What is a Bruised Kidney?
A bruised kidney is a condition where the kidney suffers from contusion due to trauma, injury or any accident. A bruised kidney is caused by a direct forceful impact to the lower back region. This is commonly seen in car accidents, a fall or when being kicked in the back during a brawl.
People who are involved in a car accident can suffer from different types of injuries. In some cases, these injuries may not be visible and it would be an internal injury. Bruised kidney, also known as kidney contusion, is a type of internal injury, which cannot be visibly seen. Just like you get bruises on your skin or bone from an injury or a hard impact, your kidney can also develop bruises from a hard force due to which there is development of hematoma on the kidney. A bruised kidney should not be ignored as it can be a potentially serious condition.
What are the Causes of Bruised Kidney?
Common cause of a bruised kidney is a direct forceful impact to the lower back region which causes kidney contusion. This is commonly seen in motor vehicle accidents, contact sports, a fall or during a fight with someone, which can result in being kicked on the lower back.
What are the Symptoms of Bruised Kidney?
A bruised kidney can produce different symptoms depending on the severity of the cause of injury. A commonest symptom of a bruised kidney is pain in the location of the kidney. The pain from a bruised kidney can be a dull ache or it can be an acute pain. Pain is felt on the side of the injured kidney. Patient also has tenderness along with pain. Hematuria is another symptom, which develops when there is kidney contusion or a bruised kidney. Hematuria is nothing, but blood in urine and can occur depending on the degree of the bruised kidney. Patient can also experience nausea and vomiting when suffering from a bruised kidney. A bruised kidney can also cause back muscles spasms. Patient can also have pain in the abdomen with a bruised kidney.
How to Diagnose a Bruised Kidney?
Based on the patient’s medical history and symptoms, the doctor will conduct few tests to confirm the diagnosis of bruised kidney. The tests done for a bruised kidney are x-ray, CT scan, and MRI scan to check for internal bleeding, the extent of injury and to look for injuries to other organs also.
What is the Treatment for a Bruised Kidney?
If it’s a case of a simple kidney contusion, the kidney often heals on its own within a week without any permanent damage. The patient is monitored closely in the meantime and also needs to rest during the healing of a bruised kidney.
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