How To Diagnose Kidney Infection

Top Tips To Prevent Further Kidney Infections

Some of the things that may help include the following:

• Dont hold on to urine. Go to the toilet promptly
• Stay well hydrated and make sure you drink plenty of fluids every day
• Constipation can increase your chances of a bladder or kidney infection, so treat constipation promptly
• Empty your bladder after having sex
• Always make sure that you wipe from front to back after going to the toilet
• Avoid using feminine products such as deodorant sprays or douches in your genital area

Kimberly-Clark Australia makes no warranties or representations regarding the completeness or accuracy of the information. This information should be used only as a guide and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical or other health professional advice.

Arnold, J., McLeod, N., Thani-Gasalam, R. and Rachid, P. . RACGP – Overactive bladder syndrome management and treatment options. Racgp.org.au. Available at:.

Bladderclinic.com.au, . Overactive Bladder . Available at:.

Cherney, K. . Home Remedies for Overactive Bladder. Healthline. Available at:.

Eilber, MD, K. . What Is The Difference Between A Small Bladder And An …. EmpowHER. Available at:

Can You Prevent Kidney Infections

Prevention of urinary tract and kidney infection primarily focuses on reducing the associated risk factors. As mentioned earlier, the majority of urinary tract infections are caused by the bacteria gaining entry into the urinary system through the urethra. Therefore, personal hygiene plays an important role in preventing kidney infection.

Examples of preventative measures include:

• Emptying the bladder after sexual intercourse or wiping from front to back after going to the bathroom may significantly reduce the chance of developing kidney infection in women.
• Drinking plenty of fluids has been shown to be the single most effective measure for preventing urinary tract infections.
• In individuals with long-standing urinary catheters, routinely scheduled changing of the catheter as well as regular cleaning around the catheter’s entry into the urethra are important steps in prevention of urinary tract infections.
• If kidney stones are the predisposing factor to repeated kidney infections, the removal of the stone and preventing future stones from forming may be necessary. These individuals may be referred to a specialist for further evaluation and removal of kidney stones.
• Cranberries and cranberry juice can be beneficial in preventing kidney infections. It is important to note that cranberries may not treat an existing kidney infection, but have been found to be a simple preventive measure in addition to the other measures listed above.

How Do I Know If The Treatment Isnt Working

If the treatment isnt working, your symptoms will stay the same, get worse, or you will develop new symptoms. Call your doctor if you have a fever , chills, lower stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. You should also call your doctor if, after taking medicine for 3 days, you still have a burning feeling when you urinate. If you are pregnant, you should also call your doctor if you have any contractions.

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Seek Treatment Right Away

It is very important to get medical treatment for a kidney infection as soon as possibledo not wait for it to go away on its own. Kidney infections that are not treated soon enough can cause permanent kidney damage or can spread to other parts of your body and cause an even more serious infection, such as an infection in your blood , which can be fatal.

If you have pain, talk to your doctor about taking over-the-counter pain medicines. You can also use a heating pad to help with pain. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water.

What Is A Uti Anyway

A UTI, or urinary tract infection, happens when bacteria enters into any part of your urinary system, which includes the urethra, the bladder, the kidneys or the uterus. If not flushed out of the system, the bacteria can lead to an infection, or a UTI.

If youve ever had a UTI , you probably havent forgotten the symptoms. UTIs are very unpleasant, to say the least, and are often accompanied with one or more of the following:

• A burning sensation when urinating

• A strong urge to urinate often, usually passing only small amounts of urine at a time.

• Cloudy and/or strong smelling urine

• Pelvic pain

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What Causes Flank Pain

Pain in the flanks can result from several injuries, conditions and diseases. The most common causes of flank pain include:

• Problems in the urinary tract: Severe kidney pain can result from several types of urinary tract infections , including a kidney infection and infection of the bladder. Infections and ureteral obstructions usually cause pain as well as other symptoms, such as fever, chills, bloating, vomiting and blood in the urine . Dehydration can lead to urinary tract problems that cause flank pain.
• Back problems:Arthritis, fractures and structural problems in the spine can cause lower back pain. A herniated disk, pinched nerve and degenerative disk disease cause pain to spread to the flanks. Severe strains can lead to muscle spasms in the flank or lower back.
• Disease: Flank pain may be a sign of several types of disease, including gallbladder disease, liver disease, kidney cancer and some gastrointestinal diseases. Renal artery disease, a condition that blocks blood flow to the kidneys, can also cause flank pain.
• Shingles: A viral infection causes shingles. Symptoms of shingles include a painful rash, usually on one side of the trunk .
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm: The lower part of the aorta can swell up. If it gets too big, it can rupture . An abdominal aortic aneurysm causes pain and tenderness in the flank area.

