What Is A Kidney Stone
Kidney stones, also called nephrolithiasis or renal lithiasis, are deposits in the kidneys that are made up of minerals and salts. These deposits harden and crystalize, settling in various parts of the urinary tract, and while they are called kidney stones, they can affect any part of the urinary tract, including the ureters, bladder, and urethra.
Stones can form from a number of different materials, but the most common is excess calcium in the urine. In many cases, calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate stones are small and easier to pass or at least break up with treatment. Struvite stones are formed in response to an infection and can be much larger. Uric acid stones often form in people who are chronically dehydrated, and cystine stones are a hereditary concern, involving the overproduction of amino acids, which the kidneys cant excrete in those quantities.
Symptoms of kidney stones will include pain , fever, blood in the urine, excessive sweating, and feeling nauseous .
Who Gets Kidney Stones
As with UTIs, anyone can develop one or more kidney stones. However, some are more predisposed to kidney stones than others. Some of the risk factors for kidney stones are:
- History. If the patient or their family has a history of kidney stones, the patient is more likely to develop kidney stones again or as well.
- Dehydration. The concentration of sediment in urine is much higher when someone is dehydrated, making it much more likely that kidney stones will form.
- Diet. Those people who are on a high protein diet or consume large amounts of salt or sugar are more apt to have kidney stones, since this can increase the amount of calcium in the kidneys.
- Digestiveproblems or gastric surgery. Inflammatory bowel disease , gastric bypass surgery, and chronic diarrhea all compromise the bodys ability to absorb both calcium and water, both of which will lead to a higher possibility of kidney stones.
- Obesity. Science has linked high body mass index to an increase in risk for kidney stones.
Swollen Or Puffy Face
Why this happens:
Failing kidneys dont remove extra fluid, which builds up in your body causing swelling in the face.
What patients said:
My sister, her hair started to fall out, she was losing weight, but her face was really puffy, you know, and everything like that, before she found out what was going on with her.
My checks were always puffy and tight. Sometimes they would even hurt.
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What Can Be Done If The Problem Is Psychological
Feeling worried, anxious, or depressed is normal when faced with a serious loss such as kidney disease and kidney failure. These emotions can cause loss of energy and lower interest in many activities, including sex. If a sexual problem does occur, embarrassment and guilt often follow. Fear that the problem will happen again may cause the person to shy away from sexual situations. Relaxation exercises can help to control these fears. Regular physical exercise and activity help keep the mind busy and can improve physical condition and body image. If sexual problems continue, sex therapy can help. Even if the problem is psychological, some of the treatment options mentioned for physical problems may be helpful.
Preventing Urinary Tract Infections And Kidney Infections
Urinary tract infections and kidney infections can generally be prevented through similar means.
If you suffer from any symptoms of a urinary tract or kidney infection, talk to your doctor immediately. The faster you act, the more effective the treatment.
If you experience any symptoms of urinary tract infection or kidney infection, call or book online with PlushCare to set up a phone or video appointment with a top U.S. doctor today.
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Symptoms Of Urinary Tract Infections
The symptoms of a basic urinary tract infection often include:
- Dark, cloudy urine that may appear red or pink from blood
- Painful or burning urination, a condition known as dysuria
- An urgent and frequent need to urinate
- A small amount of urine when you do go to the bathroom
- Urine that smells bad
- Confusion, particularly in more elderly patients
- More intense feelings of general illness
If you are experiencing symptoms of a kidney infection seek medical attention immediately. The sooner you receive treatment the more likely you are to prevent long term damage and recover faster.
Risk Factors For Developing Utis
Some people are at greater risk than others of developing UTIs. These include:
- women sexually active women are vulnerable, in part because the urethra is only four centimetres long and bacteria have only this short distance to travel from the outside to the inside of the bladder
- people with urinary catheters such as people who are critically ill, who cant empty their own bladder
- people with diabetes changes to the immune system make a person with diabetes more vulnerable to infection
- men with prostate problems such as an enlarged prostate gland that can cause the bladder to only partially empty
- babies especially those born with physical problems of the urinary system.
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Do Kidney Stones Cause Utis
With similar symptoms in conditions, and the likelihood of suffering both at the same time, the question arises as to whether or not kidney stones cause UTIs. The answer is, yes, kidney stones can definitely cause someone to get a UTI, since they can represent a physical blockage that makes it more difficult to empty the bladder.
However, someone who has a UTI may also be causing the body to produce a kidney stone. When a patient gets a urinary tract infection, there is often excess urine sitting stagnant in the bladder, and it could even be in the kidneys, due to the swelling caused by the infection. This means that there is likely sediment buildup in both the kidneys and the bladder that is not being properly flushed out, and this can crystallize into kidney stones.
