Who Is More Likely To Develop A Kidney Infection
You are more likely to develop a kidney infection if you 4):
- Are a woman
- have a urinary tract infection in the bladder.
- had a urinary tract infection during the past 12 months.
- are pregnant. Scientists think that hormonal changes and shifts in the position of the urinary tract during pregnancy make it easier for bacteria to travel to the kidneys and cause infection.
- have a problem in your urinary tract that blocks or changes the normal flow of urine. The flow of urine may be blocked if you have a defect in the structure of your urinary tract, such as a narrowed urethra, an enlarged prostate, or a kidney stone.
- have vesicoureteral reflux, which is when urine can back up, or reflux, into one or both kidneys. Health care professionals most commonly diagnose vesicoureteral reflux in children 5).
- have diabetes or problems with your bodys immune, or natural defense, system.
- have a spinal cord injury or nerve damage around the bladder.
- have trouble emptying your bladder completely, called urinary retention.
- using a urinary catheter for a time. Urinary catheters are tubes used to drain urine from the bladder. You might have a catheter placed during and after some surgical procedures and diagnostic tests. You might use one continuously if youre confined to a bed.
How Can Parents Help
At home, these things can help prevent recurrent UTIs in kids:
Drinking Fluids Encourage kids to drink 810 glasses of water and other fluids each day. Cranberry juice and cranberry extract are often suggested because they may prevent E. coli from attaching to the walls of the bladder. Always ask your doctor, though, if your child should drink cranberry juice or cranberry extract, because they can affect some medicines.
Good Bathroom Habits Peeing often and preventing constipation can help to prevent recurrent infections.
No Bubble Baths Kids should avoid bubble baths and perfumed soaps because they can irritate the urethra.
Frequent Diaper Changes Kids in diapers should be changed often. If poop stays in the genital area for a long time, it can lead to bacteria moving up the urethra and into the bladder.
Proper Wiping Girls should wipe from front to back after using the toilet to reduce exposure of the urethra to UTI-causing bacteria in poop.
Cotton Underwear Breathable cotton underwear is less likely to encourage bacterial growth near the urethra than nylon or other fabrics.
Regular Bathroom Visits Some kids may not like to use the school bathroom or may become so engrossed in a project that they delay peeing. Kids with UTIs should pee at least every 3 to 4 hours to help flush bacteria from the urinary tract.
How To Prevent A Kidney Infection
You can lower your risk of a kidney infection by taking steps to prevent UTIs, and by treating them right away if they occur.
You can lower your risk of a kidney infection by taking steps to prevent UTIs, and by treating them right away if they occur.
Kidney infections usually happen when a urinary tract infection develops in your lower urinary tract your urethra and bladder then spreads to your kidneys.
Most UTIs occur when bacteria in your digestive tract, usually E. coli, enter your urethra, the tube through which urine exits your body. From there, it can enter and infect your bladder.
Usually, potentially harmful bacteria are flushed out of your urethra and bladder by urine, and no infection occurs. But for a number of reasons, sometimes this flushing isnt effective, and a UTI develops.
If you experience symptoms of a UTI, seeking prompt evaluation and treatment can help prevent your infection from spreading to your kidneys.
You can also take a number of steps to prevent a UTI from developing in the first place, from drinking lots of water to ensuring proper hygiene in your urethral area.
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Causes Of Kidney Infections
A kidney infection happens when bacteria infects your kidneys. The bacteria are usually a type called E. coli, which live in your bowel.
The bacteria get in through the opening of the urethra and move upwards through your urinary tract, first infecting your bladder and then your kidneys.
It’s thought the bacteria can get into your urinary tract by accidentally spreading from your anus to your urethra. This can happen if you wipe your bottom after going to the toilet and the soiled toilet paper comes into contact with your genitals. It can also happen during sex.
In rare cases, a kidney infection can develop if bacteria or fungi infect the skin and the infection spreads through your bloodstream into your kidney. However, this type of infection usually only occurs in people with weakened immune systems.
How To Treat Kidney Infection Naturally At Home 15 Tips
The kidney is the important organ in our body, which helps your body flush out the toxin and waste product from your body through urine. Moreover, it also does other functions such as regulating other parts of your body, maintaining the acidity, producing urine, filtering the blood. However, sometimes the kidney is infected and cannot function well and properly. If kidney infection is not treated soon, it can lead to kidney failure and some other life-threatening problems. In this article, it is time for me to introduce to you some effective home remedies and natural techniques on how to treat kidney infection naturally at home.
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Nutrition: Great Foods For Getting Vitamins A To K In Your Diet
You are what you eat
The foods you eat do more than fill your belly they also give your body the nutrients it needs to thrive. What you eat can affect how you feel today as well as how you feel years from now.
Some foods can deplete your energy, impair your digestive system, and raise your risk of health problems. Other foods fuel your bodys natural disease-fighting abilities. Click through the slideshow to learn about high-vitamin foods that can help you get the nutrition you need.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble nutrient. It helps your body form healthy teeth, bones, soft tissues, and skin. It can also help you ward off bacterial and viral infections, prevent night blindness, and keep your hair and nails healthy.
