A kidney infection, in technical terms pyelonephritis, is usually caused by a bacteria infection that has spread from your bladder.
If your situation is not a bladder infection migration, then sometimes a kidney infection may result from:
- kidney stones
- prostate enlargement
- surgery on the urinary tract
- the use of a catheter or endoscope
Common symptoms alerting you to the possibility you may have a kidney infection are:
- back, side & groin pain
- fever, nausea and/or vomiting
- urgent, frequent, burning urination
- presence of pus and/or blood in the urine
Severe or recurrent kidney infections can result in permanent kidney damage, which then may lead to chronic kidney disease. In rare cases, infection in the kidney may spread to the bloodstream, a very serious condition known as sepsis.
Routinely, nausea and back side pain of a kidney infection is treated with an antibiotic that is taken for several weeks.
The most important thing you can do to maintain urinary tract health, whether it be during this infection or preventing a subsequent one, is to drink water. And drink it often.