How Is Testicle Pain Normally Treated
STI testicle pain treatment STIs often cause epididymitis. Epididymitis is the inflammation of the epididymis and testes. In men aged between 14 and 35, the most common causes of the infection are the contraction of the STIs chlamydia, gonorrhoea, or syphilis. If you have epididymitis you will usually be prescribed a course of antibiotics. You should begin to feel better after a few days, but it can take up to 2 weeks to fully recover.
Managing STI testicle pain you can help to ease the pain and/or swelling by:
- wearing supportive underwear
- hold a cold pack on your groin
- taking painkillers
You should not have sex if you have chlamydia, gonorrhoea, or syphilis until at least a week after you’ve finished your full course of treatment
Treatments for non-STI causes of testicle pain:
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Uti Urinary Tract Infection
This quite common and mostly female complaint is an infection easily treated with antibiotics. A UTI is caused by a bacteria in the urethra, the bladder, ureter, or kidneys. It is usually accompanied by painful urination and a burning sensation. Women should never try to treat themselves by drinking cranberry juice thinking it will pass, as this will not clear the infection. It is imperative to see your OBGYN whenever you experience these symptoms.
Left untreated a UTI can progress to a serious kidney infection.
How Will I Know Whether Sexual Problems Are Due To Physical Or Emotional Causes
This requires a complete medical, psychological, and sexual history of you and your partner. Medicines should be reviewed for sexual side effects and changed if possible. Blood tests should include hormone levels and blood sugar levels to check for diabetes. Patients can be checked to see if nerve and blood supply to the penis are good and if they can have an erection. If no physical problem is found, an emotional cause must be considered.
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Can Sex Therapy Help
Sex therapy deals with the sexual problems of couples and individuals. The first step in sex therapy may be sexual education for the individual or couple. The therapist may assign activities to be done at home. These include communication exercises, stress reduction activities, and practicing ways of improving skills in giving and receiving enjoyable touches. Sex therapy can help with problems such as low sexual interest, trouble in reaching climax or reaching climax too soon, pain during sexual activity, and erection difficulties. Therapy also can help a person work through the effects of chronic illness on sexual functioning.
A sex therapist can be a psychiatrist, psychologist, physician, or social worker. Look for someone who is licensed and who has advanced training and experience in sexuality and sexual problems. Charges vary and may be covered partly by insurance.
Urinary Tract Infection Faqs
Q: What causes a urinary tract infection?A: Urinary tract infections are very common, especially in women, and are most often caused when bacteria from the bowel or genital region enter the body through the urethra. This can lead to an infection of the urethra, bladder, ureters or kidneys. Over 85 percent of UTIs are caused in this way.
UTIs can also be caused by viral, fungal or parasitic infections, but these are much less common causes.
Q: Can men develop a urinary tract infection?A: Yes, although they are rare in men under 50 years of age. Men are less likely than women to develop a UTI because the male urinary tract has more natural defences to infection, such as a longer urethra and further distance between the urethra and the anus.
For this reason, urinary tract infections in men are more likely to be due to a medical cause or an anatomical predisposition to UTIs.{^33]
Q: Can children develop a urinary tract infection?A: Yes, urinary tract infections are a common condition in babies, toddlers and children. In fact, it is the most common bacterial infection in children under two years of age. The usual cause of UTIs in children is similar to adults: bacteria from the anal region entering the urinary tract through the urethra. Some children may be at added risk of developing a UTI due to not having developed effective personal hygiene methods, such as wiping from front to back after using the toilet.Read more about Pediatric Urinary Tract Infection û.
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Is Sexual Intercourse Safe For Kidney Patients
Some patients and their partners may worry that sexual activity could cause the patient’s death or harm the dialysis access or transplanted kidney. No limitations need to be placed on kidney patients sexually. If sexual activity does not place pressure or tension on the access site, it will not cause damage. Fear can cause people to avoid sexual activity needlessly.
After receiving a transplant, it is important to wait until the scar has begun to heal. Once your doctor says it is all right to resume sexual activity, there is no reason to worry about damaging the transplanted kidney.
For some couples, sexual intercourse is not possible. Some may feel that sex is not as important as it once was. Activities such as touching, hugging, and kissing provide feelings of warmth and closeness even if intercourse is not involved. Professional sex therapists can recommend alternative methods.
Are There Foods I Should Avoid If I Have A Kidney Infection
There is no scientific data to suggest that avoiding any type of food while suffering from a kidney infection is harmful or beneficial. However, it is important to note that severe nausea and vomiting as well as poor appetite can occur with kidney infection. Therefore, it may be difficult to maintain adequate food and liquid requirements for patients with kidney infection, as this may lead to dehydration and worsening weakness. The treating physician may prescribe medications to treat these symptoms.
