What is hydronephrosis?

Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
Updated on September 10, 2024
00:00
00:00

The so-called hydronephrosis is a morphological description, referring to an obstruction in the urinary system caused by various reasons. After the kidneys produce urine, it cannot be normally delivered to the bladder. This leads to fluid accumulation in the renal pelvis and calyces, which can be detected through imaging as hydronephrosis. The causes of hydronephrosis are numerous. The most common cause is acquired obstruction, primarily due to urinary system stones, scarring from injuries, or tumors in the urinary system compressing the ureter, which often results in urinary tract obstruction. In addition, some congenital causes can also lead to urinary tract obstruction. Examples include segmental dysfunction of the ureter, intrinsic stenosis of the ureter, and twisting of the ureter. However, these congenital obstruction causes are relatively rare.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
48sec home-news-image

What tea to drink for hydronephrosis

Before hydronephrosis is adequately treated and before the obstruction in the urinary system is resolved, in areas such as the renal pelvis and calyces where there is fluid accumulation, it is advised that patients should not drink tea and should try to reduce their fluid intake. This is because the fluids cannot be excreted through the kidneys, and drinking large amounts of water at this time could worsen the obstruction and may also lead to edema. Therefore, patients are advised not to drink tea until the hydronephrosis is resolved. Once the causes of urinary tract obstruction, such as urinary system stones or tumors, have been removed, patients can increase their water intake, but it is still recommended not to drink tea because tea contains considerable amounts of oxalate, which can lead to the recurrence of kidney stones.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
46sec home-news-image

How is hydronephrosis treated?

The treatment of hydronephrosis often requires surgery. Decisions about diagnosis and treatment plans should be based on clinical symptoms, the duration of the obstruction, the location of the obstruction, and whether there is an infection. Since hydronephrosis is typically caused by a pathological factor that blocks the ureter, surgery is often necessary to remove the obstruction in order to address the hydronephrosis and prevent further damage to kidney function. The principle of the surgery is that if the obstruction is minor, a simple corrective surgery may suffice. However, if the dilation of the ureter and renal pelvis is very significant, a reanastomosis of the ureter and renal pelvis might be needed.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
47sec home-news-image

Will hydronephrosis cause facial swelling?

In cases of hydronephrosis, it is not certain whether facial swelling will occur. Since the human body has two kidneys, the kidneys have strong compensatory capabilities. Even if one kidney is completely damaged, if the other kidney remains healthy, the remaining kidney can still perform the function of two kidneys. It can ensure sufficient excretion of water and metabolic waste. When water is sufficiently excreted, swelling should not occur. However, if both kidneys are affected by hydronephrosis, or if the opposite kidney also has problems, then the ability of the kidneys to excrete water may decrease. With both kidneys having issues, it can lead to poor and insufficient water excretion, consequently causing swelling, such as bilateral eyelids, facial areas, and both ankles.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Feng
Urology
54sec home-news-image

What foods can be eaten with hydronephrosis?

Patients with hydronephrosis should pay attention to a light diet, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, avoid spicy and stimulating foods, and consume less high-salt foods, while also abstaining from alcohol. Besides controlling their diet, patients with hydronephrosis should also actively search for the underlying causes of the condition. Common causes of hydronephrosis in clinical practice include urinary tract stones or prostate hyperplasia, mainly due to obstructions in the ureter or urethra, preventing the urine produced by the kidneys from being excreted, which then leads to hydronephrosis. Once the cause of the urinary obstruction is identified, it is necessary to actively treat the underlying cause to restore the patency of the urinary tract. After the condition improves, it is also important to drink more water and urinate frequently to maintain health.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
55sec home-news-image

Is hydronephrosis serious?

Whether the condition of hydronephrosis is serious depends on various factors such as the duration of hydronephrosis, the cause, the extent of fluid accumulation, and more. For example, some patients may have mild hydronephrosis in only one kidney and it may have developed recently; generally, this condition is not very serious. Some patients might have urinary obstructions caused by urinary system stones, and the issue could be resolved using extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or surgical stone removal, making the condition not serious. However, in some cases, the cause could be bladder cancer or a tumor near the urinary system compressing the ureter, and if the tumor is difficult to remove, the hydronephrosis might be hard to manage. Long-term fluid accumulation might lead to kidney failure, and these scenarios are considered quite serious.