Are you feeling pain on either side of your torso? If you are, this might be due to flank pain. Your flanks are the areas around the sides of your body from your upper abdomen to your back. This condition affects the lower back area causing left or right flank pain, along with some organs and muscles near the left and right flank, which can cause right or left flank pain. Flank pain can occur due to various injuries, conditions, and diseases.
Flank pain is a common problem, and most of them are treatable. This article discusses the key symptoms and causes of left and right flank pain and when you should consult a doctor for it.
What are the Causes of Flank Pain?
Flank pain can result from numerous conditions, injuries, and diseases. Let's take a look at some of the common causes of flank pain:
- Kidney problems like kidney stones or infection in the kidney and kidney abscess
- Muscle problems like muscle injuries, overuse, tension, spasm, or stress
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Spinal fractures
- Disc disease
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm
What are the Symptoms Associated With Flank Pain?
The symptoms may differ depending on the person’s medical history and degree of pain. You may have aching, dullness, cramping, or severe pain around your left or right flank. The discomfort may come and go or last for a few minutes.
Here are some other symptoms to look out for in case you are suffering from flank pain
- Blood in urine
- Extreme thirst
- Absence of sweat
When Should You Contact a Medical Professional?
You should consult a medical professional if you suffer from any of these conditions:
- Flank pain accompanied by chills, nausea, high fever, or vomiting
- Bloody or dark urine
- Diarrhea, constipation, or bloating
- Frequent flank pain
- Severe and unexplained flank pain
- Pain affects your day-to-day life
- Numbness or tingling in the legs
- Feeling the urge to urinate often
What are the Treatment Options for Flank Pain?
Treatment for flank pain mainly depends on the causes. Here are some treatment options in case of minor flank pain:
- Pain medications
- Physical therapy
- Stretching and exercises can reduce chronic pain, but discuss this with your physician before choosing an exercise regimen
- Applying ice to the affected area for 20 minutes every 2 hours can relieve the pain
For flank pain due to other conditions, these treatment options are more viable:
- Antibiotics for infections like kidney infections, pancreatitis, and UTIs
- Drink lots of fluids in case of kidney stones
- Removal or medications to dissolve kidney stones
- Medications or removal of gallstones
- Medication for liver diseases
- Kidney transplant in severe cases
- Liver transplant in severe cases
- Physical therapy or surgery for disc diseases
Preventing Flank Pain:
We are all aware that prevention is always preferable to treatment. You can avoid flank pain by doing the following:
- Drinking a minimum of eight glasses of water every day
- Exercising regularly
- Limiting your alcohol consumption
- Consume a healthy diet containing fruits, vegetables, and a lot of fluids
- Practicing safe sex
- Maintaining proper hygiene
Whether you are facing frequent flank pain or you are having severe flank pain, ignoring it is never a good idea. If your pain doesn’t subside despite applying ice or taking pain medications, seek medical help to determine if an underlying medical condition is causing the pain.
If you're having persistent left flank or right pain that isn’t going away or recurs frequently, it’s time to seek treatment. Visit 8 to 8 Urgent Care in Oceanside, CA, for effective diagnosis and treatment of flank pain. Contact our team of experts who will guide you through our new and improved self-check-in system.