Signs & Symptoms of a Kidney Infection

For upon |Kidney infection symptoms vary greatly from person to person and normally develop within a day or as fast as a few hours. To seek treatment as quickly as possible it is important to know answers to common questions like what does a kidney infection feel like and what are the common signs and symptoms of kidney infection.

What is a Kidney Infection?

Medically known as pyelonephritis, a kidney infection is a common type of urinary tract infection (UTI), caused when bacteria have entered the body’s urinary tract and travel from the bladder into one or both kidneys. Although kidney infection symptoms are worse than a common bladder infection such as cystitis that makes urinating painful, kidney infections will not cause serious harm if treated promptly. if gone untreated, it can lead to permanent kidney damage that can be very serious to your long-term health.

Causes of Kidney Infections

Kidney infections are a result of bacteria entering the kidneys, most commonly from a pre-existing infection in the urinary tract like a bladder infection. The urinary tract, or urinary system, is made up of several different organs designed to extract, transport, and hold waste from your system as urine. The organs are two kidneys, two ureters, a bladder, and a urethra. Kidneys process our blood by filtering out the waste to produce urine. Urine then leaves the kidneys through the ureter tubes and towards the bladder. Urine is stored in the bladder until it is released through the urethra during the urination process.

When bacteria end up in the urethra, they can travel up to the bladder, where they use the urine as food to grow and multiply. This can lead to an infection. Bladder infections that migrate to the kidneys will result in a kidney infection. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are most commonly caused by the bacteria Escherichia coli, which you might know better than simply E. coli. These bacteria are responsible for about 90 percent of all uncomplicated urinary tract infections; however, there are many other potential causes of kidney infections.

Kidney Infection Symptoms and Signs

Many people want to know what a kidney infection feels like and what are the signs of a kidney infection. When a UTI stays in the bladder it shares the symptoms of a kidney infection since the main difference between the two is their location. These symptoms include:

• Dark, cloudy urine that may appear red or pink from blood
• Painful or burning urination, a condition known as dysuria
• Urgent and frequent needs to urinate
• A small amount of urine when you do go to the bathroom
• Off-smelling urine
• A mild fever that stays under 101 degrees Fahrenheit
• Chills and malaise (feeling ill and unwell)
• Pain in the abdomen
• Pressure and pain in the pelvis

A kidney infection is often the result of a bladder infection that was not treated promptly. The following additional signs and symptoms of kidney infection can help determine whether an infection has spread to the kidneys:

• Pain in your back and flanks
• Chills and shaking
• A fever that exceeds 101 degrees Fahrenheit
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Confusion, particularly in more elderly patients
• More intense feelings of general illness

Kidney infection signs and symptoms will vary depending on individual factors such as the severity of the infection, existing health conditions, type of bacteria, and even age. Children younger than two years old and elderly people may not have symptoms related to the urinary tract. Instead, children often only have a high fever and the elderly may exhibit confusion, disordered speech, or hallucinations.

Who is at Risk of Kidney Infections?

People with the most risk of developing a kidney infection are those who have a bladder infection that ends up spreading to the kidneys. Risk factors will vary between men and women. In general, women are more likely to get bladder infections than men because of their anatomy. Their urethras are much shorter than men’s urethras, allowing the bacteria to reach the bladder easier. A woman’s urethra is also closer to her anus, making it easier for the bacteria to enter the urinary system. People with a weakened immune system, including those with type-two diabetes, and anyone with malfunctioning bladder, urethra, or ureters are also at increased risk of developing infections.

Conditions in the urinary tract that prevent urine from flowing naturally can raise the chances for someone to develop a kidney infection. Pregnant women are likely to get bladder infections when the baby puts pressure on the ureters, slowing the flow of urine. Other people at risk include those with any blockages in the urinary tract caused by conditions like an enlarged prostate or kidney stone.

When to Contact a Doctor

A significant change to your usual pattern of urination accompanied by the previously mentioned signs and symptoms of kidney infection are good indicators to contact your doctor. Generally, kidney infection symptoms will feel worse during urination. When this pain is accompanied by a fever and persistent stomach, lower back, or genital pain it is more likely to be a kidney infection than just a bladder infection. People who have a greater risk of developing a kidney infection should be extra vigilant about noticing signs early on to prevent complications. It is recommended to contact your doctor in a timely manner so the appropriate treatments can be administered.

