The Impact Of Alcohol & Drugs On The Excretory System
When you take drugs or drink alcohol, your digestive system helps to break down and metabolize these toxins. Then, the excretory system works to expel them. Commonly abused drugs can interfere with the normal functions of your digestive excretory system in specific ways.
- Cocaine can cause kidney damage and renal failure.
- Benzodiazepines can cause kidney damage through a breakdown of the muscles.
- MDMA, Molly, or ecstasy can trigger dehydration and hyperthermia, which can lead to kidney failure.
- Methamphetamine creates difficulties with kidney filtration, which can cause a buildup of toxins in the bloodstream.
- Opioids can cause muscle breakdown, kidney damage, and kidney failure.
Can Kidney Infections Be Prevented
You can reduce your chances of developing a kidney infection by keeping your bladder and urethra free from bacteria. This can include drinking plenty of fluids, keeping your genitals clean and treating any constipation.
The symptoms of a kidney infection usually develop quite quickly over a few hours or days.
Common symptoms;include:
Whats The Difference Between A Urinary Tract Infection And Bladder Infection
A urinary tract infection is a more general type of infection. There are many parts of your urinary tract. A UTI is a term for an infection that takes place throughout the urinary tract. A bladder infection, also called cystitis, is a specific infection. In this infection, bacteria makes its way into the bladder and causes inflammation.
Not all urinary tract infections become bladder infections. Preventing the spread of the infection is one of the most important reasons to treat a UTI quickly when you have symptoms. The infection can spread not only to the bladder, but also into your kidneys, which is a more complicated type of infection than a UTI.
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Can You Get A Kidney Infection By Drinking Alcohol
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Kidney Pain After Drinking Alcohol: How Worried Should You Be
The most detrimental effect of alcohol overconsumption, aside from any personal or psychological problems that arise, is the impact alcohol has on our detox organs: the liver and the kidneys. Imbibing a harmful substance like alcohol regularly overtaxes these organs with the effort of clearing out the poison, opening us up to certain risk factors associated with alcohol abuse. Heavy drinkers or those who engage in binge drinking are doing even more harm than those who drink in moderation, and alcohol abuse could lead to serious kidney problems. If you experience kidney pain after drinking alcohol, we have the information you need on the possible causes.
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Antibiotics For A Kidney Infection
Antibiotics are the main treatment for a kidney infection, and are usually the only treatment thats needed.
If your doctor strongly suspects that you have a kidney infection based on your symptoms, you may be immediately prescribed an antibiotic that targets the most common bacteria that cause kidney infections.
Once your lab test results are in, your doctor may adjust your prescription based on the exact type of bacteria causing your infection. These antibiotics may be taken by mouth or IV.
Usually, your symptoms will start to get better within a few days of starting on antibiotics. But even if you feel better, its important to take the full course of antibiotics youve been prescribed.
Depending on the specific drug you take, your course of antibiotics will typically last for 5 to 14 days. Taking the full course ensures that all bacteria causing your infection are eliminated.
Antibiotics used to treat kidney infections include:
Signs Of A Kidney Infection
What does a kidney infection feel like? According to the NIDDK, the most common kidney infections symptoms are:
Nausea
Vomiting
But depending on a persons age, they may not experience all of these kidney infection symptoms. Children younger than two may only experience high fever as a sign of kidney infections, the NIDDK says, and people older than 65 might only present with cognitive issues, like confusion, hallucinations, and disorganized speech.
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Take Green Tea Extract Or Drink Green Tea
A 2013 study in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology suggests that taking green tea extract may have an antibacterial effect on common bacteria strains known to cause UTIs.
The researchers took green tea extracts and applied them to bacterial cultures in a laboratory. Over time, they found the green tea inhibited bacterial growth.
Because the study was in a laboratory and involved samples, it is hard to know if the results would be the same in humans. However, the possibility remains that green tea could have potential health benefits when a person has a UTI.
Green tea extract is available to purchase in stores and online.
You can do some things at home to feel better while you have an infection:
- Drink plenty of fluids to flush out germs.
- Get extra rest.
- When you go to the bathroom, sit on the toilet instead of squatting over it, which can keep your bladder from completely emptying.
- Take a pain reliever with acetaminophen. Donât use aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen because these can raise your risk of kidney problems.
- Use a heating pad on your belly, back, or side.
