What Is A Kidney Infection
A kidney infection, also called pyelonephritis, is when bacteria or viruses cause problems in one or both of your kidneys. Itâs a type of urinary tract infection .
Your kidneysâ main job is to remove waste and take extra water from your blood. Theyâre part of your urinary tract, which makes liquid waste and removes it from your body. Like the exhaust system on your car, you want everything to work like it should so waste moves in one direction only: out.
Your urinary tract is made up of your:
- Kidneys. These clean waste from your blood and make urine .
- Ureters. These thin tubes, one for each kidney, carry urine to your bladder.
- Bladder. This stores urine.
- Urethra. This tube carries urine from your bladder to outside your body.
If any of these parts gets germs in it, you can get a UTI. Most often, your bladder gets infected first. This can be painful but isnât usually serious.
But if the bad bacteria or viruses travel up your ureters, you can get a kidney infection. If left untreated, a kidney infection can cause life-threatening problems.
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How Do I Know If I Have A Kidney Infection
Kidney infections often develop quickly. Typical symptoms include:
- Dysuria
- Bloody, cloudy, dark and/or foul-smelling urine
- Pain in the back or abdomen
- Fever
- Uncontrollable chills or sweats
Since a bladder infection often causes and may occur simultaneously with a kidney infection, some of the symptoms can overlap. Its also worth noting that symptoms of a kidney infection tend to vary according to age. Young children under the age of two may only experience a fever, or may cry when urinating. Meanwhile, adults 65 years or older may experience confusion or other changes in their mental status, while not exhibiting a fever or other symptoms.
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Is Kidney Pain Felt In Front Or Back
- A dull, one-sided aching in your upper abdomen, side, or back may indicate that you are experiencing kidney pain or discomfort.
- However, discomfort in these places is frequently unrelated to the health of your kidneys.
- Your kidneys are located in the back of your abdomen beneath your lower ribs, one on either side of your spine, and are located in the back of your abdomen under your lower ribs.
How Is Kidney Infection Diagnosed
A kidney infection is usually diagnosed based on your symptoms, a physical exam, and the results of urine tests, indicating bacteria in your urinary tract.
Your doctor will likely ask about your health history and any conditions that might place you at higher risk of a kidney infection, such as having an enlarged prostate gland or a medical condition that can cause urinary retention, such as multiple sclerosis.
Sometimes a doctor will order imaging tests, such as an ultrasound or computerized tomography scan, to look for signs of swelling or other abnormalities in your kidneys or bladder.
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Kidney Pain Vs Back Pain: How To Differentiate
According to various data banks, the overall prevalence of low back pain was found to be 42% in India. Kidney problems too result in back pain which may be a little different from musculoskeletal back pain. In todays write up we will find out how to differentiate between the two.
Each person has got a pair of kidneys located posteriorly on the lower side of the abdomen. The kidney purifies blood for nutrients and discharges urine.
How to differentiate kidney pain from general backache:
Musculoskeletal back pain is usually felt around the lumbar region, it may pain while muscles are touched. However musculoskeletal back pain can be felt all through the back as well.
Musculoskeletal back pain due to disc or nerve impingement may radiate to buttocks, back of the thigh, laterally to leg and ankles too.
The musculoskeletal back pain is mostly coming and going, peaking after high-intensity work and better with rest. Pain here too is dull aching.
The musculoskeletal back pain is not very severe.
Adpkd Treatment And Home Care
There is no cure for ADPKD, but you can treat the health problems that the disease causes and possibly prevent kidney failure. You may need:
- Medicine to prevent kidney failure. Tolvaptan can slow the decline of kidney function for adults whose disease is at risk of quickly getting worse.
- Medicines to lower your blood pressure
- Antibiotics to treat urinary tract infections
- Pain medicines
If your kidneys fail, youâll need dialysis, which uses a machine to filter your blood and remove waste, like salt, extra water, and certain chemicals. You can also get on a waiting list or receive a kidney from a living donor for a kidney transplant. Ask your doctor if thatâs a good option for you.
