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What Helps A Kidney Infection

How Are Acute Kidney Infections Treated

Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments for Kidney Infection

Children are typically given oral antibiotics to take at home. However, if the infection is advanced, a child may receive intravenous antibiotics in the hospital. Staying well hydrated is an extremely important part of treatment, and children should drink plenty of fluids during and after treatment. There is evidence that good hydration during recovery may help reduce long-term kidney damage.

What If The Infection Does Not Clear Up With Treatment

Most infections clear up with treatment.; However, if an infection does not clear up, or if you have repeated infections, you may be given some special tests such as:

  • a type of x-ray called an intravenous pyleogram , which involves injecting a dye into a vein and taking pictures of your kidney and bladder

  • an ultrasound exam, which gives a picture of your kidneys and bladder using sound waves

  • a cytoscopic exam, which uses a hollow tube with special lenses to look inside the bladder.

Prevention And Treatment Of Kidney Infection

  • Antibiotics

  • Occasionally surgery

Antibiotics are started as soon as the doctor suspects pyelonephritis and samples have been taken for laboratory tests. The choice of drug or its dosage may be modified based on the laboratory test results , how sick the person is, and whether the infection started in the hospital, where bacteria tend to be more resistant to antibiotics. Other factors that can alter the choice or dosage of drug include whether the person’s immune system is impaired and whether the person has a urinary tract abnormality .

Outpatient treatment with antibiotics given by mouth is usually successful if the person has:

  • No nausea or vomiting

  • No signs of dehydration

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When Things Go Wrong

A little more than 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 20 show evidence of kidney disease. Some forms of kidney disease are progressive, meaning the disease gets worse over time. When your kidneys can no longer remove waste from blood, they fail.

Waste buildup in your body can cause serious problems and lead to death. To remedy this, your blood would have to be filtered artificially through dialysis, or you would need a kidney transplant.

Diagnosing A Kidney Infection

THC & Chronic Kidney Disease

Given that the symptoms of a kidney infection can apply to certain other problems in the pelvis and abdomen, your doctor will have to conduct a thorough evaluation to reach a conclusive diagnosis.

To that end, your health care provider may use the following tests:

Your doctor will also look for problems that can cause kidney infection, such as kidney stones and birth defects. Your treatment will be based on a clear diagnosis of the problem.

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Tips To Be Water Wise For Healthy Kidneys

Keep your kidneys healthy by being water wise. This means drinking the right amount of water for you. A common misconception is that everyone should drink eight glasses of water per day, but since everyone is different, daily water needs will vary by person. How much water you need is based on differences in age, climate, exercise intensity, as well as states of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and illness.

About 60-70% of your body weight is made up of water, and every part of your body needs it to function properly. Water helps the kidneys remove wastes from your blood in the form of urine. Water also helps keep your blood vessels open so that blood can travel freely to your kidneys, and deliver essential nutrients to them. But if you become dehydrated, then it is more difficult for this delivery system to work. Mild dehydration can make you feel tired, and can impair normal bodily functions. Severe dehydration can lead to kidney damage, so it is important to drink enough when you work or exercise very hard, and especially in warm and humid weather.

For Urinary Tract Infections

Since three of the most common causes of kidney discomfort occur in the urinary tract, here are some remedies to relieve pain in the kidneys related to the urinary tract:

1. Stay Hydrated

Hydration is key to relieving pain in the kidneys since water will help flush bacteria out of the body. Plus, staying hydrated will help clear out the urinary tract as a whole and work to eliminate any possible infections.;

Many specialists recommend the 8×8 rule, meaning you should drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water a day. However, water intake is highly dependant on you and your health, so take this article into consideration when determining your daily amount of water intake.;

2. Drink Cranberry Juice

While not scientifically proven, cranberry juice is known to be a remedy for urinary tract infections. If you choose to alternate between cranberry juice and water, be sure to choose a cranberry juice that isnt packed full of additional sweeteners. A cranberry supplement or pure cranberry juice is always the best way to go!;

3. Take Probiotics

Its no secret that probiotics are beneficial for you, especially when it comes to fighting bacteria and kidney pain. Studies show that probiotics can improve kidney function and assist in processing waste too.;

4. Drink Parsley Juice

You can also mix parsley into a smoothie to make drinking it more bearable. Check out these recipes for inspiration!;

5. Take a Warm Epsom Salt Bath

6. Apply Heat

7. Use Non-Aspirin Pain Killers

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Drinkable Home Remedies For Kidney Infections

While staying hydrated is one of the most important things to do to ensure frequent flushing of bacteria from the urinary tract, you dont always have to consume water to achieve this goal. Try the following kidney infection home remedies today for extra relief and preventative properties to ensure an infection stays away.