Is Beer Good Or Bad For Your Kidneys
Despite the risks associated with alcohol consumption, there are some benefits associated with taking a beer. ;Several research studies show that drinking beer can be beneficial for kidney stones because beer causes frequent urination, thus preventing their formation.Beer also develops the volume of liquid in the patients body and forces the kidney stones to pass in the urine. Hence, some amount of beer can help in the expulsion of small sized stones.This, however, does not outweigh the dangers associated with the drink as the consumption of beer can cause kidney stones through the dehydrating effect. Moreover, beer consumption does not allow to control the stone expulsion speed which can cause urinal trauma, especially if the concretes are big. It is therefore not advisable to treat these stones with beer.
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Risk Factors For A Kidney Infection
There are a few things that can up your risk factor of contracting a kidney infection, according to the Mayo Clinic, and some you have zero control over:
-
Having avagina. The urethra, that small tube that carries urine out of your body, is shorter in people with vaginas than it is in people with penises. That makes it easier for bacteria to travel from outside your body into the bladder. Your urethra is also close to your vagina and anus, which opens you up to more chances that bacteria from one of those areas will get into your urinary tract.
-
Having something blocking your urinary tract. That can be anything that slows down the flow of urine or makes it hard for you to fully empty your bladder when you pee, like a kidney stone.
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Having a weak immune system. Having an underlying medical condition like diabetes or HIV, or using medications that tamp down on your immune system, can increase your risk.
Other potential risk factors include having damage to the nerves around your bladder, using a urinary catheter for the first time, and having a condition like vesicoureteral reflux, which causes urine to flow the wrong way, the Mayo Clinic says.
Drinking Alcohol With A Kidney Infection
Guest over a year ago
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CaroleL.over a year ago
If you have a kidney infection then you will probably be on antibiotics. This will affect there affect, an they will prob not get rid of the infection.My advice is dont;mix alcohol and antibiotics: don’t drink;anything with a kidney infection apart from water. An lots of it.
over a year ago
I must ask do you have drinking problem since you are awarethat you have kidney infection and you cant make yourself not drinking alcoholuntil it is healed? If you have problems with drinking there are variousinstitutions which can help you to solve this addiction and start a lifealcohol free.
But maybe I am overreacting and you are asking this questionjust because you have some type of party which you dont want to miss it and youare afraid that you will not stand not drinking. If this is the case my adviceis to stay home. Like CarolL has said with this type of infection you areprobably on antibiotics and you shouldnt be mixing these two.
over a year ago
In reply to nerte31065 on 2012-01-24 – click to read
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Does Alcohol Cause Utis
While alcohol cannot directly cause a UTI, alcohol abuse may raise your risk of getting a UTI, for a few different reasons.
All UTIs are caused by bacteria which irritate and inflame the bladder. Alcohol cannot create bacteria in your bladder; therefore alcohol cannot directly cause a UTI. However, alcohol use is associated with other activities that can move bacteria closer to your bladder and cause UTI, like sexual activity.;One study shows that there is an indirect relationship between alcohol use and UTI in some women because there was a relationship between alcohol use and sexual activity.
Alcohol can also harm your;immune system. Alcohol interferes with many of the different immune system cells and chemical signals. A weaker immune system makes it hard for your body to fight an infection like a UTI. Research shows that you have a higher risk of getting infections if you drink alcohol.
What Other Drinks You Have To Avoid In Uti
Apart from alcohol, certain other drinks should be avoided during urinary tract infection. These drinks either worsens the symptoms of UTI or may interact with the anti-infective therapy. These drinks include;
- Caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee worsen the symptoms of urinary tract infection. On one hand, they irritate the urinary bladder and on the other hand, they have mild diuretic action which increases the frequency of urination.
- Acidic citrus fruits may also irritate the bladder leading to worsening of symptoms. Juices of lemon, oranges, and grapefruit should be avoided in urinary tract infections. Lowering consumption of irritating liquid such as acidic liquids improves the efficacy of the urinary tract.
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Binge Drinking Alcohol And Kidney Disease
If you are a binge drinker, then you put yourself in the increasing danger of kidney disease. Binge drinking is consuming 4 to 5 plus drinks an hour. However, binge drinking floods your body with alcohol and increases BAC drastically. As a result, your kidneys cant keep up and lose their function. This damage from alcohol on your kidneys causes lasting damage.
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.