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Cloudy Or Smelly Urine

One major difference between kidney infections and other vaginal issues is that kidney infections do not come with any discharge. So if youre experience discharge, you can rule out a kidney infection as the culprit. But you can have stinky or cloudy urine, says Leisman. Youre basically growing bacteria in there, which can sometimes create an odor or cloudiness, which is really just the bacteria and the white cells that youre seeing.

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Signs Of Kidney Disease

You’re more tired, have less energy or are having trouble concentrating. A severe decrease in kidney function can lead to a buildup of toxins and impurities in the blood. This can cause people to feel tired, weak and can make it hard to concentrate. Another complication of kidney disease is anemia, which can cause weakness and fatigue.

You’re having trouble sleeping. When the kidneys aren’t filtering properly, toxins stay in the blood rather than leaving the body through the urine. This can make it difficult to sleep. There is also a link between obesity and chronic kidney disease, and sleep apnea is more common in those with chronic kidney disease, compared with the general population.

You have dry and itchy skin. Healthy kidneys do many important jobs. They remove wastes and extra fluid from your body, help make red blood cells, help keep bones strong and work to maintain the right amount of minerals in your blood.Dry and itchy skin can be a sign of the mineral and bone disease that often accompanies advanced kidney disease, when the kidneys are no longer able to keep the right balance of minerals and nutrients in your blood.

You feel the need to urinate more often. If you feel the need to urinate more often, especially at night, this can be a sign of kidney disease. When the kidneys filters are damaged, it can cause an increase in the urge to urinate. Sometimes this can also be a sign of a urinary infection or enlarged prostate in men.

Kidney Infection In Dogs: Causes Signs & Treatment

Author Sara Ochoa

04.01.2021.

Was your dog recently diagnosed with a kidney infection? This can be very painful and potentially life-threatening. You can do many things to quickly get your dog back to their healthy and happy life and there are many ways to prevent them from developing a kidney infection.

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What Are The Clinical Signs Of Kidney Failure

Excessive thirst and urination are among the most recognizable symptoms of kidney failure in cats.

Even when the kidneys are failing enough to cause clinical signs, kidney failure may not be the obvious diagnosis. Kidney failures clinical signs are non-specific, meaning that they dont indicate a particular disease.

The clinical signs gradually worsen as kidney failure progresses.

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Burning Pain With Urination

If you want to get fancy, this is called dysuria, and its common in womens health issues like yeast infections and vaginal infections. Inflammation along the lining of the urethra can cause that sort of burning sensation when you go to the bathroom, says Leisman.

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Types Of Kidney Infection

Kidney infections can be acute or chronic.

An acute kidney infection is one that goes away after treatment.

A chronic infection comes and goes, or may never go away properly. This type of infection can damage the kidneys. It usually occurs if there is a problem that causes urine to flow backwards from the bladder and up into the kidneys.

How Will I Know If I Have A Kidney Infection

To find out if you have a kidney infection, doctors may do tests such as:

• Urine tests to look for bacteria or other signs of infection, such as white blood cells, in your urine
• Blood tests
• Imaging tests to look at your kidneys, such as an X-ray, ultrasound or CT scan
• Rectal exam for men, where the doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the anus to see if the prostate gland is enlarged and blocks the flow of urine

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When Should I Go To The Doctor

A kidney infection can develop quite quickly over a few hours or days, so dont wait to see the doctor. Any of the above symptoms of a UTI or kidney infection should trigger a visit to your doctor for a proper evaluation and diagnosis.

A doctor will analyze a sample of your urine. If you test positive for a kidney infection, youll be prescribed oral antibiotics and, in some cases, a medication that helps relieve pain with urination. If treated promptly, a kidney infection shouldnt cause serious harm.

If you experience a fever over 101°F, pain, are unable to drink or take oral medication along with some of the other symptoms, get to the nearest urgent care or ER. For more serious infections, your doctor may keep you in the hospital for observation with IV antibiotics followed by outpatient oral antibiotics.

After completing the full course of prescribed antibiotics, you should feel better. If you dont, talk to your doctor, as you may need another course of antibiotics.

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.

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Some Suggestions To Avoid A Kidney Infectionor Address The Early Warning Signs Of A Kidney Infection:

1. Drink lots of water. This helps to flush out the bad bacteria and can, in fact, clean out the urinary system. I know you have heard this before but here it is again. Drink at least eight glasses of water per day.

