What’s The Signs Of A Kidney Infection

Medication Options For Kidney Infection

Your doctor will decide what antibiotic to prescribe, and for how long, based on your symptoms and the results of your urine tests. Your doctor may start you on one medication right away, but change it later if your urine test results indicate that a different antibiotic will be more effective.

Drugs taken by mouth for kidney infection include:

All of these drugs and others may be considered for IV treatment if you need to be hospitalized for a severe kidney infection.

How Many People Get Urinary Tract Infections

UTIs are the most common form of outpatient infections, according to one study , with between 50 and 60 per cent of adult women expected to experience at least one in their lifetime. Prevalence increases with age and women over 65 face almost double the rate of UTIs as the general population. According to the study, around 10 per cent of post-menopausal women indicated they had a UTI in the past year.

Im Pregnant How Will A Uti Affect My Baby

If you have a UTI and it isnt treated, it may lead to a kidney infection. Kidney infections may cause early labor. Fortunately, asymptomatic bacteriuria and bladder infections are usually found and treated before the kidneys become infected. If your doctor treats a urinary tract infection early and properly, it wont hurt your baby.

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Support And Resources If You Have A Urinary Tract Infection

If you or someone you know is prone to experiencing UTIs, the Kidney Foundation of Canada is a offers information and resources about the condition, including advice on how to reduce the likelihood of a repeat occurrence.

A urinary tract infection typically occurs when bacteria enter the urinary tract and attack the bladder, urethra, ureters or kidney. Although the vast majority of UTIs involve the lower urinary tract , more serious problems can occur if bacteria manage to travel past the bladder to the kidney. The most common source of UTIs, according to the Kidney Foundation of Canada , is the bacteria Escherichia coli , which is normally found on the skin in the genital area and not inside the sterile urinary tract. UTIs can also be caused, though more rarely, when a blockage in the urinary tract causes urine to back up from the bladder to the kidneys.

Best Supplements For Kidney Infection

Dr. Morses Cellular Botanicals Kidneys & Bladder II

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Can I Give My Dog Cranberry Juice For A Urinary Tract Infection

Do not attempt to treat your dogs kidney infection without consulting your veterinarian. That being said, cranberry juice is safe if given in moderation. Vets strongly recommend dog owners provide cranberries as a supplement and not replace proven medical treatments.

Feeding large amounts of cranberries or cranberry juice to your dogs can cause bladder stones. Feed cranberries with your dogs supplement or treat it under the guidance of your vet to avoid any risk.

How Is A Kidney Infection Diagnosed

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, do a physical exam, and likely run some diagnostic tests. Those include a urinalysis, to check your pee under a microscope for bacteria and white blood cells, which your body makes to fight infection, and a urine culture to help find out what kind of bacteria is causing the infection, the NIDDK says. Your doctor may even take a blood sample to check for bacteria or other organisms in your blood, the Mayo Clinic says.

Other tests that might come up include an ultrasound, a CT scan, or a form of X-ray called a voiding cystourethrogram, which involves injecting a contrast dye to take X-rays of your bladder when its full and while youre peeing, per the Mayo Clinic.

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Who’s Most Likely To Get A Kidney Infection

Women and children are most at risk of developing a kidney infection, as well as other urinary tract infections such as cystitis.

In women, the urethra is closer to the anus than in men, making it easier for bacteria from the anus to enter the urethra accidentally. The female urethra is also much shorter than the male urethra . This makes it easier for bacteria to reach the bladder and move into the kidneys.

Other factors can also put you more at risk of developing a kidney infection, including:

How Are Acute Kidney Infections Treated

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.

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Feeling Faint Dizzy Or Weak

Why this happens:

Anemia related to kidney failure means that your brain is not getting enough oxygen. This can lead to feeling faint, dizzy, or weak.

What patients said:

I was always tired and dizzy.

It got to the point, like, I used to be at work, and all of the sudden I’d start getting dizzy. So I was thinking maybe it was my blood pressure or else diabetes was going bad. That’s what was on my mind.

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.

• 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.