People with re-occurring kidney infections may have a structural problem in their urinary tract. In these cases, seek a doctor referral to a specialist that can advise on urinary tract problems, such as a urologist. Seeing a specialist is recommended since structural issues may require surgery.

Diagnosing and Treating Kidney Infections

The process to diagnose a kidney infection starts with the doctor asking questions regarding your symptoms and medical history. If there are symptoms and signs of kidney infection, including fever or back pain, the doctor will often order urine samples. This will test for the presence of bacteria, blood, and pus in the urine as well as determine whether an infection is present in the bladder or kidney. A urine culture test can also be made on the sample to see what kind of bacteria is present. The kidney infection symptoms and signs combined with the urine test results usually allow for a diagnosis to be made.

Kidney infections always require antibiotics. Don’t rely on home remedies alone to take care of kidney infections. Usually, doctors will prescribe empiric antibiotics to cover all the bases of potential bacteria that initially caused the infection until they can target the specific bacteria causing the infection. Antibiotics are usually prescribed for at least a full week. For mild cases, oral antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin will be prescribed.

Although the symptoms and signs of a kidney infection will often improve within a few days, be sure to finish the medication as your doctor indicated. Sometimes when the culture results are known, antibiotics that specifically target the identified bacteria may be switched in as recommended by the doctor. Other methods to help ease symptoms of a kidney infection, in compliment with the antibiotics, are drinking plenty of fluids to flush out the bacteria and prevent dehydration, and using a heating pad on your belly, back, or side to soothe pains.

Normally, you won’t require a stay at a hospital for a kidney infection as long as you can move around and consistently keep down oral antibiotics. However, if you exhibit severe symptoms or cannot keep down the medication due to constant vomiting, you may be hospitalized so that your doctor may administer antibiotics and fluids intravenously. These cases often occur in people such as those with sickle cell anemia, people aged 60 or over, patients in severe pain or with severe vomiting, and pregnant women.

If the kidney infection progresses enough to create an abscess in the kidney, you may require more serious treatment. Abscesses cannot be cured with antibiotics alone. In order to drain them, doctors will perform a nephrostomy, which involves placing a tube through your back, into the kidney.

People with structural issues in the urinary tract often will need surgery to prevent re-occurring kidney infections.

Potential Complications of Kidney Infections

With antibiotics, kidney infections should improve within two weeks. However, kidney infection symptoms left untreated over time can lead to major health complications. These include:

• Permanent kidney damage that results in chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure, or kidney failure
• Blood poisoning, also known as septicemia, is caused by bacteria spreading when the kidneys process blood for urine and return it to circulation
• Pregnancy complications such as the increased risk of low birth weight babies
• Kidney abscesses where the pus accumulates inside kidney tissues and surgery may be needed to drain out the pus

Preventing a Kidney Infection

Kidney infections and the resulting symptoms of a kidney infections often occur because of a pre-existing infection in the urinary tract. Methods that reduce the likelihood of having bacteria enter the urethra and spread to the bladder are effective ways to prevent bladder infections that could spread to the kidneys and are listed below.

Dietary considerations

• Eating plenty of fiber so stools pass easily; irritation and skin lesions from constipation can increase the risk of developing a UTI

Proper hygienic routines

• Good hygiene can ensure you never deal with an infection. Good habits include washing your genitals and wiping front to back
• Individuals with indwelling bladder catheters should remember to have their catheters changed regularly to avoid irritation and infection. Make sure to clean and monitor the area surrounding where the catheter enters the urethra.

Healthy urination process

• Pee when you need to. Don’t hold it, and try to completely empty your bladder without rushing anything.
• Urinate soon after sex, and make sure you practice safe sex in general.

If you suffer any symptoms of a urinary tract or kidney infection, talk to your doctor immediately. The faster you act, the more effective the treatment. There are also various home remedies that can help flush out bacteria, soothe pains, and prevent reoccurring infections over time.

If you experience any symptoms of a urinary tract infection or kidney infection, call or book online with PlushCare to set up a phone appointment with a top U.S. doctor today.