How To Prevent And Treat A Kidney Infection

Kidney infection is a term used to describe when a pathogen travels from an individual's bladder through their ureters and into their kidneys, producing an infection. Kidney infections may also be caused by the spread of an infection that initially manifests in an artificial joint, from surgery on the kidney or bladder, or due to an obstruction in the flow of urine. Kidney infections may also be referred to as pyelonephritis. Symptoms of a kidney infection include abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, chills, cloudy urine, nausea, back pain, urinary urgency, pus in the urine, groin pain, pain while urinating, side pain, blood in the urine, and burning pain while urinating. Diagnosis is made with the use of a urinalysis, CT scan, MRI, ultrasounds, urine culture, and physical examination.

There are several ways a kidney infection can be prevented and treated. Get familiar with these methods now.

Drink Plenty Of Fluids

The most common cause of a kidney infection is the movement of bacteria through the ureters to the kidneys that had originated from a bladder infection. Bladder infections develop when bacteria enter the urethra and then make their way to the bladder. Once the bacteria is in the bladder, it attaches to the walls of the bladder and begins to colonize. If the individual's immune system is unable to eliminate the bacteria quickly, a bladder infection develops. An individual who drinks plenty of fluids will have to urinate more frequently than someone who does not. The mechanical action of urinating allows for bacteria attempting to reach the bladder through the urethra to be washed away by the urine flow. Drinking plenty of fluids can help an individual decrease their chances of developing a bladder infection because urine is not stagnating in the organ. Fewer bladder infections help decrease an individual's chance of developing a kidney infection.

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