Kidney infection, known as pyelonephritis in medical parlance, is a type of urinary tract infection or UTI that spreads from your urethra or bladder to one or both of your kidneys.
Kidney infection can be either acute or chronic. It is generally painful and requires prompt and proper medical attention. It is usually treatable. If left untreated, it can damage your kidneys forever and be life-threatening. Treatment for kidney infection, which usually includes antibiotics, may also include hospitalization.
But how do you know if you have a kidney infection? Symptoms of kidney infection usually include pain with urination and the need to urinate more frequently. There may also be blood in the urine, lower abdominal pain or fever. The symptoms of a kidney infection normally develop quite fast over a few hours or days.
The following telltale signs can help you decide if you have a kidney infection.
Chills & Fever
Kidney causes higher temperature which may reach 39.5C or 103.1F. In most of the instances, persons suffering from kidney infection don’t experience fever and chills until the kidney infection is present for some time. If not treated the kidney infection will cause fever and chills. Hence, if you experience a sudden and unexplained fever, seek immediate medical attention.
Feeling very weak or tired
Fatigue is a common symptom people experience in kidney infection. The sufferer feels very weak or tired and does not have the energy for even simple daily chores. The patient needs rest to fight off the infection.
Urgent or frequent urge to urinate
If you have kidney infection, chances are that you will feel an urgent urge to urinate often, even if you just emptied your bladder. You may have foul-smelling urine. However it must be noted that persistent urge to urinate is also a symptom of kidney stones.
Nausea and vomiting
Nausea is one of the symptoms of kidney infection. Sine kidneys is responsible for removing waste and toxins from your blood, vomiting may occur to eliminate waste materials from the body if kidneys are no longer able to do so adequately.
Pus or blood in urine (hematuria)
Blood in urine (hematuria) can indicate a kidney infection. Hematuria is caused by the presence of red blood cells in the urine. This is due to the leakage of blood cells by the kidneys into the urine.
Kidney Pain
Kidney Pain, also called renal pain, is one of the dominant symptoms of a kidney infection. You may feel kidney pain in your upper abdomen, side or back.
Abdominal pain
Kidney infection is one of the causes of abdominal pain. Seek immediate medical attention if pain is accompanied by fever and persistent nausea and vomiting.
Frequent urination
One of the major symptoms of kidney infection is frequent urination which is the need to urinate more often than what’s usual for you. You may be urinating more than normal or only small amounts.
Burning urination
Kidney infection is one of the reasons for the causation of painful urination known as dysuria.
If you are experiencing the above mentioned symptoms, it is time to see a doctor.