HYDRONEPHROSIS

HYDRONEPHROSIS

Overview and Facts

Hydronephrosis is a disease that primarily affects the kidneys of a person due to the swelling of one or both organs when the urine cannot be appropriately drained that results in a buildup inside the kidney.

Blockages of the ureters (the essential internal tube wherein urine flows from the bladder to the kidneys, and from the organs to the genitals for discharging) are the common cause for this disease happening to many people around the world. Additionally, if a person has inherited any form of anatomical defect, they can also contract this disease.

This disease can happen to anyone at any age, and even infants can be affected. There are also some cases wherein the diagnosis of this disease can be made during the prenatal ultrasound test.

Currently, there are two known causes of Hydronephrosis developing in one’s system. When the urinary system is functioning normally, a tube from the kidneys called ureter is used to drain urine. However, either due to urine buildup or it backing up from the ureter to the kidneys, the said disease can develop from it.

Below are the two common causes for the said disease, which are listed below:

Urinary tract blockage (partial). This commonly happens in the ureter, at the point of the kidney-ureter junction. However, there are cases wherein the blockage occurs in the bladder-ureter terminal instead, which is an uncommon occurrence. 

Vesicoureteral reflux. Usually happens when a backward flow happens, instead of the normal forward flow for urine flowage to the kidneys, coming from the bladder. This causes the organs to swell when this flow happens, instead of the other way around. 

Types and Symptoms

SYMPTOMS

There are only a few symptoms for this kind of disease, and usually does not appear until an individual has been infected with Hydronephrosis, which are listed below:

  • Experiencing body pain from the sides and the back, then going to the lower abdomen and groin
  • Problems in urinating, wherein the feeling of the need to urinate are frequent, and feeling pain while urinating
  • Nausea, along with vomiting
  • Fever
  • Failure to thrive (for infants)

Diagnosis & Medications

TREATMENT

For this disease, the procedure will largely depend on the hydronephrosis status and its diagnosis. There are some cases that surgery would be needed; however, most of the time, the disease will be treated naturally. Below is the basis for the treatment for this disease:

Mild to moderate hydronephrosis. Most doctors will most likely base their treatment during this condition of the disease via a wait-and-see process wherein the patient is observed if he/she can better on their own. Doctors may still advise patients to undergo antibiotic therapy to ensure they have a lower risk of getting urinary tract infection (UTI) as a complication of this treatment method.

Severe hydronephrosis. If this is the condition of the disease within the patient after being examined by a doctor, surgery would most be likely done as treatment to remove the blockage or as correction reflux, for the patient’s kidneys to avoid having difficulties in flushing out waste in their system due to either a severe case of hydronephrosis or hydronephrosis with refluxes.

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