The function of the kidneys is to clean and eliminate the waste from the body. It’s the kidneys that make pee- it’s the kidneys that facilitate the sanitary removal of pee from your body. All organs that make up urinary tract have this function to fulfil. In this article, we will only cover the kidneys. To be more specific- it’s all about kidney infections which are also known as pyelonephritis. The kidneys getting infected can be likened to the exhausts of your vehicle getting exhausted. Hence, when the kidneys get infected- the body suffers. When dealing with infections, it’s important to identify them quickly so that timely treatment is possible. If you are still wondering what pyelonephritis is or means- it’s just the scientific word for a kidney infection. There’s a lot more where that came from. Once you are done with this article you will know all about kidney infection causes, kidney infection symptoms, kidney infection treatment and what the infection really is.
Table Of Contents:
What Is ‘Pyelonephritis’?
We promise you this is one of the last times this word is going to be used in this article; ‘pyelonephritis’ is the other name for a kidney infection. It’s a urinary tract infection that generally originates in the urethral region. From there it sometimes spreads to infect its neighbouring areas- the bladder and kidneys. Kidney infection may sound trivial and harmless but it’s not. Kidney infection diagnosis needs to be done real quick as if not identified and treated early on- it can cause permanent damage to the kidneys and also turn into a life-threatening infection.
Kidney Infection Causes
The first step in the process of kidney infection diagnosis is finding out the cause of the infection. Primarily, there are two different kidney infection causes;
‣ Prior Infection: The more common cause of kidney infection is an infected bladder. The infection generally spreads from the bladder to the kidney. A bacteria that’s called ‘E. Coli’- is the devil behind all this infection. Sometimes the kidneys of patients who undergo kidney surgery get infected- another example of how prior infections can become part of the few kidney infections causes out there.
‣ External Environment: Sometimes the bacteria are caught in the air. It starts its journey inside your body from the skin and ultimately down to the kidneys.
Before we move onto kidney infection symptoms- it’s very useful to know in particular what increases the probability of contacting a kidney infection. You can call these risk factors or just other things that increase the likelihood of you contacting a kidney infection.
‣ If your urinary is blocked, that’s a problem. The urinary tract gets blocked because of multiple different reasons
‣ A disorder or problem that prevents you from emptying your bladder completely
‣ An anomaly in the structure of the urinary tract
‣ Other peeing related disorders
‣ Damaged bladder (nerve damage)
‣ Weak immune system
‣ Sufferer of type 2 diabetes
‣ Frequent usage of a catheter
Kidney Infection Symptoms
Kidney infection diagnosis process looks at the severity of the kidney infection by looking at the kidney infection symptoms in detail. Don’t worry- the in detail bit is for the doctor to do. Take a look at the kidney infection symptoms, if you feel that the symptoms apply to you, please do get yourself checked at the very earliest. Kidney infection treatment is most effective when done soon after the diagnosis of the kidney infection symptoms.
‣ The anomaly in the urine (comes with pus or blood or accompanied by a burning sensation)
‣ Lack of appetite
‣ Unexplainable pain in and around the groin region
‣ Nauseating sensation
‣ Unwarranted fatigue
‣ Increase in the frequency of passing urine
‣ Foul smelling urine
‣ Inability to control the passing of urine
Kidney Infection Symptoms In Women
Being a woman is a risk factor with respect to kidney functions. The reasoning behind this goes into the biological makeup of women. Women have a shorter urethra than men. As a result, it’s easier for the urethra to catch infections. Basically, the biological makeup of women makes it easier for women to catch a kidney infection. With that being said- the risk of seeing some kidney infection symptoms in women is higher in pregnant women.
Basically, kidney infection symptoms in women are the same as what’s been mentioned above. However, just to make it easier to read; here are the symptoms of a kidney infection that can be seen in women particularly:
‣ Burning sensation but no passing of urine
‣ Increase in frequency and the urge to pass urine
‣ Pain in around the lower back or side-back or groin area
‣ Excessive pain in the abdominal region
‣ Nauseating feeling
‣ Pus or blood accompanying urine
Kidney Infection Treatment
The result of the kidney infection diagnosis process is that it helps you determine the treatment that you need. Just so sensitize you to the importance to the issue- please try to identify the kidney infection symptoms and liken it to the infection. Kidney infection treatment can work wonders when given immediately after diagnosis. So please, please opt to go for kidney infection treatment as soon as you get to know about the infection.
While conducting a kidney infection diagnosis the doctor may ask you to take a kidney infection test or hand in a urine sample. This is done in addition to finding out about the different symptoms and the severity of the mentioned symptoms.
The diagnosis will determine the treatment for your kidney infection. The different kidney infection treatment protocols that doctors employ are:
‣ Medication: All kinds of kidney infection patients will be prescribed with some sort of medication. The doctor will mostly put you on antibiotics for a week or so. However, the time period of the medication will depend upon the severity of the kidney infection symptoms. Patients who suffer from minor kidney infection may show improvements within days of starting the prescribed medication.
‣ Hospital Treatment: The more severe cases of kidney infection will require the patient to be hospitalized for some time. Again- the time period depends upon how the patient takes the treatment, the way they respond to it. In the hospital, the patient will basically be treated with multiple injections and stronger medication.
‣ Surgery: So one of the kidney infection causes is a structural deformation of the urinary tract. In such cases, the doctor is left with no option but to surgically correct the anomaly. A structurally deformed urinary tract is a serious risk factor and it’s one that should not be ignored.
‣ Home Remedies: Use the same trick that women use to fight off the pain that accompanies menstrual cramps: apply a hot water bottle to the aching portion. Keeping yourself hydrated is another way to battle kidney infection. Yes, it’s as simple a home remedy as drinking water.