If suddenly pains begin to disturb the right side under the ribs in the back, the person does not always understand which doctor he needs to contact. People who are not versed in medicine usually associate the occurrence of this alarming symptom with kidney pathology. But practice shows that in many cases, painful manifestations on the right side of the back are provoked by other equally serious diseases. Let's see what ailments may be responsible for the occurrence of the above symptom.
Pain localized in the right hypochondrium from the back has many causes. In addition to the kidney, the gall bladder, intestines, pancreas, and lung are located in this area. Malfunctions in the work of any of the listed organs can manifest as discomfort in the lower back. Also, pains to the right, extending to the back, are often associated with problems with the nervous system, spine and pelvic organs.
What to do if your back hurts?
You can see that the discomfort in the right hypochondrium is serious. When it occurs, a person should make an appointment with the doctor as soon as possible. The specialist will refer the patient to tests and examinations and only after that will give him an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Waiting for the pain to subside on its own, or self-medicating in this case is strictly contraindicated, because such actions can lead to poor health.
So how do you determine which doctor to go to? To do this, you need to listen to yourself. The pains on the right under the ribs in the back are distinguished by localization, degree of intensity and periodicity. They can be permanent or occur from time to time, be sharp, dull or aching, focus at one point or spread over a large area. Depending on the type and location of pain, preliminary conclusions can be made about which organ can provoke them.
Pyelonephritis
Pain in the sides under the ribs in the lower back is a sign of chronic or acute pyelonephritis. In the case when the unpleasant sensations of a person are disturbed only on the right, the pathology of the kidney located on this side should be excluded.
The acute course of pyelonephritis is accompanied by constant dull aching pains in the side, which are aggravated by tapping the lower rib in the back from the side of the affected kidney. In addition to painful sensations, the disease is accompanied by fever, chills, frequent urination, the appearance of edema, a general loss of strength, nausea, and vomiting. In the absence of treatment, lower back pain in a person will increase, and health will worsen. In advanced forms, the disease can lead to serious consequences.
For chronic right-sided pyelonephritis, a mild aching pain is characteristic, which becomes more intense with hypothermia of the body. Signs of the disease, in addition to discomfort in the lower back, are also a slight increase in body temperature and frequent urination. If, in addition to pain under the right hypochondrium, a person has other symptoms characteristic of acute or chronic pyelonephritis, he should immediately see a urologist.
Urolithiasis disease
A urologist should be visited if there is a suspicion of urolithiasis. With it, the pain on the right under the ribs in the back worries the patient if he has kidney stones on the affected side. Unpleasant sensations in the lumbar region can be of varying degrees of intensity. They depend on the size of the stone and its position in the urinary tract. Most often, with a sickness of the patient, dull pains are aggravated, which intensify with fast walking, running, riding in transport, as well as with the use of a large amount of fluid. They can be both permanent and occurring from time to time. The constant companion of the disease is painful, difficult urination: the lower the stone in the ureter, the more pronounced the discomfort.
Liver problems
If the back hurts under the ribs, it is necessary to exclude diseases of the digestive tract. On the right side are the gall bladder, pancreas and liver. The inflammatory process in any of these organs is manifested by pain radiating both to the abdomen and to the back. If there is a malfunction in the digestive tract, a person needs to visit a gastroenterologist.
Prolonged aching pain, extending to the back on the right, should be the reason for the examination of the liver. With diseases of this organ, unpleasant sensations increase with physical exertion and become weaker at rest. With hepatic ailments, pain in the right lower back is aggravated after eating fatty, spicy foods and alcohol. In addition to it, pathological processes in the organ are indicated by nausea, heartburn, belching, fatigue, poor appetite, bitterness in the mouth. Often, liver diseases are accompanied by yellowing of the skin.