Home Remedies For Kidney Infection

Medical Conditions & Treatments : Kidney Infection Symptoms & Treatment

Untreated kidney infections can turn into recurring kidney infections that lead to complications and disease. Kidney infection home remedies, in addition to a treatment plan prescribed by a doctor, can support recovery time as well as act as preventative measures to stave off recurring symptoms from occurring.

Read on to learn effective home remedies for kidney infection and stay informed on when to contact your doctor for more information to ensure you stay on top of your urinary tract health.

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Causes Of A Kidney Infection

  • Bacteria that usually reside in the gut area have easy access into the urinary tract through the anus or vagina. Once these pathogens enter the urethra, they proliferate and spread, eventually gaining entry into the kidneys through the ureters. The most common culprit is Escherichia coli, which is responsible for about 90 percent of cases of pyelonephritis among people who are not hospitalized or living in a nursing home.
  • ;Any physical obstruction to the flow of urine on account of structural deformities, kidney stone, or benign prostatic hyperplasia . Another common precipitating factor for pyelonephritis is a condition called vesicoureteral reflux, which causes the backflow of urine from the bladder into the ureters and thereby to the kidneys.
  • About 5 percent of pyelonephritis cases can be traced back to infections that are carried through the bloodstream to the kidneys from another part of the body. For instance, a staphylococcal skin infection can breach the skin to make its way to your blood and eventually spread to the kidneys through the bloodstream.
  • Even more rarely, you might contract a kidney infection in the aftermath of a kidney surgery.

Consider Drinking Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice is reported to reduce urinary tract infections. However, there is no strong data to support its use for urinary tract infections.

Cranberry juice contains certain chemicals that may deter the bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract. This may prevent bacteria from thriving on the wall of the bladder and thus lessens your risk of infection.

In one study, researchers found that cranberry juice reduced E. coli colonization of the bladder in an experimental mouse model of urinary tract infection and that the organic acids are active agents. The active treatments reduced bacterial counts in the bladder but did not cure the infection, indicating that cranberry juice is not a definitive treatment but it may promote clearance of the infection, for instance, in combination with antibiotics.

Consider drinking a glass of unsweetened cranberry juice. Do not drink this juice in large amounts or for extended time periods as it can cause side effects. Drinking more than 1 liter of this juice daily for a long time may increase the chances of developing kidney stones because it contains oxalates.

Many cranberry juice products contain significant amounts of sugar, so it is important to check if you have diabetes.

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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.;

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

Prevea
  • Why do you think I got a kidney infection?
  • How much water should I drink every day to stay hydrated?
  • What is the best medicine for me to treat my kidney infection?
  • Once I start medicine, how long will it take for my symptoms to go away?
  • Since Ive had one kidney infection, am I likely to get another?
  • What is the risk of a kidney infection leading to chronic kidney disease?

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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.

Risks Of Kidney Infections

Are you at risk of a kidney infection? Its possible if you have one or more of these factors:

  • Being a woman
  • Problems emptying your bladder completely
  • Stress incontinence
  • Suffer from vesicoureteral reflux, a condition that causes urine to flow backward

Did you know?One in five women will experience at least one bladder infection in their lifetime. Left untreated, the infection can travel to the kidneys via two tubes called ureters and cause a more serious infection.

Avoid becoming a statistic by knowing the signs of a kidney infection and practicing prevention to lower your risk.

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When To Seek Urgent Care Or Go To The Hospital

Some symptoms point to a more severe infection that needs prompt medical attention.

Go to an urgent care center or hospital if you have any of the symptoms below, which may or may not occur alongside the other UTI symptoms listed above:

  • back or side pain
  • chills
  • nausea or vomiting

Kidney infections can cause potentially serious complications. If you feel like something isnt right, dont hesitate to seek care as soon as possible.

Without treatment, a kidney infection can cause serious complications. These can include:

What Is A Kidney Infection

Kidney & Bladder Health : How to Treat a Kidney Infection

Kidney infections are a type of UTI. The medical term for a kidney infection is pyelonephritis. Certain bacteria and viruses can cause these infections.

Experts believe that many kidney infections start as an infection of the lower parts of the urinary tract, such as the bladder or urethra. Many times, these infections happen when bacteria from your bowel enter your urinary tract through your urethra.

Its possible for a UTI to continue to move up your urinary tract, progressing from your bladder into your kidneys.