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What Does It Mean To Have A Urinary Tract Infection
The body is naturally home to a whole range of different bacteria, which play an essential role in the functioning of systems such as the inestinal tract,;but there is a balance of good and bad bacteria. In the urinary tract, its not normal to find bacteria, but sometimes, they;enter;through the opening in the urethra. Under certain circumstances,;bacteria can settle in and flourish, which leads to an infection.
Symptoms of a;urinary tract infection can be irritating most of the time, and in some circumstances, completely debilitating. They include:
- A frequent, sudden, and urgent need to urinate
- Pain and burning when peeing
- Urine that is smelly, cloudy , or discolored
- Incontinence or an inability to empty the bladder completely
- A slow or intermittent urine stream
- Pain or pressure in the pelvis, lower abdomen, or lower back and flanks
- A low grade fever
When the infection progresses into the kidneys, where there could be several complications, a person may also experience a much higher fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, and unbearable pain in the lower back.
Alcohol Use May Be The Root Cause Of Your Bladder Discomfort And Urinary Tract Infections
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If you are prone to urinary tract infections and struggle to limit your alcohol consumption<, then you may wonder if drinking too much can cause a UTI. After all, some people get UTI symptoms after drinking alcohol.
While alcohol does not directly cause UTIs, it can raise your risk of getting a UTI, as well as worsen your symptoms. Sometimes, alcohol use can even mimic the symptoms of a UTI, making you feel like you have an infection when you dont have one. Additionally, avoid alcohol use with medications that treat UTIs.
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All You Need To Know How Alcohol Affects Our Kidneys
There are far too many celebrities who have died of cirrhosis of the liver because they indulged in a glass too many of some kind of alcohol, too many times. So, it is unlikely that you are unaware of the downside of alcohol. However, do you know how alcohol can impair kidney function, which might even cause kidney failure? After all, kidneys are vital organs like the heart, lungs, liver, and eyes are. Unfortunately, alcohol is not simply so much fluid which the kidneys need to flush out.Beer flushes out kidney stones: Yes, there are many doctors who recommend drinking beer to flush out small renal calculi kidney stones in lay parlance but that does not mean you go on a drinking binge under the pretext that it is good for your kidney stones. In fact, there is a marked relation between heavy drinking, and the probability of getting kidney stones. So, first you should understand what kidney function entails.;
Why Does Alcohol Make My Bladder Hurt
Alcohol use can make your bladder hurt even if you do not have a UTI. The pain occurs because alcohol is highly acidic. In turn, the acid can irritate your bladder lining. The bladder irritation from alcohol is similar to how you may feel when you have a UTI, so it is easy to confuse the two feelings. One study shows that lowering your intake of irritating beverages like alcohol may improve your urinary health.
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Causes Of Kidney Infection
Charmaine, Facty Staff
A kidney infection is when bacteria has entered one or both of the kidneys, most likely from the urinary tract or bladder. Generally, the bacteria E. coli which typically live in your bowel where they’re harmless.;However, if the bacteria gets transferred from your behind to your urethra during sex or after using the bathroom, you can end up with a kidney infection.;The symptoms of a kidney infection include fever and chills, a feeling of fatigue, loss of appetite, lower back or groin pain, upset stomach, and blood in your urine.;The entire urinary system is sensitive to germs and bacteria, which can ultimately lead to infection. There are many causes of a kidney infection.
Can Drinking Alcohol Cause A Uti
Drinking alcohol does not directly cause urinary tract infections, but it may increase the risk of a UTI occurring for several reasons.
Alcohol can cause the function of the immune system to decrease, which makes it more difficult to fight UTI-causing bacteria if they are introduced to the urinary tract. Infections, in general, are more frequent in people who use alcohol compared with those who do not.
Frequent sexual activity and increased number of sexual partners increases the risk of UTI development. One study showed that alcohol use was correlated with both of these factors in college-aged women.
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Utis And Alcohol Consumption: What Is The Link
Because urinary tract infections;are often caused at least partially by dehydration, it may seem intuitive that alcohol should be avoided when one has developed. Alcohol is a diuretic, which keeps the body drained of fluid, and this can further exacerbate the symptoms and severity;of a UTI. However, what most people dont realize is that alcohol consumption can actually cause the UTI in the first place.
This is because alcohol is:
While a drink now and then isnt going to create a harmful environment in the body, even a couple of drinks can cause problems for someone already prone to UTIs, and heavy alcohol consumption, or drinking on a regular basis, can lead to frequent infections.