Some natural remedies for kidney and urinary tract infection, cranberry and cranberry juice, may have a role in reducing the risk of future kidney infections. This approach seems to be more useful as a preventative measure than actual treatment.
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Treatment For Utis Vs Kidney Infection Treatment
UTIs, including kidney infections, can be treated with a course of antibiotics. The type of antibiotic can depend on the type of bacteria thats causing your infection as well as how severe your infection is.
The doctor will often start you on an antibiotic that works against a wide variety of UTI-causing bacteria. If a urine culture is performed, the doctor may switch your antibiotic to one thats most effective at treating the specific bacterium thats causing your infection.
Simple UTIs can be treated with short 3- to 5-day courses of antibiotics. Treatment for kidney infections generally lasts 7 to 14 days, depending on which class of antibiotic is prescribed.
You may begin to feel better after only a few days on antibiotics. However, you should still make sure that you complete your entire treatment course as prescribed. If you do not take all of your antibiotics, the stronger bacteria may not be killed, causing your infection to persist and flare up again.
If youre pregnant, your doctor may also request a repeat urine sample following a kidney infection, even if your symptoms have resolved. This allows them to check to see whether your infection has completely cleared.
If there are still bacteria present in the sample, you may need another course of antibiotics. Persistence of bacteria can potentially harm an unborn baby.
People with severe kidney infections may need to be hospitalized. In this case, you may receive antibiotics and fluids intravenously.
How To Tell If You Have A Uti Or An Std
by CourteneyPublished on February 2, 2021Updated on August 2, 2021
It can sometimes be difficult to tell if you have a UTI or an STD . UTIs can present with symptoms that are similar to those of sexually transmitted infections, such as a burning sensation, and vice versa. In this blog, well discuss the differences between the two infections and how you can tell the difference.
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What About Kidney Stones Are They Involved Here Somehow
Sort of. A kidney stone isnt an infection, but a collection of salt and minerals that hardens and turns into a stone. While some stones may be small others can be much larger. They may stay in the kidney, or begin to move into the ureter, the tube that connects the kidney and the bladder. When this happens, kidney stones can become extremely painful.
Kidney stones can be tricky, since they may have many of the same symptoms as a UTI or a kidney infection pain when urinating, needing to urinate often, and cloudy or strong smelling urine, blood in the urine, fever, nausea or vomiting. And while stones often pass on their own, larger stones sometimes need to be broken up, or removed.
Sometimes, kidney stones can lead to a urinary tract infection or a kidney infection, so its important to get them checked out by your doctor. And, since the symptoms are so similar, getting a checkup is probably a good idea anyway just to rule out the possibility of an infection, and to make sure the stone is moving along as it should.
Treatments For Urinary And Kidney Infections
Kidney infections always require antibiotics. Dont rely on home remedies alone to take care of kidney infections.
Usually, doctors will prescribe empiric antibiotics to cover all the potential bacteria that could have caused the infection until they can target the specific bacteria based on test results. Antibiotics are usually prescribed for at least a full week.
Normally, you wont require a stay at a hospital for a kidney infection as long as you can move around and consistently keep down oral antibiotics.
However, if you exhibit severe symptoms or cannot keep down the medication due to nausea and vomiting, you may be hospitalized so that your doctor may administer antibiotics and fluids intravenously.
If the kidney infection progresses enough to create an abscess in the kidney, you may require more serious treatment. Abscesses cannot be cured with antibiotics alone. In order to drain them, doctors will perform a nephrostomy, which involves placing a tube through your back, into the kidney.
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When Does A Uti Turn Into A Kidney Infection
What happens if a UTI goes untreated? If left untreated, the E. coli or other bacteria that caused your urinary tract infection can move farther up your urinary system.
When they reach your upper urinary system , you may experience a kidney infection, medically known as pyelonephritis.
Most people seek medical help and receive treatment before they get to this point.
Most often, the bacteria involved in a kidney infection are the same that caused the initial bladder or urethral infection. In rare instances, bacteria from your skin or the environment can cause a kidney infection.
Any condition that reduces or obstructs urine flow increases your risk of contracting a kidney infection as it allows bacteria to more easily flow from the bladder, up the ureters, to the kidneys. These conditions include:
- Kidney, bladder, or ureter stones
- Masses in the abdomen or pelvis caused by cancer or other disorders
Spotting Symptoms Of A Kidney Infection
A kidney infection is not to be taken lightly, and you should never ignore the symptoms.
Left untreated, this type of infection can cause permanent damage to your kidneys and lead to other severe complications. Understanding the severity of this condition, would you be able to spot the symptoms of a kidney infection?
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