Foods that are particularly high in vitamin A include:
- carrots
- spinach, kale, and collard greens
Some spices are also high in vitamin A, including paprika, red pepper, cayenne, and chili powder.
Vitamins B-6, B-12, and B-9 are essential for proper nerve function, the synthesis of DNA, and the formation of red blood cells in your body. They also help maintain your brain function, prevent anemia, and support metabolism.
Foods that are particularly high in vitamins B-6 and B-12 include:
- meat, poultry, and fish
- seafood, including mussels and oysters
- eggs
- milk
Foods that are particularly high in B-9, or folic acid, include leafy green vegetables and poultry. Some breakfast cereals, fruit juices, and other products are fortified with folic acid.
Avoid Holding Your Pee
Avoid holding in your urine, as this can encourage bacterial growth. Try not to wait more than 3 to 4 hours to pee, and completely empty your bladder each time.
This is even more important if youre pregnant as pregnancy puts you at an increased risk for a UTI. Holding your pee can further increase the risk.
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How Can I Make Sure My Kidney Infection Is Completely Gone
If you recently had a kidney infection, the health care professional will often repeat urine cultures after your treatment ends to make sure your infection has completely gone away and has not come back. If a repeat test shows infection, you may take another round of antibiotics. If your infection comes back again, he or she may prescribe antibiotics for a longer time period.
If your health care professional prescribes antibiotics, take all of the antibiotics as prescribed and follow the advice of the health care professional. Even if you start to feel better, you should finish all of your medicine.
Preventing A Uti In The First Place
Because most kidney infections begin as UTIs that affect your urethra and bladder, preventing a UTI in the first place can help prevent kidney infections.
While scientists are still learning about all the factors that contribute to UTIs, the following steps can help you avoid an infection:
Drink lots of water. Liquids that you drink turn into urine, which flushes harmful bacteria out of your urinary tract. Water is the best fluid to drink for healthy urination, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Most healthy people should drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. You may need more than this, though, if the weather is hot or if youre physically active and sweat a lot.
If you cant drink this much water because of a health condition, like bladder control problems, kidney disease, or heart disease, talk to your doctor about how to make sure you stay hydrated and are urinating enough to keep your urinary tract healthy.
Wipe from front to back. For women, wiping from front to back after using the toilet helps ensure that bacteria from your anal region dont enter your urethra.
While this is a good practice to follow after urinating, its especially important if youve had a bowel movement.
Urinate when you feel the urge. Holding it for long periods means that your urine sits in place longer, which raises the risk of an infection developing.
- Diaphragms
- Unlubricated condoms
- Spermicides
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Effective Home Remedies For Kidney Infection
A kidney infection is a bacterial infection that occurs in one or both of your kidneys. Also known as pyelonephritis or renal infection, it starts as a bladder infection or urinary tract infection that eventually affects your kidneys.
Kidney infection happens when a bacteria called Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli, attacks the lower part of your urinary tract and then spreads to the upper section.
This is a serious medical condition and requires immediate treatment. Some home remedies for kidney infection may also help reduce the symptoms.
Remember, these natural remedies are the complementary treatment that may help you to get rid of the pain and discomfort. You need to seek medical attention if the condition becomes severe.
This article looks into some natural home remedies that may help soothe the symptoms of kidney infection.
Drink Lots Of Liquid Especially Water
Liquids can help flush bacteria from the urinary system. Water is best. Most healthy people should try to drink six to eight, 8-ounce glasses of liquid each day. If you need to drink less water because of other health conditions, such as bladder control problems, kidney failure or heart disease, ask your health care provider how much liquid is healthy for you.
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How Are Recurrent Utis Treated
Treatment for recurrent UTIs depends on what’s causing them. Sometimes the answer is as simple as teaching a child to empty their bladder as soon as they have the urge to go.
If a condition like VUR is causing the infections, the solution is a bit more complicated. Kids with VUR must be watched closely, because it can lead to kidney infection and kidney damage. Most kids outgrow the condition. Some might need surgery to correct the reflux.
Some kids with VUR benefit from daily treatment with a small amount of antibiotics, which can also make surgery unnecessary. Kids with VUR should see a pediatric urologist, who can decide if antibiotic treatment is the best option.
In some cases, surgery is needed to correct VUR. The most common procedure is ureteral reimplantation, in which one or both of the ureters are repositioned to correct the backflow of urine from the bladder. This procedure requires only a small incision and, in some children, can be done using robotic-assisted laparoscopy. When surgery is necessary, the success rate is high, but not everyone is a good candidate for it.
