Whatis hydronephrosis?Hydronephrosis the term doctors use for swelling of 1 or bothkidneys. The kidneys are organs in the urinary tract that make urine . Eachkidney has 2 parts:●A part that filters blood and removes waste and excess salt andwater●A part that collects urineInhydronephrosis, the part of the kidney that collects urine gets too much urinein it. This makes it swell and get bigger than normal.Whatcauses hydronephrosis?Hydronephrosis happens when the urinarytract gets blocked. Then, the urine can't drain, and it backs up into thekidney. Different conditions can cause a blockage in the urinary tract.Inadults, the most common causes of a blockage are:●Benign prostatic hyperplasia ("BPH") – This is themedical term for an enlarged prostate. The prostate is an organ that surroundsthe urethra in males . The urethra is the tube that urine goes through beforeleaving the body.●Cancer of the prostate, or cancer of other organs in the lowerbelly – Cancer growths can push on the urinary tract and block the flow ofurine.●"Stones" in the urinary tract – Stones can form fromthe salts and minerals that are normally in the urine. These stones can blockthe urinary tract.Blockagescan happen suddenly or slowly over time. They can affect 1 or both kidneys.Whatare the symptoms of hydronephrosis?Some people have nosymptoms, especially if the blockage happened slowly over time. They might findout that they have hydronephrosis when their doctor does a test for anotherreason.Whenpeople do have symptoms, they usually include:●Pain – People can have pain in their lower belly, genital area,sides, or lower back.●Changes in urination – Hydronephrosis usually makes peopleurinate less than usual. But this doesn't always happen.Peoplecan have other symptoms, too, depending on what is causing the blockage. Forexample, if the hydronephrosis is caused by BPH, symptoms might include:●Needing to urinate often●Having trouble starting to urinate●Having a weak urine stream, or leaking or dribbling urine●Feeling as though the bladder is not empty after urinatingShouldI call my doctor or nurse?Yes. If you have the symptoms listedabove, call your doctor or nurse. If you are not able to urinate at all, callthem right away.WillI need tests?Yes. Your doctor or nurse will ask about your symptoms and do anexam. They will also do tests to check for the cause of your hydronephrosis andsee how serious your condition is.Testscan include:●Blood tests●Urine tests●Imaging tests – Imaging tests create pictures of the inside ofthe body.Howis hydronephrosis treated?You might not need any treatment if youhave no symptoms, your blood test results are normal, and your kidneys areworking normally.Ifyou do need treatment, it will depend on your situation:●To help urine drain, your doctor might put tubes in differentparts of your urinary tract.●If your blockage has caused an infection in your urinary tract,your doctor will prescribe antibiotics.●Your doctor will also remove the blockage in your urinary tract.How they do this will depend on what is causing the blockage. For example, BPHthat causes hydronephrosis is usually treated with surgery to remove some ofthe prostate or shrink the prostate.●If cancer is causing your hydronephrosis, your doctor will talkwith you about your treatment options. Cancer can be treated in different ways,depending on the type of cancer.●Stones in the urinary tract can be treated with:•A machine that uses sound waves to break up the stones•Surgery to remove the stones•Ureteroscopy – For this procedure, a doctor puts a thin tubeinto your urethra. The tube has special tools on the end that can break up orremove the stones.