A kidney infection, also known as pyelonephritis, is an illness that usually starts in the bladder and works its way up and into a person's kidneys. If not treated quickly and in the right manner a kidney infection can become serious fast. Getting immediate medical care will prevent permanent damage to the kidneys and stop the infection from spreading into the bloodstream and so doing even more damage. Once a kidney infection spreads to the bloodstream it becomes a potentially life threatening disease.



There are a wide variety of symptoms that a person may have when they have a kidney infection. Someone need not have all of them to suspect that they have pyelonephritis, but a person should have a few before they start to worry. So if someone were suffering from persistent symptoms that have to deal with urinating difficulties and pain they should see their health care provider. The symptoms include a constant feeling that one needs to urinate, when urinating there is a burning feeling or pain as well as the urine appearing cloudy and having a stronger then normal smell. All of these symptoms, including blood in the urine mean that someone should go to see their health care provider right away. If along with these symptoms a person had any pain in the abdomen, or pain in the lower back or around the groin area or have a fever then they very likely have a kidney infection and should seek medical care.

Some people will ignore the symptoms of a kidney infection, hoping that if it is left alone it will fix itself and so the symptoms will disappear. Most of the time this will not happen. If on top of the above symptoms a temperature of over a hundred and one, constant tiredness, nausea resulting in vomiting, chills, and sweats develop these signs are telling the person with the kidney infection that it is getting worse.

If a person is otherwise healthy, then likely a treatment of antibiotics, drinking lots of water and a couple of days bed rest should be all that is needed to correct the average kidney infection. If the pyelonephritis is severe hospitalization may be necessary. A urologist, a doctor whose specialty is urinary conditions, will be called to see if there is an underlying problem that is causing the infection because sometimes it is a structural issue causing the kidney problems.