Kids may be candidates for ureteral reimplantation if they:
- have an intolerance to antibiotics
- get recurrent infections while on antibiotic treatment
- have severe, or “high-grade,” reflux
- are older kids and teens with reflux
Calcium Is Not The Enemy
But it tends to get a bad rap! Most likely due to its name and composition, many are under the impression that calcium is the main culprit in calcium-oxalate stones. “I still see patients who wonder why they are getting recurring stones despite cutting down on their calcium intake,” said Dr. Jhagroo. “I’ve even had patients say that their doctors told them to reduce their calcium intake.” A diet low in calcium actually increases one’s risk of developing kidney stones.
Don’t reduce the calcium. Work to cut back on the sodium in your diet and to pair calcium-rich foods with oxalate-rich foods.
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Causes Of Kidney Infection
A kidney infection usually happens when bacteria, often a type called E. coli, get into the tube that carries urine out of your body .
The bacteria travel up to your bladder, causing cystitis, and then up into your kidneys.
E. coli bacteria normally live in your bowel, where they cause no harm.
They can be transferred from your bottom to your genitals during sex or if you’re not careful when wiping your bottom after going to the loo.
A kidney infection can sometimes develop without a bladder infection. For example, if you have a problem with your kidney, such as kidney stones, or if you have diabetes or a weakened immune system.
Booster Shots Protect Against Symptomatic Omicron Infection For About 10 Weeks Study Finds Which Could Mean More Doses For Some In 2022
- Booster protection against symptomatic COVID-19 caused by Omicron lasts about 10 weeks, data shows.
- It may mean fourth doses in 2022 depending on whether protection holds against severe COVID-19.
- Immunocompromised Americans can already get an extra shot.
Booster protection against symptomatic illness caused by the Omicron variant dropped by up to 25% within 10 weeks, new real-world data found though it’s not yet clear whether everyone may need further doses in 2022.
The UK Health Security Agency said protection against symptomatic COVID-19 caused by the variant dropped from 70% to 45% after a Pfizer booster for those initially vaccinated with the shot developed by Pfizer with BioNTech.
In the same analysis published on Thursday, the agency found the effectiveness of Moderna’s booster paired with two doses of the Pfizer vaccine held at 70% to 75% for up to nine weeks, though not many people in the study received this regimen, which could affect the accuracy of the finding.
For those fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca’s vaccine, booster effectiveness dropped from 60% to 35% with a Pfizer booster and to 45% with a Moderna booster after 10 weeks, the UKHSA said.
Eric Topol, the director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, tweeted on Thursday that the UK findings were a “replication” of what had been seen in Israel.
Barak Raveh
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How To Prevent And Treat A Kidney Infection
Kidney infection is a term used to describe when a pathogen travels from an individual’s bladder through their ureters and into their kidneys, producing an infection. Kidney infections may also be caused by the spread of an infection that initially manifests in an artificial joint, from surgery on the kidney or bladder, or due to an obstruction in the flow of urine. Kidney infections may also be referred to as pyelonephritis. Symptoms of a kidney infection include abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, chills, cloudy urine, nausea, back pain, urinary urgency, pus in the urine, groin pain, pain while urinating, side pain, blood in the urine, and burning pain while urinating. Diagnosis is made with the use of a urinalysis, CT scan, MRI, ultrasounds, urine culture, and physical examination.
There are several ways a kidney infection can be prevented and treated. Get familiar with these methods now.
Can Kidney Infections Be Prevented
Kidney infections can be prevented by keeping bacteria out of the urinary tract and bladder. Infections in the kidney often start as a lower tract infection in the bladder. By preventing these infections, you may be able to prevent kidney infections.
There are several ways to avoid infection and keep your kidneys healthy. These tips can include:
- Hydration: It is important to drink adequate fluid every day but there is no specific recommendation that applies to every patient.. The amount can change if you have certain medical conditions or live in a particularly hot climate. Talk to your healthcare provider about the recommended amount of water you need each day.
- Urinate completely: When you need to urinate, empty your bladder completely. Holding in your urine can be harmful and can promote the growth of bacteria. Urinating every several hours can help to flush any bacteria out of your body, protecting it from an infection.
- Urinate after having sex: Urinating after sex helps to remove any bacteria that may have gotten into the body. Men and women should both do this to prevent infections.
- Practice good hygiene: Keeping yourself clean can help protect your body from infections. After a bowel movement, wipe from front to back to push bacteria away from the urethra . This is especially important for women.
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It’s Not One And Done
Passing a kidney stone is often described as one of the most painful experiences a person can have, but unfortunately, it’s not always a one-time event. Studies have shown that having even one stone greatly increases your chances of having another. “Most people will want to do anything they can to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” said Dr. Jhagroo. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be the case that people make the changes they need to after their first stone event.”
Research conducted by Dr. Jhagroo shows that those with kidney stones do not always heed the advice of their nephrologists and urinary specialists. About 15% of kidney stone patients didn’t take prescribed medications and 41% did not follow the nutritional advice that would keep stones from recurring. Without the right medications and diet adjustments, stones can come back, and recurring kidney stones also could be an indicator of other problems, including kidney disease.