Take Green Tea Extract Or Drink Green Tea
A 2013 study in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology suggests that taking green tea extract may have an antibacterial effect on common bacteria strains known to cause UTIs.
The researchers took green tea extracts and applied them to bacterial cultures in a laboratory. Over time, they found the green tea inhibited bacterial growth.
Because the study was in a laboratory and involved samples, it is hard to know if the results would be the same in humans. However, the possibility remains that green tea could have potential health benefits when a person has a UTI.
Green tea extract is available to purchase in stores and online.
How Is Pyelonephritis Treated
A kidney infection is treated with an appropriate antibiotic taken for several weeks. Anatomic abnormalities may need to be surgically treated.Severely ill patients with kidney infections may be hospitalized until they can take fluids and needed drugs on their own.
Various drugs are available to relieve the pain of a kidney infection. A heating pad may also help.The U.S. Government does not endorse or favor any specific commercial product or company. Trade, proprietary, or company names appearing in this document are used only because they are considered necessary in the context of the information provided. If a product is not mentioned, the omission does not mean or imply that the product is unsatisfactory.
The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse collects resource information on kidney and urologic diseases for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Reference Collection. This database provides titles, abstracts, and availability information for health information and health education resources. The NIDDK Reference Collection is a service of the National Institutes of Health.
To provide you with the most up-to-date resources, information specialists at the clearinghouse created an automatic search of the NIDDK Reference Collection. To obtain this information, you may view the results of the automatic search on Pyelonephritis.
Helping Your Body Pass The Stones
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How Can You Care For Yourself At Home
- Rest until you feel better.
- Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
- If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
- If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen , ibuprofen , or naproxen . Read and follow all instructions on the label.
How Can You Improve Your Kidney Health

Lifestyle habits that benefit your overall health, like staying hydrated and exercising regularly, can be vastly beneficial to your kidney health.
Similarly, you shouldnt smoke, and you should go see your doctor for regular checkups to monitor your blood pressure. If youre at risk for kidney infections, you should have your kidneys tested and monitored.
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A Brief Intro To Utis
A UTI is an infection in the bladder or other areas of the urinary tract, like the urethra or kidneys, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The infection is caused by bacteria.
Bacteria can enter the body, but the body usually has its own natural prevention. Urine flows through and flushes out bacteria, but sometimes the bacteria hasnt been fully flushed.
While UTIs can be uncomfortable and painful, they are easily treated with antibiotics. It is important to see your doctor if you have any of the following UTI symptoms.
- Pain or discomfort during urination
- A persistent need to urinate after having just gone
Bladder infections are more common than you think. In fact, roughly 1 out of every 2 women will get a bladder infection in their lifetime.
Also known as urinary tract infections , bladder infections are commonly caused by E. coli bacterium. Symptoms include frequent and painful urination. In the worst cases, patients see blood in their urine and have pain in the abdominal area.
Read on to learn how to treat bladder infections without traditional medicine. Explore 7 of the best natural remedies for bladder infections.
Not All Kidney Pain Is Treatable With At
While these solutions may help relieve, or in some cases eliminate, mild kidney pain, they will not stop infections from spreading. When left untreated, even the occasional UTI can turn into something more severe, which is why its always in your best interest to contact your urologist when you are experiencing any type of pain in your kidneys.
Based on your symptoms, an in-office visit may not be required. Talk to your urologist and ask questions about the type of pain you are experiencing. They will be able to tell you if at-home remedies are possible, or if you need to schedule an appointment.
As always, feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. And dont forget to download our Nutrition & Lifestyle Guide before you go for more health and wellness tips from our urological experts!
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See If We Service Your Area
DispatchHealth offers on-demand healthcare for people of all ages in the comfort of their homes. DispatchHealths medical services can conveniently be requested via phone, mobile app, or on the websiteand a physician assistant or nurse practitioner, along with a DispatchHealth medical technician will arrive at your doorstep within a few hours. They will diagnose, treat, prescribe antibiotics and even call you a few days later to see how youre doing. And in most cases, DispatchHealth will start the antibiotics during the visit to your home. Best of all, theyaccept most major insuranceto make it affordable. Plus, theyre available seven days a week, 365 days a year including holidays.