Gallstone disease and cholecystitis
Acute pains on the right under the ribs in the back and front can indicate an attack of gallstone disease and require immediate medical attention. An exacerbation occurs due to a blockage in the bile duct stone and often the only way to treat the disease is surgery. Pain during an attack can radiate to the right shoulder, shoulder blade, and neck. Sometimes it spreads to the heart, causing angina pectoris. The accompanying symptoms of an attack of gallstone disease are fever, discoloration of feces, and yellowing of the skin. Provoke an exacerbation of the disease can abuse of fatty and spicy foods, physical activity.
If the right hypochondrium hurts for several days and this symptom is accompanied by a fever, nausea, vomiting, constipation, flatulence and muscle tension in the abdominal cavity, then the doctors first rule out an attack of acute cholecystitis. This ailment is characterized by constant aching pains of moderate intensity, which are sometimes accompanied by a feeling of heaviness and burning. Attacks of cholecystitis in the vast majority of cases occur in people suffering from gallstone disease.
Pancreatitis
Intense exhausting pains radiating under the ribs (or under one of them), to the lower back and the area of the shoulder blade, can occur with inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). But not all people have the disease manifested only by unpleasant sensations in the described parts of the body. Often during an exacerbation of an ailment, the patient is tormented by girdle pains that immediately cover the stomach and back. They are accompanied by chills, severe vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, fever and general breakdown. Pain during an attack of pancreatitis lasts up to several days and subsides only after a person begins to take the drugs prescribed by a gastroenterologist, so you should not postpone a visit to him. The severe course of the disease requires urgent hospitalization.
Inflammation of the appendix
Pain on the right under the ribs in the back can provoke appendicitis. Inflammation of the appendix is characterized by a constant, mild, dull pain, aggravated by movement. Its localization is the right side, but at the beginning of an attack it can occur in the navel, in the back under the rib or cover the entire abdomen. In addition to painful sensations, appendicitis is also manifested by fever, loss of appetite, nausea, single vomiting, loose stools, and an increase in heart rate. If a person has the described symptoms, he needs to urgently call an ambulance. Any delay can result in peritonitis and death.
Lung diseases
Constant or periodically occurring aching pain under the right scapula may indicate pathological processes in the lung located on the affected side. It can be pneumonia, pleurisy, and even a malignant tumor. With these diseases, back pain on the right is accompanied by a strong cough with poorly separated sputum, weakness, fever. If a person is concerned about such symptoms, he needs to see a therapist or pulmonologist.
Spinal problems
Very severe pain in the right lower back occurs due to lumbar intervertebral hernia. They can spread from the focus of inflammation to the popliteal region, lower leg, on the back of the thigh. Often with a disease, people complain of numbness in certain areas of the lower extremities, tingling and burning in the toes, paresis. The pain when walking is aggravated, and when lying down becomes more tolerant. An intervertebral hernia of the lumbar region is treated by an orthopedic surgeon.
Painful sensations of varying degrees of intensity in the right hypochondrium can occur with injuries of the spinal column during falls. If within 1-2 days after the incident a person does not feel better, he needs to consult a surgeon and exclude the possibility of damage to internal organs.
Other reasons
Acute or pulling pain with tingling under the right rib may occur as a result of psychosomatic illnesses. Usually it occurs periodically and does not last long. In this case, a neuropathologist or psychiatrist will help a person get rid of pain.
Culprits of the occurrence of discomfort in the lower right side of the back can be diseases of the urinary system. With them, unpleasant sensations do not pass and do not decrease, even if a person is stationary. Women should take into account that the pains concentrated under the right rib are a sign of a number of gynecological diseases. For their diagnosis, you must contact the antenatal clinic.
But not always pulling pain in the lower back indicates health problems. If it occurs after night, and then disappears without a trace, then its cause is an uncomfortable bed. In this case, the person just needs to change the mattress.
For pain in the lower right back, it is strictly forbidden to diagnose yourself and take medications that have not been prescribed by a doctor. You can not apply a heating pad, even if its heat makes it easier for a person. It is important to remember that in the right hypochondrium there are vital organs, therefore, with any complaints of pain in this area, it is urgent to see a doctor. Only the right treatment approach will help the patient become healthy.