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By Jeffrey Peebles, M.D. – Southlake MedicalbrDirector, CompletebrCare
A urinary tract infection,bror UTI, typically affects only the urethra and bladder, known as the lowerbrurinary system. However, there are times where a UTI can also involve thebrkidneys, resulting in an infection known as pyelonephritis. Here are some waysbrto tell if you have this potentially serious condition.
Symptoms of a Kidney Infection
If the type of kidneybrinfection known as pyelonephritis spreads to the blood, that can result in abrsevere illness. But since pyelonephritis can be effectively treated withbrantibiotics, early detection is key. Get to your doctor if you notice any ofbrthese symptoms:
· brBack pain
· brChills or fever
· brConfusion
· brGeneral malaise
· brNausea
· brVomiting
You may also notice changesbrin your urine, such a blood in the urine, foul-smelling or cloudy urine, orbrpain when urinating. Another sign may be an increased frequency of urination,bror increased urgency.
Causes
Pyelonephritis is typicallybrcaused by the same bacteria that causes a UTI, such E. coli. There are somebrinstances, however, where environmental bacteria can cause the infection, asbrwell as skin bacteria.
If you have a condition thatbrresults in a reduced flow of urine, that could help lead to pyelonephritis. Anybrtime the flow of urine either slows down or stops completely, that can make itbreasier for bacteria to move into the kidneys. Anything that can obstruct thebrflow of urine can lead to pyelonephritis, such as kidney or bladder stones or abrpelvic or abdominal mass.
Treatment
Once your doctor hasbrdetermined you have pyelonephritis (the condition is usually diagnosed throughbra urinalysis, urine culture, CT scan, kidney ultrasound or blood cultures), hebror she will probably also look for any conditions that could be causing thebrinfection. These could include kidney defects or kidney stones. If thisbrunderlying problem is corrected, that will substantially reduce the chances youbrwill develop pyelonephritis again.
The only effective way tobrtreat this type of kidney infection is antibiotics – there are no home remediesbrthat have proven to work. Hospitalization is typically not required as long asbryou can get around and you can take oral antibiotics. If you have a severebrcase, however, then you may need to be hospitalized and have the antibioticsbrdelivered intravenously.
In most cases,brpyelonephritis can be completely cured through antibiotics with no lastingbrdamage to the kidneys. Once you have it, the chances are small that you willbrever develop the condition again.
If you or someone in your home is showing signs of abrkidney infection, or you ever experience any kind of medical emergency, get inbrtouch with the experts at Complete Care. Contact us online to learnbrmore.
Dr. Jeffrey Peebles, M.D. has an extensive amount ofbrexperience in delivering advanced emergency care. He is board certified withbrthe American Board of Emergency Medicine, and a member of the American Collegebrof Emergency Physicians/Texas College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. Peebles isbrcommitted to providing timely, affordable and high-quality medical care to thebrSouthlake community.