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How Can You Prevent A Kidney Infection

A kidney infection generally results due to the advancement of preexisting bacteria from the lower urinary tract up to the kidneys. Thus, the ideal way to stave off the threat of kidney infections is by not having bacteria in the urethra or bladder. The following preventive steps can help in this regard:

  • Keep your body sufficiently hydrated by drinking plenty of water. The higher is your water intake, the higher are your chances of flushing out bacteria from the urethra while passing urine.
  • Holding off on the need to urinate is a complete no-no. Find a toilet to answer the call of nature as soon as you feel the urge. Develop a habit of going to the bathroom every 46 hours to urinate.
  • Emptying your bladder after having sexual intercourse can help eliminate any bacteria festering in the urethra. It is also recommended to wash the genitals before and after sex.
  • It is recommended to wipe the genitals from front to back after passing stools or urine, to reduce the risk of spreading bacteria to the urethra.
  • Eat plenty of fiber so that stools come out easily and do not irritate or cause skin lesions. Constipation increases the risk of developing a kidney infection.
  • Refrain from using feminine products that can irritate the urethra, such as deodorant sprays and douches.

How To Get Rid Of A Kidney Infection: Can Natural Remedies Help

This article was co-authored by Zora Degrandpre, ND. Dr. Degrandpre is a Licensed Naturopathic Physician in Vancouver, Washington. She is also a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She received her ND from the National College of Natural Medicine in 2007. This article has been viewed 43,713 times.

A kidney infection is a type of urinary tract infection that settles in one or both kidneys. It usually starts in the urethra or bladder and works its way up into the kidneys. This sounds scary, but fortunately, these infections are easy to treat with antibiotics and should clear up without any lasting problems. However, they definitely require medical treatment. Some natural remedies can prevent the infection from getting worse and complement the treatment youre receiving, but they wont cure the infection on their own. Together, medication and lifestyle treatments can heal your infection in no time.

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Home Remedies For Kidney Infections

Mayar, Facty Staff

Your kidneys are one of the most important organs in your body. Kidneys get rid of the toxins and waste present in the blood. The kidneys filter your blood and keep it clean. For this reason, you should take a kidney infection very seriously. Many circumstances put you at risk of developing a kidney infection.;Keep in mind that you’ll need to see your doctor if you suspect that you’ve got a kidney infection. You shouldn’t try to treat yourself with advice found on the web. An internet search isn’t the same thing as a medical degree.;However, there are a few useful;home remedies for kidney infections you can try while following your doctor’s advice.

Diagnosis Of Kidney Infection

10 Foods That Help With Kidney Infection Recovery â Beauty ...
  • Urine culture

  • Sometimes imaging tests

The typical symptoms of pyelonephritis lead doctors to do two common laboratory tests to determine whether the kidneys are infected: examination of a urine specimen under a microscope to count the number of red and white blood cells and bacteria and a urine culture, in which bacteria from a urine sample are grown in a laboratory to identify the numbers and type of bacteria . Blood tests may be done to check for elevated white blood cell levels , bacteria in the blood, or kidney damage.

Imaging tests are done in people who have intense back pain typical of renal colic, in those who do not respond to antibiotic treatment within 72 hours, in those whose symptoms return shortly after antibiotic treatment is finished, in those with long-standing or recurring pyelonephritis, in those whose blood test results indicate kidney damage, and in men . Ultrasonography or helical computed tomography studies done in these situations may reveal kidney stones, structural abnormalities, or other causes of urinary obstruction.

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How Do Health Care Professionals Treat Kidney Infections

If you have a kidney infection, a health care professional will prescribe antibiotics. Even before your test results are in, the health care professional may prescribe an antibiotic that fights the most common types of bacteria. Although you may feel relief from your symptoms, make sure to take the entire antibiotic treatment that your health care professional prescribes.

Once your lab results are in, the health care professional may switch the antibiotic to one that better treats the type of infection you have. You may take these antibiotics by mouth, through a vein in your arm, called by IV, or both.

If you are very sick from your kidney infection, you may go to a hospital for bed rest. A health care professional may give you fluids through an IV.

If something such as a kidney stone or an enlarged prostate is blocking your urinary tract, a doctor can sometimes treat the problem with surgery or another procedure.

What Are The Common Side Effects Of Kidney Infection Medications

Most antibiotics cause gastrointestinal problems including upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite. All antibiotics can cause a serious secondary diarrheal infection due to a bacteria known as Clostridium difficile. The most serious side effects of fluoroquinolones are psychiatric disorders, heart problems, and tendon problems.

Analgesics like acetaminophen are relatively safe when taken as directed. The most common side effects are gastrointestinal: nausea, stomach pain, and loss of appetite. Acetaminophen, however, can be toxic in excess. Acetaminophen overdose damages the liver and could require emergency treatment and hospitalization.

Side effects will vary based on the medication. This is not a complete list, and you should consult with a healthcare professional for possible side effects and drug interactions based on your specific situation.

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