So the next time you find yourself in need of urgent medical care, give DispatchHealth a call. We look forward to helping you find relief from whatever unpleasant symptoms youre experiencing.
* Please note: For life-threatening and time-sensitive injuries and illnesses, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. DispatchHealth shouldnt be used in a life-threatening emergency and doesnt replace a primary care provider.
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How Does It Occur
Normally the urinary tract does not have any bacteria or other organisms in it. Bacteria that cause UTI often spread from the rectum to the urethra and then to the bladder or kidneys. Sometimes bacteria spread from another part of the body through the bloodstream to the urinary tract. Urinary tract infection is less common in men than in women because the male urethra is long, making it difficult for bacteria to spread to the bladder.
Urinary tract infection may be caused by a sexually transmitted disease. Sometimes a stone in the urinary tract blocks the flow of urine and causes an infection. In older men, an enlarged prostate can cause a urinary tract infection by keeping urine from draining out of the bladder completely. Infection might also be caused by the use of a catheter used to drain the bladder or by urethral stricture, which is a narrowing of the urethra by scar tissue from previous infections or surgical procedures.
You may be more likely to have a UTI if you have diabetes or another medical problem that affects the immune system.
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When Surgery Is Necessary
If you think you might have a kidney stone, you should see your doctor as soon as possible. If youre found to have one, your doctor can help you determine whether to try to pass the stone naturally, take medication, or get the stone surgically removed.
In some circumstances, your doctor might recommend immediate surgical removal without a waiting period. This will usually be because the stone is too big to pass naturally or is blocking urine flow. If the stone is blocking the flow of urine, it can lead to an infection or renal damage.
In other circumstances, your doctor might recommend waiting to see if you can pass the stone on your own. You should check in with your doctor often during this time to see if anything is changing, especially if you have new symptoms.
During the waiting period, your doctor might recommend surgery if the stone continues to grow, youre having unmanageable pain, or you develop signs of infection, such as a fever. Infection, fever, kidney damage, intractable pain, or intractable vomiting are all indications for immediate surgery.
Live Better With Adpkd
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, or ADPKD, causes painful kidney cysts. You may have back pain, headaches, blood in your urine, high blood pressure, and kidney infections and stones. Thereâs good news: A healthy diet and active lifestyle can make a big difference in how you feel every day.
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Infections Along The Urinary Tract
While most of these infections are simply referred to as a UTI, the location of the infection makes a difference. Lower urinary tract infections are very common and easy to treat, but as the infection travels upwards, it gets more difficult and more dangerous.
- Lower Urinary Tract Infection
A lower urinary tract infection is what we commonly refer to as a UTI. It occurs when bacteria enters the urethra and causes a frequent urge to urination, burning sensations, dark urine, bladder discomfort, and kidney pain.2
- Bladder Infection
Bladder infections occur when the lower UTI works its way into the bladder. Youll experience similar symptoms, oftentimes persisting for longer periods of time and with an increase in frequency or intensity.
- Kidney Infection
A kidney infection, also known as pyelonephritis, occurs when excess bacteria has built up in the urinary tract and reached the kidneys.1 It is considered an upper urinary tract infection and is much more serious than lower urinary tract infections.
Once the infection spreads to your kidneys, its more dangerous. Kidney infections can be very serious and may require hospitalization. If you think you have a kidney infection, dont hesitate to schedule an appointment with your urologists for a proper diagnosis. In addition to a urine culture, your doctor will need to order imaging tests, blood tests, or a combination of both to confirm the location of the infection.
Increase Your Citric Acid Intake

Citric acid is an organic acid and a natural component of many fruits and fruit juices. An easy way to consume more citric acid is to eat more citrus fruits, such as grapefruit, oranges, lemons, or limes. Citric acid may help protect a person against kidney stones by:
- Preventing stone formation: Citric acid makes urine less favorable for the formation of stones.
