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The occurrence of right flank pain often takes place in the upper abdomen or back as well as sides. You would feel severe discomfort in your body. The development of the right flank pain takes below the ribs and it has the potential to cause issues above the pelvis as well. Although the pain is usually severe on one side of the body. Right flank pain is experienced by many people at least once in their lifetime. The pain and discomfort caused by it are temporal.
Although when an individual feels right flank pain constantly it might indicate a severe medical condition like infection in the urinary tract or dehydration. Some of the problems related to the kidney can cause persistent flank pain. Usually, right flank pain is considered to be a symptom because of kidney problems, but it might be due to other medical conditions if you experience additional symptoms.
You should properly inform your doctor if you are experiencing chronic or excessive flank pain if you are dealing with additional symptoms.
What are the causes of right flank pain?
Some of the causes of right flank pain are detailed below:-
#1. Muscle problems
The back, chest and even the muscles of the stomach have the potential to cause flank pain. Some of the causes are:
- Injuries in the muscle like sprains or strains
- Sitting for a long time in a stressful position
- A person who doesn’t move much
The flank pain is caused often on one side of the muscle which is injured. Although individuals experiencing right flank pain because of a sedentary lifestyle might experience severe pain on both sides of muscle. This pain tends to move back & forth on both sides. Muscle pain is one of the common reasons for flank pain.
Although sometimes muscle pain can be extremely severe, the intensity of the discomfort is not an appropriate measure of the severity of that injury.
#2. Shingles
Shingle is an infection that can be one of the reasons for pain as well as blistering rashes. The person who has gone through chickenpox can develop it. Although older people, as well as people with weaker immune systems, are more prone to shingles. Some of the causes are:
- The feeling of deep burning
- Prickly pain in the nervous system
- Occurrence of fluid-filled rashes in the body
Most people experience shingles in a very severe as well as life-threatening way. The individuals who have HIV and are consuming immunosuppressive or aged people should consult a doctor if they are dealing with shingles. The effect of shingles is usually on one side of the body, often individuals notice its symptoms either on the left or right side but not both.
#3. Urinary tract infection
Through the entrance of some harmful bacteria, the infection develops in the urinary tract also known as UTIs. They not only infect the bladder but also the urethra as well as kidneys.
Some of its symptoms are as follows:-
- Feeling pain while urinating
- Occurrence of blood in the urine
- Frequent urge to urinate
Most UTIs are present in the lower urinary tract. Although such kinds of infections are more prevalent among females in comparison to males. After detecting its symptoms you should immediately consult a doctor otherwise it can spread to both the kidney and might cause a severe infection in the kidneys.
#4. Kidney problems
The Kidney is considered to be the filter of the body. People might experience pain from their kidneys either in the back or flanks. The development of kidney problems might occur after the infection starts spreading from the blabber. Some of the problems are:
- Kidney stones
- Bleeding in the kidneys
- Polycystic disease on kidney
Anyone who has experienced right flank pain or problems related to the kidney should immediately consult a doctor. The pain in the kidney usually occurs on the identical side of the body as the kidney which is affected. Kidney disorders might also be genetic or they can take place because of dysfunction in the other organs.
#5. Liver problems
The liver, as well as pancreas, are deep under the rib cage within the abdomen. Sometimes such issues can cause right flank pain. The pain can also spread to your back. Since the liver as well as pancreas work together for digestion of the food, and a problem in an organ might affect the other. Some of the other symptoms are as follows:
- Nausea
- The colour the of skin becomes yellow
- Sudden attacks of pain
Most of the various health problems can affect your pancreas as well as your liver. Many of these like blocked bile ducts because of gallstones since they can be treated. If a person doesn’t get treated if they are facing issues related to liver and pancreas it might become life-threatening You should immediately consult your doctor.
#6. Spinal health issues
Some of the spinal health issues such as herniated disc or spinal arthritis might cause pain that radiates towards the flank. Spinal arthritis is a kind of chronic inflammation in the vertebrae. The problems in the disc can cause pain as well as swelling in the disc as well as in the spine’s bone. Some of the issues related to spinal health are as follow:
- Inexplicable numbness
- Severe pain in the back
- Sharp pain in one side of the leg
Some of the conditions like difficulty in moving, fracture in your spine might also be the reason for right flank pain. The discomfort due to spinal problems might occur either on the left or right flank but when it occurs on both sides it is damn painful to bear. Check out this article by WebMD to know more about Spinal health issues.
How can right flank pain be diagnosed?
During the appointment, your physician would let you know the cause of the flank pain by conducting different tests as well as by asking you different questions. Your doctor might ask you various questions such as:
- The place where it pains the most
- The time when you started experiencing pain
- The discomfort felt during the pain
- How often do you deal with the pain
- Duration of the pain
- All the additional symptoms you experience
Your doctor might instruct you to bring the reports of blood tests as well as an imaging test for determination of the reason for your flank pain. Imaging tests like X-rays and ultrasounds would help the doctor in inspecting the issues within the body. They will detect the problems you might be facing in the tissues, organs as well as muscles.
