The cause of kidney swelling (hydronephrosis) that needs to be known

Swollen kidneys (hydronephrosis) is a condition when the kidneys fail to drain urine to the bladder, causing swelling. This is a complication due to other health problems. Therefore, it is important to know what causes kidney swelling.

Causes of the kidney swelling (hydronephrosis)

Swelling of the kidneys can happen to anyone. This condition can even be found in babies and children. So, what causes swollen kidneys?

1. Accumulation of urine

One of the main causes of swollen kidney disease is a buildup of urine. Why is that?

Reporting from the National Kidney Foundation, the main function of the urinary tract is to remove waste and fluids from the body. The urinary tract consists of four parts, namely the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.

Urine formation occurs when the kidneys filter the blood and remove excess waste and fluid. Then, the urine that has collected in the kidneys will flow into the ureters and end up in the bladder.

If the flow of urine is blocked, this condition can cause swelling of the renal pelvis, where urine collects or hydronephrosis.

2. Vesicoureteric reflux

Apart from the accumulation of urine, another cause of swollen kidneys is vesicoureteric reflux. Vesicoureteric reflux is a condition when urine flows back into the kidneys.

Generally, urine only moves in one direction. When this happens, one or both kidneys will be difficult to empty and cause swelling. Vesicoureteric reflux often occurs in children who also have urinary tract infections (UTIs).

3. Kidney stones

Patients suffering from kidney stones are also at risk for developing hydronephrosis. The cause of this one swollen kidney is because it becomes a barrier in the ureter when urine flows.

If a kidney stone blocks the urine, fluid can return to the kidneys and cause swelling. Some stones may pass on their own thanks to medication and increased fluid intake.

However, kidney stones can cause pain when they become blocked in the urinary tract.

Because of this, some patients with kidney inflammation need to undergo surgery to break up or remove kidney stones.

4. Congenital kidney disease

There are several complications that can be caused by congenital kidney disease and one of them is hydronephrosis.

As one of the causes of kidney swelling, this kidney disease affects the formation and function of the kidneys and other organs of the urinary system.

Most cases indicate that this condition can even be diagnosed before a child is born and is caused by several things, namely: renal isplasia or being born with one kidney and having a cyst in the kidney.

Thus, kidney swelling can occur due to kidney abnormalities at birth, which could be caused by genetic and environmental factors.

5. Blood clots

Blood clotting is the process when blood forms in different sizes in your body. This process, known as coagulation, is to prevent excessive bleeding when you are injured.

However, blood clots can block blood flow to important parts of the body and can lead to fatal conditions. Not only in the arteries and veins, this process also occurs in the kidneys.

Therefore, problematic blood clots can cause the kidneys to not function properly when passing urine. As a result, kidney swelling occurs.

6.Urine tract infection (UTI)

Hydronephrosis is a common complication in people with urinary tract infections (UTIs). This can occur because inflammation of the urinary tract due to a UTI causes the flow of urine to be interrupted.

Impaired urine flow can lead to reflux urine which is most often the cause of kidney swelling.

7. Pregnancy

Pregnant women are also at risk of developing hydronephrosis. The cause of this one swollen kidney can occur due to an increase in the hormone progesterone during pregnancy.

This increase in hormones has an indirect effect on the mother's ureter. As a result, the ability of the ureter muscles to keep contracting (tone) decreases and causes urine flow problems.

In most cases, this condition called prenatal hydronephrosis does not really affect the health of the fetus. For babies born with swollen kidneys, it usually gets better with time.

In fact, some of them don't need treatment to urinate normally.

However, this does not apply to severe cases. If not treated immediately, kidney swelling can lead to urinary tract infections, scarring, and permanent kidney damage.

8. Tumors and cancer

Tumors and cancer can also cause your kidneys to swell, especially those that develop in the organs around the urinary tract, such as cervical cancer and prostate cancer.

For example, this condition can develop as a result of a blockage in the renal pelvis causing swelling. Women who have cervical cancer are more at risk of developing this condition.

The reason is, kidney swelling occurs due to the development of tumors, lymph nodes, inflammation, and scar tissue in the pelvis.

Some of the health conditions above can cause kidney swelling. If you are a patient with the above health problems, you should do routine kidney examinations to avoid complications, such as kidney failure.