Itâs important to stay as healthy as possible to protect your kidneys and keep them working as long as you can. Follow your doctorâs advice carefully. You can also keep up these habits to stay well:
- Eat right. Stick to a healthy, well-balanced diet thatâs low in fat and calories. Try to limit salt, because it can raise your blood pressure.
- Stay active.Exercise can help control your weight and blood pressure. Just avoid any contact sports where you might injure your kidneys.
- Donât smoke. If you smoke, get help from your doctor to quit. Smoking damages the blood vessels in the kidneys, and it may create more cysts.
- Drink plenty of water.Dehydration may cause you to have more cysts.
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What Is Kidney Infection
Infection in the urinary tract can involve the lower tract especially the bladder , prostate or the upper tract and kidney . It is usually a bacterial infection. The disease occurs in roughly three to seven of every 10,000 people in the United States. The occurrence in pregnant women is about 2 percent. It is readily treatable if diagnosed early.
A bacteria called Escherichia Coli causes about 90 percent of kidney infections. The bacteria migrate from the genitals through the urethra into the bladder and up the tubes that connect the bladder to the kidneys.
Some bacteria, such as staphylococcus infections, can enter the kidneys from the bloodstream.
Can I Go To Work With A Kidney Infection
Most kidney infections are treated on an outpatient basis with oral antibiotics. Symptom relief typically occurs after a few days of treatment, so it may be possible to go to work at that point. Many patients, however, require a week or two before they feel well enough to work. As always, never go to work with a fever.
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Can Utis Be Prevented
These tips can help prevent UTIs:
- In infants and toddlers, change diapers often to help prevent the spread of bacteria that cause UTIs. When kids are potty trained, it’s important to teach them good hygiene. Girls should know to wipe from front to rear not rear to front to prevent germs from spreading from the anus to the urethra.
- School-age girls should avoid bubble baths and strong soaps that might cause irritation. They also should wear cotton underwear instead of nylon because it’s less likely to encourage bacterial growth.
- All kids should be taught not to “hold it” when they have to go. Pee that stays in the bladder gives bacteria a good place to grow.
- Kids should drink plenty of fluids but avoid those with caffeine.
Have A Severe Kidney Infection Head To A Complete Care Er Facility Asap
If youre ever questioning should I go to the ER for a kidney infection, dont hesitate to stop by a Complete Care emergency facility for hospital-quality emergency care service. Our ER laboratories provide precise kidney function testing and urinalysis so we can get to the bottom of your kidney infection faster.
Trust us to take complete care of you. We treat any and all medical emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Visit any of our emergency room locations in Texas and Colorado Springs today!
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Alternative And Complementary Therapies
There are no effective alternative or complementary methods or therapies for curing a kidney infection.
But there may be ways you can increase your comfort while being treated with antibiotics, such as placing a heating pad on your abdomen, back, or side to ease any pain in those areas.
Drinking plenty of fluids can also help flush the bacteria causing the infection from your system.
And getting plenty of rest will help in your recovery from the infection.
What Are Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are solid, often irregularly shaped masses or crystals made of minerals and salts that form in your urinary tract. They form in the kidney, but then can move around and get stuck in the ureter , which is usually what causes symptoms, says Dr. De.
A common misconception is that pain is from having a kidney stone when in fact the pain comes from when the stone gets stuck, typically in the ureter. Urine will back up into the kidney causing it to swell. The swelling of the kidney causes the pain because the kidney isnt a stretchy organ and swelling causes the nerves on the surface of the kidney to get irritated, says Dr. De.
Kidney stones can be caused by several factors like dehydration, diet, medical conditions, medications, or a family history of kidney stones. There are different types of stones as well, like calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, uric acid and struvite.
They can range in shape, size and texture. The smallest size could be as small as a poppy seed or just even crystals that show up on a urine test but arent visible to the eye, says Dr. De. They can get as big as filling the entire kidney, so that can be more than 4 or 5 centimeters, depending on the size of somebodys kidney.
