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Symptoms of Hydronephrosis
Hydronephrosis usually develops over just a few hours when a blockage forms quickly – from a kidney stone for example. But it can develop gradually over a period of weeks or months if the blockage is due to something like a slow-growing tumour.
The severity of your symptoms will depend on the extent of the blockage and the amount your kidney is stretched. The type of symptoms you experience will depend on the location of the blockage and the length of time the flow of urine remains blocked.
When the blockage begins quickly (acute hydronephrosis), you will usually experience a severe pain (renal colic) in your back or side between your ribs and hip. The pain will be on the side of the affected kidney, or if both kidneys are affected, on both sides.
Other symptoms can include:
- swelling in your abdomen,
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- fever,
- needing to go to the toilet more often than normal, and
- pain when you pass urine.
A partial blockage of the normal urine flow may reduce the rate you are able to urinate when you go to the toilet. If both the ureters from your kidneys, or your urethra, are blocked, you may be completely unable to urinate.
Hydronephrosis caused by a slow-developing blockage may have the same symptoms as acute hydronephrosis, no symptoms at all, or a dull, aching pain in your side that comes and goes.