2. Cranberry juice is almost magical as a preventative remedy for UTIs and kidney infections. But one caution, drink pure cranberry juice or take a supplement rather than the sugar filled juices on your grocery store shelves.

3. Avoid alcohol and coffee. Yes they are tasty and help with your mood but theyrequire a great deal of extra work for the kidneys.

4. Take probiotics. They keep your bodys healthy bacteria well, healthy. Also, since antibiotics sometimes cause an unfortunate diarrhea side effect, probiotics can decrease that.

5. Use vitamin C. It is a powerful antioxidant which protects body tissues, thus promoting kidney health by preventing scarring and boosting enzymes within the kidneys.

6. Try drinking parsley juice, which is a diuretic that increases the frequency of urination, making natural antibiotics more effective. It has a very strong flavor so can be mixed with fruits in a smoothie.

7. Eat lots of apples. Their high acid content go hand in hand with the kidneys to maintain acidity in the urine, inhibiting further bacteria growth. Theiranti-inflammatory properties also help to heal an infection.

8. Epsom salt baths can ease the pain. As well they can help you to relax

13. Refrain from using scented bath products.

Can Urinary Tract Infections Be Prevented Or Avoided

There are many lifestyle choices that can help you prevent UTIs. These are some of the things you can do to protect yourself from them:

• Drink plenty of water to flush out bacteria. For some people, drinking cranberry juice may also help prevent urinary tract infections. However, if youre taking warfarin, check with your doctor before using cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections. Your doctor may need to adjust your warfarin dose or you may need to have more frequent blood tests.
• Dont hold your urine. Urinate when you feel like you need to. Some children dont go to the bathroom often enough. If your child does this, teach him or her to go to the bathroom several times each day.
• Wipe from front to back after bowel movements. Teach your child to wipe correctly.
• Urinate after having sex to help wash away bacteria.
• Use enough lubrication during sex. Try using a small amount of lubricant before sex if youre a little dry.
• If you get urinary tract infections often, you may want to avoid using a diaphragm as a birth control method. Ask your doctor about other birth control choices.
• Avoid taking or giving your child bubble baths.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing , and dress your child in loose-fitting clothing.
• If you are uncircumcised, wash the foreskin regularly. If you have an uncircumcised boy, teach him how to wash his foreskin.

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Drink Plenty Of Liquids

Drinking plenty of liquids, particularly water, will help to wash bacteria from your bladder and urinary tract.

Drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry extracts may also help prevent urinary tract infections . However, you should avoid cranberry juice or extracts if you’re taking warfarin, a medicine used to prevent blood clots. Cranberry juice can make the effects of warfarin more potent, so there’s a risk of excessive bleeding.

What Causes Kidney Infections

Most kidney infections are caused by bacteria that normally live in your large intestine. The bacteria get into your kidneys from the outside by traveling up your urinary tract:

• First, bacteria get in your urethra

• Then the bacteria travel up to your bladder

• From the bladder, bacteria can move up to your kidneys through your ureters

You’re more likely to get kidney infections:

• If something is blocking your urinary tract so it’s hard for urine to flow out

• An infection of the bloodstream

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Complementary Treatments You Can Do At Home

Some people prefer to treat medical conditions with home remedies or alternative remedies.

Because of how serious kidney infections are, its important that you dont rely on home remedies. Instead, take the prescription antibiotics a doctor gives you and use home remedies to help ease symptoms or pain. You can also use home remedies to avoid UTIs and improve kidney function.

What Are The Symptoms Of An Acute Kidney Infection

Signs and symptoms vary with age:

• Newborns: no fever but poor feeding and vomiting
• Children < 2: may have a fever , a poor appetite, vomiting and diarrhea
• Children > 2: fever, appetite changes, stomach or lower back pain, symptoms of urgency, frequency and pain with urination

If a toilet trained child is having accidents during the day or night, it may be a sign of an infection. Typically a childs urine will have a strong, foul odor, and there may be blood in the urine.

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How To Tell If You Have A Kidney Infection: Symptoms And Signs

11.May.2021

Have you ever experienced a urinary tract infection ? The burning sensation when you pee and the urge to visit the bathroom slightly more often than usual are both things that anyone who has had the infection is sure to look back on with not so fond memories. Whats important to note though, is that these symptoms are also common indicators of something more significant: a kidney infection.

According to the NHS, kidney infections are actually quite rare, with estimates suggesting that one out of every 830 people will develop a kidney infection every year in the UK . Still, knowing the common symptoms and signs of a kidney infection is crucial so you can avoid any potential complications and make sure your kidneys remain healthy and in good working order!