- Preventing stone enlargement: Citric acid helps prevent small stones from becoming bigger stones by binding with existing calcium oxalate crystals. This can help you pass stones before they turn into larger ones.
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How To Safely Apply Ice And Heat
You can apply ice and heat in lots of ways. Our experts generally recommend up to 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off:
- Ice packs: Frozen peas or corn, ice cubes in a baggie or frozen gel pack. You can ice beyond 48 hours, until swelling, tenderness or inflammation are gone.
- Ice massage: Freeze water in a Dixie cup, peel back the top, and massage the tender area until its numb. .
- Cold masks: Place a cold mask, available at drugstores, over your eyes or lay a towel soaked in cold water over your forehead and temples.
- Moist heat: Enjoy a bath, shower, hot tub or whirlpool using warm, not hot, water .
- Heat wraps: Drape a heat wrap, available at drugstores, around your neck like a scarf .
- Heating pads: To avoid burns, remove heating pads if the area becomes uncomfortably warm.
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When To See A Doctor
If home remedies, such as drinking more water and applying heat, don’t resolve your kidney pain, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider immediately.
It’s also important to seek professional medical care if your symptoms are severe, come on suddenly, your pain is accompanied by fever, fatigue, body aches, or you notice blood in your urine.
The sooner you are seen by your healthcare provider, the sooner you can alleviate your pain and, most importantly, prevent your infection or other health concerns from leading to more complicated health issues.
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How To Control Emergency Kidney Pain At Home
There is something terrifying about kidney pain. That sharp, cramping pain, which is not quite like the usual lower backaches, is pain occurring due to some distress related to the kidneys. You might feel it on only one side. In rarer cases, you could experience it on both sides of the back to the right or left of the spine but inside the rib cage. You might be able to differentiate kidney pain from the commoner backache which assails many, especially those who are desk bound for the greater part of the day, when you find that no degree of change of posture eases the pain. Such pain might come in waves, sometimes radiating from the lower abdomen or back to the groin.
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Urinary Tract Infection Uti
It may look like a harmless condition, but it can turn into a nightmare if not taken care of over time. Every person, be it a child, is bound to have UTI once in their lifetime, and bacteria is the reason for its occurrence. With painful burning pee, other symptoms like swelling, recurrent urge for using the bathroom, and abdominal pain are common.Thankfully, proper antibiotic treatment is available for treating this condition. But, how to relieve UTI pain instantly? Well, heres the answer to your question.
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What Is The Best Way To Tell Whether A Kidney Stone Is Moving
A kidney stone may not produce symptoms until it travels about within your kidney or goes into your ureter, the tube that connects your kidney to your bladder. You may encounter the following indications and symptoms at that time: Pain in the side and back of the body, just behind the ribcage. Pain in the lower abdomen and groin that radiates.
Stay At A Healthy Weight
Over time, ADPKD can cause kidney damage and kidney disease. This may happen sooner if youâre overweight or obese. Thatâs because extra pounds make your kidneys work harder. Obesity also raises blood pressure, which adds to the strain on your kidneys. Slim down to a healthy weight to protect your kidneys.
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Drink Plenty Of Water
Flushing bacteria from the kidneys is an important goal when a person has a kidney infection. Drinking at least six to eight, 8-ounce glasses of water a day can help, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases .
If a person has kidney failure, they may need to decrease this amount of fluid based on their doctors recommendations.
Avoid Alcohol And Coffee

The kidneys most important role is to filter out harmful substances and toxins, and both alcohol and caffeine can require extra work from the kidneys. This may hinder the process of healing from an infection.
Alcohol and antibiotics also shouldnt be mixed, so avoid alcohol during your treatment for this reason as well.
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What Is Kidney Pain
Kidney pain is discomfort near your kidneys. Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located just below your ribcage, on each side of your spine. Kidney pain doesnt always mean theres a problem with your kidneys specifically but it does usually indicate an issue somewhere in your urinary system.