tell whether the infection – if you have one – is in your kidneys or another part of your urinary system, such as your bladder. For your GP to be confident you have a kidney infection, you need to have a positive urine test plus certain symptoms, such as a fever or a pain in your side.