Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Infection

Kidney infections usually begin in the bladder. In case there is low resistance, germs from the bladder move up the tubes (ureters) that reach the kidneys, reside over there and multiply. An acute kidney infection begins suddenly with severe symptoms and rapidly ends up. A chronic kidney infection increases at a slow pace and becomes worse. The chronicity can cause a kidney failure. Conditions like pregnancy, cancer, diabetes, kidney stones and abnormalities of the urinary tract can decrease the capacity to ward off the bacteria that cause kidney infections. Foley catheters can lead to infection if left for extended periods. Women often get kidney infections when bacteria enter the urinary tract after sex.

Kidney infection symptoms
The following symptoms may be seen in case of kidney infection:

• Burning sensation or pain while urination takes place
• strong and continual urge to urinate
• frequent urination
• back side or groin pain
• inability to urinate
• cloudy urine with a strong smell
• fever
• pain in the loin (side of the abdomen above the kidney)
• pus or blood in the urine called hematuria
• feeling sick (nausea)
• abdominal pain or pressure
• need of urinating during the night called nocturia

Severe kidney infection includes:

• extreme fatigue
• confusion
• shaking chills
• nausea or vomiting
• night sweats
• high fever – body temperature of 38.3 degrees celsius or more

In case of infants as well as young children, the signs are:

• loss of appetite
• new episodes of bed-wetting (enuresis)
• irritability
• loose bowel movements

In elderly people, mental changes like confusion are the sole symptoms of kidney infection.

• If kidney infections are not treated, they can lead to blood poisoning, loss of a kidney or sometimes death. Some of the warning signs of a kidney infection are as follows:
• Burning during urination : This is a good sign of a Urinary Tract Infection. The burning has not to be confused with the itching or burning of a yeast infection. The burning is accompanied by pain and at times brings tears in the eyes.
• There is a pain in the lower back and right around the waist. This feels like a dull ache. There may be a sharp and stabbing pain. There may be a feeling that somebody is punching repetitiously. Any pain concentrated to the small corner of the lower back can lead to kidney trouble.
• Fatigue is a prominent symptom of kidney infection that can affect the person suddenly. Exhaustion can take place to a degree that keeping the eyes open is a struggle. Every small bit of energy that has to be gathered from falling in the chair is required.

Kidney infection
Kidney infection is also called pyelonephritis. This is a bacterial infection of one or both the kidneys. Escherichia coli is usually found in the large intestine and this leads to 90% of cases of kidney infection among the people who stay in this community. This is a particular type of urinary tract infection that usually starts in the urethra or bladder and moves up the kidneys. If this is not treated correctly, this can permanently hurt the kidneys or move into the bloodstream and result in a life-threatening infection. The kidneys filter waste from the blood and adjust the blood level of many substances, conserve or excrete water from the system and this depends on the needs of the body. This filtration and renal tubular function leads to the formation of urine. From the kidneys, urine moves through tubes called ureters that move to the bladder. The bladder stores urine till it moves out of the body from the urethra. Through the kidneys, urine passes through the tubes called ureters that lead to the bladder. The bladder stores urine till it moves out of the body through the urethra. Kidney infection begins when bacteria move into the urinary tract from the urethra and begin to multiply. Antibiotics are the general treatment for kidney infection.