Does hydronephrosis cause kidney pain?

Written by Chen Feng

Urology

Updated on June 07, 2025

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Whether hydronephrosis causes kidney pain depends on the cause of the hydronephrosis. Hydronephrosis can be caused by ureteral stones. When the stone gets stuck in the ureter, it can prevent the urine produced by the kidneys from being expelled, thus causing hydronephrosis. This situation generally presents as pain in the kidney area, discomfort due to swelling in the lower back, and may also be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. If the stone scratches the wall of the ureter, there may also be blood in the urine. Moreover, hydronephrosis can also be caused by other diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Due to the compression of the urethra by benign prostatic hyperplasia causing the urethra to narrow, bilateral kidney hydronephrosis may also occur. This situation generally does not involve pain in the kidney area. The main symptoms presented by the patient include discomfort due to excessive filling of urine in the bladder, leading to discomfort and pain in the lower abdomen.

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Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

50sec

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Can you have sex with hydronephrosis?

Before the complete resolution of hydronephrosis, it is recommended that patients avoid sexual intercourse. This is because hydronephrosis indicates the presence of obstructive factors in the urinary system, causing urine to not be excreted smoothly. Urine accumulates within the urinary system, causing dilation of the renal pelvis, calyces, and ureter. If urine cannot be excreted, bacteria can easily ascend from the urethral opening into the urinary system, causing an inflammatory response. If patients engage in sexual intercourse during this time, bacteria at the urethral opening can easily be pressed into the bladder, ascending and potentially causing pyelonephritis or cystitis. Therefore, it is best for such patients to avoid sexual intercourse until the hydronephrosis has been thoroughly addressed.

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Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

56sec

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What are the symptoms of hydronephrosis?

Patients with hydronephrosis may not exhibit any symptoms. Whether symptoms are present depends on factors such as the extent of renal damage caused by hydronephrosis, the severity of the hydronephrosis, and the duration of hydronephrosis. Some patients might only notice the issue due to a lump in the abdomen or a swelling sensation in the lower back, prompting them to undergo ultrasound imaging that reveals hydronephrosis. Hydronephrosis can cause renal colic, and patients may also experience nausea, vomiting, and reduced urine output. When hydronephrosis is complicated by infection, symptoms like chills, shivering, fever, and headache can occur. Some patients may first present clinically with a urinary tract infection, showing symptoms like fever, frequent urination, urgent urination, and painful urination. In rare cases, hydronephrosis can rupture and lead to bleeding.

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Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

57sec

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Can people with hydronephrosis drink water?

Whether patients with hydronephrosis can drink water depends on whether the hydronephrosis has been resolved. Hydronephrosis occurs due to a blockage in the urinary system, often caused by inflammation, scarring, or adhesions of the ureters, or by obstructions such as stones or tumors in the urinary tract, or possibly by an enlarged prostate, leading to the inability of the bladder to properly expel urine. In summary, when the urine produced by the kidneys cannot be properly expelled from the body, it leads to the expansion of the renal pelvis and calyces, known as hydronephrosis. Drinking water at this time can certainly aggravate the condition of hydronephrosis if the body is already struggling to expel fluids. Therefore, if this blockage remains unresolved, patients should limit their intake of fluids. However, if the obstruction is cleared and the urinary tract is smooth, allowing urine to be expelled normally, drinking water is permissible.

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Written by Li Liu Sheng

Nephrology

1min 6sec

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Symptoms of hydronephrosis

Hydronephrosis itself may not have any symptoms, but when hydronephrosis significantly increases, patients can feel soreness and discomfort in the lumbar region or upper abdomen. If the hydronephrosis is caused by urinary tract stones blocking the passage, patients often experience kidney pain and visible blood in the urine; if it is caused by congenital narrowing, it is prone to be complicated by urinary tract infections, with symptoms such as chills, fever, back pain, frequent urination, urgency, and painful urination. Sometimes, hydronephrosis occurs intermittently, with the patient experiencing abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and reduced urine output during an episode. The pain disappears after a few hours, followed by the excretion of a large amount of urine. This condition is often seen in ureteral obstruction. Of course, prolonged hydronephrosis can lead to renal failure, causing symptoms such as fatigue, poor spirit, anemia, and even swelling.

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Written by Zhou Qi

Nephrology

46sec

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How is hydronephrosis treated?

The treatment of hydronephrosis often requires surgery. Decisions about diagnosis and treatment plans should be based on clinical symptoms, the duration of the obstruction, the location of the obstruction, and whether there is an infection. Since hydronephrosis is typically caused by a pathological factor that blocks the ureter, surgery is often necessary to remove the obstruction in order to address the hydronephrosis and prevent further damage to kidney function. The principle of the surgery is that if the obstruction is minor, a simple corrective surgery may suffice. However, if the dilation of the ureter and renal pelvis is very significant, a reanastomosis of the ureter and renal pelvis might be needed.