Hydronephrosis - Symptoms of hydronephrosis

The symptoms of hydronephrosis will depend on whether the urine blockage occurred quickly (acute hydronephrosis) or gradually (chronic hydronephrosis).

If the blockage forms quickly – for example, as a result of a kidney stone, your symptoms will develop over the course of a few hours. If the blockage develops gradually, over a period of weeks or months, you may experience few or no symptoms.

Your symptoms can also be more severe depending on where the problem is, the length of time that the flow of urine remains blocked and how much your kidney has been stretched.

Acute hydronephrosis

The most common symptom of acute hydronephrosis is a severe pain in your back or side, between your ribs and hip. The pain will be on the side of the affected kidney or on both sides if both kidneys are affected. In some cases, the pain may travel towards the testicles (in men) or vagina (in women).

The pain usually comes and goes and is often worse when drinking fluid. As well as pain, you may also experience nausea and vomiting.

If the urine inside your kidney becomes infected, you will also have symptoms of a kidney infection, such as:

a high temperature (fever) of 38^oC (100.4^oF) or above
uncontrollable shivering

If the blockage of urine has been caused by a kidney stone, you may notice the presence of blood in your urine. In severe cases of hydronephrosis, one or both of your kidneys may be noticeably swollen to the touch.

Chronic hydronephrosis

If your hydronephrosis is caused by a blockage that develops over a long period of time, you may experience:

the same symptoms as acute hydronephrosis (see above)
no symptoms at all
a dull ache in your side that comes and goes

You might also urinate less often than you used to.

When to seek medical advice

Always contact your GP if you:

develop a severe and persistent pain
have symptoms, such as a high temperature, which suggest that you may have an infection
notice a uncharacteristic change in how often you urinate