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Related Resources For Kidney Infection
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This article is not medical advice. It is intended for general informational purposes and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your physician or dial 911.
Can Masturbation Cause Infection
- Men who donât follow good hygiene practices while masturbating are prone to developing a UTI or urinary tract infection. Some of the symptoms of UTI are abdominal pain, frequent urge to urinate, and foul-smelling urine. If you leave UTIs untreated, they might spread to your kidneys.
- Not cleaning up after you masturbate can cause a thick, white substance called Smegma to accumulate around the head of your penis. Some amount of Smegma is essential to lubricate your penis.
- However, a build-up can cause penile infections like Phimosis or tightening of your foreskin. It could also lead to Balanitis- a penis infection in which the head and foreskin of your penis are inflamed.
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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 Can You Tell The Difference Between Muscle Pain And Organ Pain
Somatic pain and visceral pain are two types of pain that originate in separate parts of the body. Somatic pain is discomfort that occurs in the muscles, bones, or soft tissues of the body. Visceral discomfort is caused by the organs and blood arteries in your abdomen and pelvis. Somatic pain is acute and may be simpler to identify than visceral pain since it is more localized.
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Kidney Infection Fast Facts
A kidney infection is a type of urinary tract infection that can affect one or both of your kidneys.
What causes a kidney infection?
The infection usually starts in your bladder or urethra and flows upstream to your kidneys. It can be bacterial or viral.
What are the symptoms of a kidney infection?
Common symptoms are painful urination and dark, cloudy, or bloody pee. You may also experience a dull ache in your back, abdomen, groin, or sides.
More serious symptoms can include chills, rashes, fever, mental confusion, fast breathing, or a rapid heart rate.
How to treat a kidney infection
Kidney infections require urgent attention and are usually treated with prescription antibiotics.
How serious is a kidney infection?
Kidney infections can get serious if left untreated. They can lead to permanent kidney damage and other health concerns.
- mid-back pain below your ribs on one side
Although rare, a skin rash is also a sign of a serious infection.
Anyone with a kidney can get a kidney infection. But there are some factors that bump up your risk:
How Other Patients Describe It
What does a kidney infection feel like? See how different patients describe it:
After having spasms on my lower right side, I have been taking medicines for bladder and kidney infection for quite some time now. I drink plenty of water but my urine is still very yellow in color. I also had a cold last year but it always come back again. I have also been experiencing pain in legs since the last couple of days and my sleep pattern is all over the place.
I do not just have a kidney infection but my doctor believes that I have kidney stones too. While I do not have any fever, I have serious pain under my chest that often radiates to my groin area. It becomes so difficult to breathe when pain becomes severe. My doctor performed certain tests but found no blood in the urine. There were white blood cells and protein in my urine samples though. It feels as if I have the flu. My body hurts and I feel nauseous as well.
I am now 40 and have suffered kidney infections thrice in my life. I am having it again. What does a kidney infection feel like? Its painful, sometimes unbearable. Now, I am experiencing horrible pain near ribs, as well as in lower left and right abdomen. As of this morning, I have fever, dizziness, nausea, and infrequent urination. There was a burning sensation at the end of urination but that subsided later, which my doctor told was not a good thing it means the infection has now moved up to my kidneys?
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How Do You Know When A Uti Becomes A Kidney Infection
The symptoms of a UTI include pain when urinating, abdominal pain above the pubic area, frequent need to urinate, and bad-smelling, cloudy, or bloody urine. If the infecting bacteria migrates up to the kidney, additional symptoms may include flank pain, lower back pain, fever, and maybe chills and nausea. If you have a lower urinary system infection and begin to notice pain on your sides or you have a fever over 100 degrees, itâs time to see a doctor.
How Do You Know If Something Is Wrong With Your Kidneys
- This might indicate the presence of renal illness if you find yourself urinating more frequently, especially at nighttime.
- The damage to the kidneys filters might result in an increase in the desire to urinate, which can be dangerous.
- In certain cases, this might also be a symptom of a urinary infection or an enlarged prostate in males, among other things.
- You notice that there is blood in your pee.
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