Lifestyle and home remedies – To help you feel better while you recover from a kidney infection, you might:
Apply heat. Place a heating pad on your belly, back or side to ease pain. Use pain medicine. For fever or discomfort, take a pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). If you have chronic kidney disease, it’s best to avoid or limit use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Motrin IB, Advil, others). Stay hydrated. Drinking fluids will help flush bacteria from your urinary tract. Avoid coffee and alcohol until your infection has cleared. They can worsen the feeling of needing to urinate.
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What does it mean if your kidneys are hurting?
Learn about what causes kidney pain, what it feels like, where you may feel it in your body, how to tell kidney pain from back pain and when to talk to your doctor about treatment. Kidney pain can have many causes. It may be a sign of an infection, injury or another health problem, such as kidney stones,
What is the most common cause of kidney pain?
Kidney cysts. Kidney infection (pyelonephritis) Kidney stones. Polycystic kidney disease.
What do hurting kidneys feel like?
Kidney pain — also called renal pain — refers to pain from disease or injury to a kidney. You might feel kidney pain or discomfort as a dull, one-sided ache in your upper abdomen, side or back. But pain in these areas is often unrelated to your kidneys.
Should I go to ER for kidney pain?
Call your doctor for a same-day appointment if:
- You have constant, dull, one-sided pain in your back or side
- You have fever, body aches and fatigue
- You’ve had a recent urinary tract infection
Seek emergency care if you develop sudden, severe kidney pain, with or without blood in your urine.
How do I know if its my kidney that hurts?
Kidney pain is felt in your flank, which is the area on either side of your spine between the bottom of your ribcage and your hips. It usually occurs in one side of your body, but it can occur in both sides.
Is kidney pain worse when lying down?
2. Kidney Stones – The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) defines kidney stones as a small mass that can solidify in either or both kidneys. This occurs when specific minerals from the urine, such as calcium and oxalate, build up in your system. 
Many times, though, kidney stones are the cause of intense, sharp kidney pain. This is because the stone is trying to travel through the urinary tract but can get lodged, causing a roadblock that prevents urine from flowing through. This kidney pain can get worse when lying down, depending on where the stone is stuck.
The pain sometimes causes nausea and vomiting. You may also experience blood in your urine, painful urination, and even fevers. Kidney stones can be treated in a few different ways. While many times the kidney stones can pass on their own, the pain can be really intense. If you have kidney stones and you are unable to find relief in any position, including lying down, your doctor might recommend pain medication until the stone passes.
For bigger stones, a medical procedure could be necessary to break the stone up into smaller pieces so that it passes easier and less painfully.
Do kidneys hurt when dehydrated?
Severe dehydration can eventually build up waste in your kidneys, causing pain. This is why it’s important to drink an adequate amount of water for your age, weight, and level of physical activity. A person who doesn’t drink enough fluids over time may become dehydrated and eventually experience kidney pain.
What happens if you ignore kidney pain?
A kidney infection is not to be taken lightly, and you should never ignore the symptoms. Left untreated, this type of infection can cause permanent damage to your kidneys and lead to other severe complications.
