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[K43]Kidney Infection During Pregnancy

by Groshan Fabiola, Gro

When a woman is pregnant she will experience some changes in the anatomy and function of her urinary tract. Because of these changes, kidney infection or other conditions that affect the urinary system are very common. Your kidneys will get bigger, the bladder will be compressed by the uterus, it will not empty very well, all of these conditions making you more at risk of developing a kidney infection. However, most of the women who are pregnant do not develop a kidney infection, but some other forms of infections of the urinary tract that are not so complicated as a kidney infection is. She can develop an infection that is caused by a bacteria. However, this infection, unlike kidney infection, has no symptoms and the bacteria was probably found in your system long before you became pregnant. This type of infection affects almost six percent of all pregnant women. Other infections of the urinary tract besides a kidney infection can be cystitis. This is an infection of the bladder that causes symptoms, some similar to those of a kidney infection. So as I have said before, it is more likely that you develop these infections when you are pregnant and not a kidney infection. However, there are some pregnant women that can develop pyelonephritis. This is the most common kidney infection found in pregnant women, that has almost the same symptoms as acute cystitis. However, besides those symptoms, this type of kidney infection also causes back pain. Furthermore, if left untreated, this kidney infection can lead to serious infection or even pre term labor.

The most common cause of a kidney infection or any other infection of the urinary tract is an organism called E coli. Gonorrhea or chlymidia are other cause of a kidney infection. These are transmitted sexually.

To diagnose a kidney infection or other infections of the urinary tract, a doctor must make a physical examination, know your whole medical history and also take a urine specimen and test it. After all these are done and the doctor knows for sure the results of your urine test and bacteria culture, he/ she can diagnose you with a kidneys infection.

The two kidneys are responsible with urine production, and they are situated one on each side of the abdomen.
A kidney infection may appear very easy, and it is usually announced by symptoms like nausea, fever, blood in the urine or pain in the loin. Not always, a kidney infection reveals such symptoms, sometimes you just feel bad and don't know exactly why.

It is important that you go to the doctor and take a urine test, because the doctor must know what type of bacteria caused the infection. More tests may be necessary, especially if the doctor suspects a kidney abnormality or a kidney stone.

Usually, kidney infections develop from a cystitis, because the bacteria that caused that disease sometimes travels up and infects the kidney. But it is also known that a lot of people which have cystitis do not develop a kidney infection.
In other cases, kidney infections have nothing to do with cystitis, and they develop because you have an abnormality of a kidney or a kidney stone.

Kidney infections are usually treated with antibiotics. If the doctor suspects kidney infection, he will prescribe antibiotics even before the laboratory shows the results of your urine test. After knowing the results, the doctor may change the antibiotic, because some bacteria are resistant to some types of antibiotics .The treatment might last about 7 to 14 days, depending of which one your doctor prescribed.
In case of high temperature or pain, you will have to take ibuprofen or paracetamol, and if there is a more severe pain, you will take stronger painkillers.
It is also recommended to drink plenty of water, to prevent the risk of dehydration.

Many times, the infection is not very severe, and it may pass with a course of antibiotic tablets, but in other cases, hospitalization is needed. This must be done when you vomitate a lot and the risk of dehydration appears, the infection is severe, you are feeling frail and taking antibiotics do not show quick results.
For immediate effect, antibiotics can be given straight into the vein, and you will also follow a hydrating treatment if that is required.

It is known that if you have had healthy kidneys before the infection started, you will fully recover, complications occur rarely.
For example, septicaemia, which is serious and dangerous, appears if bacteria from a kidney infection get into the bloodstream. Usually this happens when the treatment is delayed.
Repeated kidney infections are a complication of some kidney disorders, and it is possible they will damage the kidney further.

Briefing, understanding the causes, risks, symptoms and treatments of this disease should convince you that it is necessary to visit a doctor as soon as you suspect you are having such an infection.

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