Do kidneys swell?

If you’re a human being, chances are that you’ve got kidneys. These small but mighty organs do a lot of work to keep your body functioning properly – including filtering your blood, producing urine and helping to control your blood pressure. But have you ever wondered what happens when these vital organs start to swell? Can they even DO that?

What Is Kidney Swelling?

Yes, it’s true! Kidneys can indeed swell under certain circumstances. This condition is known as renal swelling or nephromegaly (if you wanna sound fancy).

What Causes Renal Swelling?

There’s actually a variety of reasons why the kidneys might begin to grow larger than usual:

  • Kidney Stones:
    These painful calcifications can cause severe damage and inflammation in the urinary tract system leading up to the kidneys.
  • An Infection:
    Acute pyelonephritis is one example of an infection that can lead to kidney swelling if left untreated.
  • Pregnancy:
    The weight and physiological changes associated with pregnancy can also put extra strain on the kidneys.

What Are The Symptoms Of Nephromegaly?

As with most medical conditions, there are some common signs and symptoms associated with kidney swelling:

  1. Pain in the back/flank area
  2. Changes in urine production/colour
  3. Fatigue or weakness

Keep in mind though, each case may present differently so if you’re experiencing any suspicious symptoms be sure also consult a Doctor.

Depending on which underlying reason caused renal swelling one will need treatment for either their specific illness such as infections or stones or wait for post-pregnancy periods where this condition usually goes away on its own.

Treatments For Nephromegaly:

Speaking specifically about treating enlarged kidney due to An infection or stone here is what would typically happen:

1) Antibiotic Medication – When it comes to treatment for renal swelling caused by an infection, the first line of defense is usually antibiotics.

2) Pain relief + Fluids.
Pain management and hydration are added as they provide some level of support such as managing pain levels while waiting for the medication to take effect. This includes adequate fluid intake and/or over-the-counter medications

3) Surgery – In severe cases, surgery may be needed. During surgical interventions related to kidney stones removal in particular an incision takes place on one’s flank area where there’s a tube which leads up directly into your kidneys going through their ureters removing any existing stones or fragments.

How To Avoid Nephromegaly:

There are several things you can do that might keep your kidneys healthy enough so that they won’t begin to swell:

  1. Stay Hydrated – Drinking enough water ensures proper urine production whilst also reducing risks of infections.

  2. Follow A Healthy Diet + Exercise regularly & Control Blood Pressure – Formulating a balanced diet with low-salt might seem plebian but it goes miles when preventing Renal swelling or overall conditions lik Nutritional Kidney Disease (NKD).

  3. Stop smoking: Ughhh no surprise here! Smoking damages Your blood vessels increasing chances Kidneys will then get impaired & shorten its lifespan!

4.) Regular check-ups: Just like anything else regular maintenance could Catch abnormalities ahead of time- easier than after-the-fact.

So while kidney swelling isn’t something we’d wish for our worst enemies (Just kidding maybe our exs) hopefully Now you know what signs to look out for, risk factors and ways you can prevent this condition from occurring at all!