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How Do The Kidneys Become Infected

Acute kidney infections are typically caused by bacteria that has gotten into the urethra and traveled up through the bladder and ureters . Some medical conditions such as bladder dysfunction, bladder obstruction, neurogenic bladder or vesicoureteral reflux along with conditions that require the use of catheters can also increase the chances of kidney infection and damage.

How Is A Urinary Tract Infection Diagnosed

According to the Mayo Clinic , UTIs are typically diagnosed by analyzing a urine sample for the presence of white blood cells, red blood cells or bacteria. Sometimes, a lab will grow a sample from the urinary tract to determine what bacteria they are dealing with and which medication will be most effective. People who experience frequent UTIs or have what the doctor suspects to be an abnormal urinary tract may have a CT scan or an MRI prescribed to allow for a more thorough diagnosis. A doctor may also perform a cystoscopy, a procedure that involves sending a long, thin tube connected to a tiny camera up the urethra and into the bladder.

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Food Tastes Like Metal

Why this happens:

A build-up of wastes in the blood can make food taste different and cause bad breath. You may also notice that you stop liking to eat meat, or that you are losing weight because you just don’t feel like eating.

What patients said:

Foul taste in your mouth. Almost like you’re drinking iron.

I don’t have the appetite I had before I started dialysis, I must have lost about 10 pounds.

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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How To Prevent A Kidney Infection

Preventing a kidney infection is really all about preventing urinary tract infections and getting prompt treatment if you ever get one. Sorry, but dont rely on cranberry juice or supplements for thisthe science is far too mixed to consider either of these a definitive UTI-prevention method. Instead, whenever you feel a bladder infection coming on, make it a habit to drink enough water every day to stay hydrated. That will ensure youre peeing often enough to help flush out bacteria that could lead to an infection. The NIDDK recommends peeing as often as you get the urge, but definitely at least every three to four hours, since urine hanging out in your bladder for too long may help bacteria to grow, the organization says.

Kaufman also stresses the importance of urinating like a fire hose after sex. It might even be helpful to skip peeing before sex as long as that doesnt make you uncomfortable, he says. This allows you to build up a forceful stream that may better help remove any bacteria that might have been pushed up there during sex.

Also, we referenced this above, but its important to reiterate: After you pee , you should be sure to wipe from front to back, as wiping back to front can spread harmful bacteria from your rectum to your urethra, where it can cause an infection.

Upset Stomach Nausea Vomiting

Why this happens:

A severe build-up of wastes in the blood can also cause nausea and vomiting. Loss of appetite can lead to weight loss.

What patients said:

I had a lot of itching, and I was nauseated, throwing up all the time. I couldn’t keep anything down in my stomach.

When I got the nausea, I couldn’t eat and I had a hard time taking my blood pressure pills.

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Your Healthcare Professional Will Probably Do The Following:

• urinalysis where people in the lab will test for bacteria, white blood cells, and actual blood.
• if bacteria is detected, the doctor might suggest a CT scan or ultrasound to evaluate your kidneys.

If the infection is not too serious, treatment can take place at home. If the infection has progressed too far and is severe you might have to consider hospital care.

If you are like me, you would much prefer to use home remedies and natural supplements. However, because kidney infections are so serious, you may want to take a prescription provided by your doctor and use home remedies to ease symptoms or pain. Supplements are also best for avoiding the infection in the first place, and to improve kidney function.

What Are Utis And Kidney Infections

UTIs occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract the urethra, bladder and kidneys. Normally, your body flushes out harmful bacteria with urine. However, sometimes bacteria can still travel inside and infect the urinary tract. Infections can develop after having sex, using vaginal douches or spermicides, or when the bladder doesnt empty.

Women get UTIs more frequently than men because a womans urethra is shorter than a mans, which allows bacteria to reach the bladder more easily. However, men can still get UTIs. People with diabetes and those with weakened immune systems may also be at higher risk for UTIs.

Kidney infections are a type of UTI. Most kidney infections occur when bacteria that infect the lower urinary tract travel to one or both kidneys. Kidney infections can be serious, and its important to treat them soon to avoid getting very sick.

