How to Know if You Have a Kidney Infection
- Definition
- What is a kidney infection?
- Symptoms
- Signs and symptoms of kidney infections
- Causes
- Causes of kidney infections
- Diagnosis
- Diagnosis of kidney infections
- Treatment
- Treatments for kidney infections
- Heart
- How Practice Y'all Know If You Accept a Kidney Infection? Center
What is a kidney infection?
You'll know you lot take a kidney infection if you have discomfort or hurting when urinating, frequent urination, high fever and chills, lower body pain, nausea and vomiting, and/or blood in urine.
Your kidneys remove waste material and excess fluids from your torso, simply sometimes they can get infected. Kidney infection, or pyelonephritis, is a type of urinary tract infection (UTI).
It's estimated that kidney infections business relationship for about 200,000 hospital admissions each year in the United States.
Anyone can become a kidney infection, but some people are more at risk, including:
- Women, whose urethra (the tube from the bladder to where your urine passes out of your body) is shorter than men'due south, making it easier for bacteria to enter the bladder
- Those with lower immune organisation function due to diabetes, HIV, or medications such every bit immunosuppressants, which are taken after an organ transplant
- People with a blockage of the urinary tract such every bit kidney stones or an enlarged prostate
- People who utilize a catheter to bleed urine, such as during or afterward surgery or if confined to a bed
- Those with structural problems of the urinary tract such equally vesicoureteral reflux, which causes urine to flow back up to the kidneys and cause infections.
It'due south important to recognize the symptoms of a kidney infection, equally it requires prompt medical attention and tin lead to serious issues if non treated.
Signs and symptoms of kidney infections
The symptoms of kidney infections depend on historic period, but in general, it starts with symptoms of a lower urinary tract infection, such as discomfort when urinating and frequent urination. Then, in one case the infection reaches the kidneys, there will be more than serious symptoms, such as:
- High fever and chills
- Back, side, and groin pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Painful and frequent urination: The infection can cause irritation and swelling in the urinary tract which makes urination painful and makes you think you need to urinate more.
- Blood in urine: Reddish blood cells in your urine might only be seen when checked nether a microscope, merely in some cases, the urine is visibly pinkish, cherry-red, or brownish. This ways that the filters in the kidneys or other parts of the urinary tract are allowing blood to leak into the urine.
Young children nether two may only take a high fever without any other symptoms. People above the age of 65 may not accept typical symptoms but may seem confused, accept muddled speech, or hallucinate.
If left untreated, kidney infections tin can result in serious complications. Kidney failure can result from the infection. A kidney infection tin also cause sepsis, an agin reaction to infection in your bloodstream, which can lead to organ failure and death.
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Causes of kidney infections
Bacteria or viruses
Most kidney infections are caused by leaner or viruses. The urinary organization is designed in a way to keep leaner out. Nearly of the time, the urinary tract flushes out bacteria before information technology reaches the bladder. However, sometimes your body is unable to fight the bacteria.
Experts say this usually begins as a bladder infection nearly oftentimes caused by bacteria that lives in your bowel, called Eastward. coli. The leaner then travels upstream to one or both of your kidneys. About one in 30 urinary tract infection cases leads to a kidney infection.
Surgery
In some cases, a kidney infection tin can result if bacteria enters the torso during surgery and then travels to the kidneys through the claret.
Diagnosis of kidney infections
As well discussing your medical history and symptoms, your doctor volition do a physical examination and gild some tests.
Lab tests
Your doctor will order a urinalysis (urine exam) to look for infection signs, such as high white blood cell count and bacteria. Your doctor may do a urine culture. Leaner in urine is grown on a culture dish for about one to iii days, and an expert can then come across which type of bacteria is causing the infection.
Imaging tests
Your doctor may order imaging tests to assistance diagnose a kidney infection. These can include:
- ultrasound
- computed tomography (CT) scan
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Treatments for kidney infections
Your doctor may outset prescribe a general antibiotic. When the lab results come in, they may switch to a specific antibody that treats the type of infection you have. It'south mutual to have antibiotics prescribed for at least ii weeks. It'south important to complete the antibiotic course so that the infection doesn't return.
If your infection is astringent, y'all may have to be hospitalized. Antibiotics, as well as fluids, may be given through an IV (intravenous therapy) in your arm to ensure the drug will reach the kidneys.
If your infection is due to an underlying medical trouble such as kidney stones or an enlarged prostate, y'all might have to be referred to a specialist for treatment.
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Trending on MedicineNet
Medically Reviewed on 12/14/2020
References
American Academy of Family unit Physicians: "Painful Urination."
American Family Physician: "Diagnosis and Handling of Acute Pyelonephritis in Women."
American Kidney Fund: "Blood in urine."
American Kidney Fund: "Kidney infection."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "What is sepsis?"
National Establish of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: "Definition & Facts of Kidney Infection (Pyelonephritis)."
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: "Symptoms & Causes of Kidney Infection (Pyelonephritis)."
National Kidney Foundation: "Hematuria in Adults."
UCLA Health: "Urinary Tract Infection."
Urology Care Foundation: "What is Kidney (Renal) Infection - Pyelonephritis?"
Source: https://www.medicinenet.com/how_do_you_know_if_you_have_a_kidney_infection/article.htm
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