Before taking such tests your physician might inject the contrast dye into one of the veins. They inject this for enhancing the image’s quality. This makes it convenient for the doctor to identify any kind of obstructions either in the blood vessels or organs. The dye normally constitutes iodine and is not likely to cause any kind of side effects.
What kind of tests do you advise to take?
Doctors instruct you to take an abdominal CT scan, a kind of specialised X-ray that depict different images in the cross-sectional way of the abdomen. A cystoscopy is a kind of minor process which includes insertion of the thin tube with the help of an attached camera into your bladder.
A urine analysis is also done to detect the bacteria in your urine. All the following tests would help your doctor to understand the issues and symptoms you are dealing with. Accordingly, they prescribe medication.
How can right flank pain be treated?
Rest is one of the common treatments for flank pain. If you feel a minor kind of flank pain you can heal it with physical therapy as well as by taking some rest. Some doctors even recommend some particular exercises which you can practice for speedy relief from muscle spasms. Although flank pain occurs due to several reasons and it is treated accordingly:
#1. Treatment of flank pain caused due to inflammation
If you experience right flank pain because of inflammation or several other infections as well as arthritis then the treatment is dependent on the particular condition. In some cases, people are advised for surgery to heal problems related to the spine. The infections in the kidney may require hospitalization. Although your doctor might prescribe some antibiotics if you have problems with your kidney. The antibiotics might be given to you either intravenously or via a vein. You can also get a vitamin IV drip in Brooklyn that delivers nutrients that also help fight inflammation to help keep you hydrated and recover faster.
The treatment of pain because of arthritis in your spin can be treated by physical therapy as well as different exercises. Sometimes doctors prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication that would decrease the inflammation as well as the discomfort.
#2. Treatment of flank pain caused due to kidney stones
If the problem is due to kidney stones then an individual is to take pain medication as well as they are advised to drink as many fluids as they can for healing from the kidney stone. Kidney stones are curable without surgery. Although sometimes the doctor might carry out a minor procedure regarded as lithotripsy if you have larger kidney stones that cannot easily escape from the body when you urinate.
Lithotripsy is processed with the help of sound waves which constitutes high-frequency for breaking up the kidney stones so they can easily pass during urination.
#3. Treatment of flank pain caused due to urinary tract infection
Urine is being transported to the bladder through the kidney because of the tube-shaped ureters. In some cases, doctors advise applying other surgical techniques for removing the stones. The doctor would recommend either over-the-counter or pain-free medication depending on the level of your pain and discomfort.
You might be asked to stay in the hospital for the treatment. Although you should immediately inform your doctor if you experience consistent secret prolonged right flank pain after your treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Q1. Usually how long does kidney flank pain last?
A: The pain is usually experienced in waves. It can last for 20-60 minutes and then it stops. Although the pain stops either after the ureter is relaxed or after passing the stone into the bladder. A kidney infection also known as pyelonephritis would stretch your renal capsule, swelling your kidney tissue followed by acute back pain.
Q2. Which body part is called flank?
A: The area around the sides of the body from the upper abdomen to the back is regarded as flanks. If you often feel discomfort in this region either in the left or right flank pain you should immediately inform your doctor about it.
Q3. How to stretch the flank?
A: To stretch the flank you can lift one of your arms which would help in lifting the ribcage of that particular side. After that, you should bend sideways and let your other arms touch the bed or floor as a reference as well as support.
Q4. What kind of exercise is recommended for flanks?
A: It is recommended by doctors to hold a traditional plank followed by side planks on each side for at least 15 to 30 seconds at a time for robust as well as strong muscles. You should repeat this thrice.
Q5. Can flank pain be muscular?
A: Most of the time flank pain can be detected from a musculoskeletal problem. This can be because of a muscle strain or due to increased physical activity, some kind of trauma, lifting extremely heavyweights. These are some of the common reasons.
Conclusion
Flank pain can be felt because of various conditions as well as injuries. Doctors mostly advise immense rest, proper medication and different other treatments for relieving your pain to make you feel better.
You should consult with your doctor if you experience excessive pain or if it does not stop within some time. You should visit your doctor immediately in that case. You might be experiencing symptoms like fever or chills.
This indicates a serious condition. By drinking an adequate amount of water and through maintenance of a balanced diet you can lower your level of pain and the risk of flank pain which comes in handy with it.
You should completely avoid consuming alcohol to lower the risk of kidney stones. You should consume a maximum amount of water since it flushes out the stones from the kidney and keeps you hydrated. Water also reduces the chance of any kind of infection in the body. You should ask your doctor to recommend either a low-sodium or calcium-rich diet for the removal of kidney stones.
Flank pain due to a back strain or sprain can be healed from proper rest. You should ask your doctor regarding how much time you should take to rest as well as when to get back on your feet. Stretching, practising different exercises as well as physical therapy programs can provide strength to the muscles in the spine by avoiding the risk of any other injury.
Dame Dash has worked really hard to get to where he is today. From mental health to physical health, he took care everything like a charm. Know more about him @Sleck.net.