UTIs cause pain or burning during urination. You may also have:

• Cloudy, bloody or foul-smelling urine
• Difficulty urinating

A kidney infection can also cause the symptoms listed above, as well as:

• Chills
• Pain in the back, side or groin
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Your doctor is ultimately the best person to decide if you have a UTI or kidney infection, Dr. Watson says. At your exam, discuss any ongoing symptoms, and your doctor will arrange for testing.

Doctors typically will order a urine test, which involves taking a small sample of urine and sending it to a laboratory to be analyzed for bacteria and white blood cells.

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Is There Anything I Can Do To Prevent A Kidney Infection

When it comes to preventing a kidney infection, its all about preventing UTIs that affect your urethra and bladder. Here are some ways you can help avoid an infection:

• Wipe from front to back. For women, this ensures bacteria from your anus doesnt enter your urethra.
• Drink plenty of water to help flush the urinary tract.
• Dont hold it. Use the bathroom when you need to go.
• Avoid using spermicide and diaphragms, and choose another form of birth control, such as lubricated condoms.
• Use the bathroom after sex to reduce bacteria that colonizes the urethra. There is no convincing data that it is effective, but it isnt harmful, Dr. Sussman added.
• Postmenopausal women who develop recurrent cystitis may benefit from vaginal estrogen to reduce vaginal dryness.
• Dont rely on over-the-counter remedies to treat your UTI, like cranberry juice or D-Mannose, to prevent a UTI or kidney infection. Several studies have shown no benefit with cranberry supplements or juice, Dr. Sussman said.

Related Conditions Of Kidney Infection

Kidney infection can develop from, or lead to, certain other health conditions, including the following:

Urinary Tract Infection Most UTIs affect the lower urinary tract the urethra and bladder. But bacteria can migrate from the bladder to the kidneys, causing infection there.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Having an enlarged prostate can reduce the flow of urine, making it more likely that youll develop a UTI or kidney infection.

One of the most serious potential complications of a kidney infection, sepsis is an extreme immune system response to infection, resulting in widespread inflammation and sometimes vital organ failure and death.

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Where Are The Kidneys Located

The kidneys are located on either side of the body underneath the diaphragm near the lower back. Each kidney is connected to the bladder in the pelvis by ureters that drain the urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Urine stored in the bladder is excreted from the body through the urethra. Collectively, these structures make up what is called the urinary tract.

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Swelling In Hands Or Feet

Why this happens:

Failing kidneys don’t remove extra fluid, which builds up in your body causing swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, and/or hands.

What patients said:

I remember a lot of swelling in my ankles. My ankles were so big I couldn’t get my shoes on.

Going to work one morning, my left ankle was swollen, real swollen, and I was very exhausted just walking to the bus stop. And I knew then that I had to see a doctor.

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What Is A Kidney Infection Is It The Same As A Urinary Tract Infection

The main components of the urinary tract system are kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Any part of the urinary system may become infected and this is generally referred to as urinary tract infection . When a kidney becomes infected, the condition is medically referred to as pyelonephritis. Thus, kidney infection is only one of several types of infections encompassed by the term UTI. The spectrum of UTIs includes:

Who Is More Likely To Get A Kidney Infection

Anyone can get a kidney infection, but it is more common in some people, such as:

• Women: A woman’s urethra is shorter than a man’s. Having a shorter urethra makes it easier for bacteria to get into the urinary tract. The urethra is also closer to the anus in women. Bacteria can spread from the anus or vagina into the urethra, and then travel up the urinary tract. Pregnant women are even more likely to have a kidney infection.
• People with diabetes
• People with a weakened immune system: This could be caused by a disease, such as diabetes or HIV, or by certain medicines called immunosuppressives. People who have had a kidney transplant or other organ transplant take immunosuppressives.
• People who have nerve or spinal cord damage that keeps them from feeling pain in and around their urinary tract: This can keep them from noticing symptoms of a bladder infection, which can lead to a kidney infection.
• People who use a catheter to drain urine from their bladder
• People with vesicoureteral reflux : People with VUR have urinary tracts that allow urine to flow backwards from the bladder to the kidneys.

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