Urinary Tract Infection And Kidney Infection

Can Utis Be Prevented

A few things can help prevent UTIs. After peeing, girls should wipe from front to back with toilet paper. After BMs, wipe from front to back to avoid spreading bacteria from the rectal area to the urethra.

Also, go to the bathroom when needed and dont hold the pee in. Pee that stays in the bladder gives bacteria a good place to grow.

Keep the genital area clean and dry. Girls should change their tampons and pads regularly during their periods. Bubble baths can irritate the vaginal area, so girls should take showers or plain baths. Avoid long exposure to moisture in the genital area by not wearing nylon underwear or wet swimsuits. Wearing underwear with cotton crotches is also helpful. Skip using feminine hygiene sprays or douches, as these can irritate the urethra.

If you are sexually active, go to the bathroom both before and within 15 minutes after sex. After sex, gently wash the genital area to remove any bacteria. Avoid sexual positions that irritate or hurt the urethra or bladder. Couples who use lubrication during sex should use a water-soluble lubricant such as K-Y Jelly.

Finally, drinking lots of water each day keeps the bladder active and bacteria-free.

UTIs are uncomfortable and often painful, but theyre common and easily treated. The sooner you contact your doctor, the sooner youll be able to get rid of the problem.

Urinary Tract Infections In Babies And Young Children

Babies and children are at risk of UTIs. These infections always need to be investigated as they may indicate a serious underlying condition, such as urinary reflux. Reflux is caused by a bladder valve problem allowing urine to flow back into the kidneys from the bladder. Reflux can cause the urine to stay inside the body increasing the risk of infection. It may lead to kidney scarring, which in turn leads to high blood pressure and sometimes kidney problems.

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How Are Urinary Tract Infections Diagnosed

Your doctor will use the following tests to diagnose a urinary tract infection:

• Urinalysis: This test will examine the urine for red blood cells, white blood cells and bacteria. The number of white and red blood cells found in your urine can actually indicate an infection.
• Urine culture: A urine culture is used to determine the type of bacteria in your urine. This is an important test because it helps determine the appropriate treatment.

If your infection does not respond to treatment or if you keep getting infections over and over again, your doctor may use the following tests to examine your urinary tract for disease or injury:

• Ultrasound: In this test, sound waves create an image of the internal organs. This test is done on top of your skin, is painless and doesnt typically need any preparation.
• Cystoscopy: This test uses a special instrument fitted with a lens and a light source to see inside the bladder from the urethra.
• CT scan: Another imaging test, a CT scan is a type of X-ray that takes cross sections of the body . This test is much more precise than typical X-rays.

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Complications Related To Kidney Infection:

Most cases of kidney infections come to a complete cure. However, if left untreated, it can lead to life-threatening complications that include:

• Permanent kidney damage which lead to chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.
• Spread of infection through the blood stream which leads to life threatening condition called sepsis.

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Complications Of Kidney Infections

Most kidney infections are treated successfully without complications, although some people may develop further problems.

Complications of a kidney infection are rare, but youre more likely to develop them if you:

• rapid heartbeat

Blood poisoning is a medical emergency that usually requires admission to a hospital intensive care unit while antibiotics are used to fight the infection.

If youre taking certain medications for diabetes, such as metformin or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, they may be temporarily withdrawn until you recover. This is because they can cause kidney damage during an episode of blood poisoning.

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How Do I Know If I Have A Uti Or A Kidney Infection

It may feel like all urinary tract infections are the same they all feel pretty uncomfortable! But a UTI can occur anywhere within your urinary system and its important to know what to look for in case it travels to your kidneys. Read on to learn more about UTIs and Kidney Infections, and how to tell the difference between them.

A Urinary Tract Infection Or Uti May Lead To Severe Health Complications If Left Untreated

Written by Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Updated : October 28, 2014 4:15 PM IST

A urinary tract infection or UTI, is commonly seen in women as compared to males. Although children and older people are susceptible to this condition, pregnant women and those with a pre-existing health problem are at an increased risk of its complications. Hence, if you experience symptoms of UTI, consult your doctor or try natural remedies to treat urinary tract infection. It is important to get treated for UTI as the complications of UTI are rare but can cause serious consequences on the health. Some of the common UTI complications are as follows.

Recurrent urinary tract infections

A urinary tract infection if left untreated or improperly treated may lead to recurrent UTIs. This is commonly seen in women who experience UTIs due to unhygienic practices and weak immune system. It may have serious consequences if pregnant women or young children suffer from urinary tract infection.

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How Are Utis Treated

UTIs are treated with antibiotics. After several days of antibiotics, your doctor may repeat the urine tests to be sure that the infection is gone. It’s important to make sure of this because an incompletely treated UTI can come back or spread.

If someone has a lot of pain from a UTI, the doctor may recommend a medicine to help relieve the spasm and pain in the bladder. This will turn pee a bright orange color, but it’s harmless and will usually make a person much more comfortable within hours. In the case of a kidney infection, a doctor may prescribe pain medicine.

If you’ve finished all the medicine or if your symptoms aren’t much better after 2 to 3 days of treatment, contact your doctor.

Drink lots of water during and after treatment because each time you pee, the bladder cleanses itself a little bit more. Cranberry juice may also be helpful. Skip drinks that containe caffeine , such as soda and iced tea.

People who get a doctor’s help for a UTI right away should be clear of symptoms within a week. Someone with a more severe infection may need treatment in a hospital so they can get antibiotics by injection or IV .

A doctor may tell people with UTIs to avoid sex for a week or so, which lets the inflammation clear up completely.

How Do Doctors Treat A Kidney Infection

Doctors treat most kidney infections with antibiotics . Doctors will often first prescribe an antibiotic that fights the most common types of kidney infection because it is very important to treat a kidney infection right away. Then, they may change the type of antibiotic after they get the results of your blood or urine tests.

Doctors will prescribe an antibiotic medicine based on:

• What type of bacteria is causing the infection
• How severe the infection is
• If you are you are pregnant
• If you are older than 65
• If you had problems from certain antibiotics in the past, such as allergic reactions

If you have a very serious infection, you may need to stay in the hospital to get antibiotics through an IV . You may also get medicine for pain.

If your kidney infection was caused by a problem with the shape of your urinary tract, you may need to have surgery to correct the problem and prevent future kidney infections.

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Kidney Infection Vs Uti

The main difference between a kidney infection and UTI is that a urinary tract infection can occur anywhere in the urinary system while a kidney infection occurs in one or both of the kidneys.

Different Causes

Differences in Treatments

Kidney infections and UTIs are commonly treated with antibiotics. However, a serious kidney infection may warrant in-hospital treatment including IV antibiotics and fluids.

When Will I Begin To Feel Better

Once you start treatment, you should start to feel better in a few days.

Can I have sex while being treated for a kidney infection?After you have started treatment and your symptoms have gone away, it is usually safe to have sex. Remember to urinate after sex to avoid getting more bacteria in your urinary tract.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Urinary Tract Infection

Classic symptoms of UTI include:

The symptoms of UTI in older adults related to changes in mood, cognition, and behavior are well-documented, but they often mimic symptoms of other conditions like dementia or stroke. This coupled with the fact that the elderly may not be able to tell you when they are experiencing classic symptoms of UTI make it important for their loved ones and caregivers to take prompt action when an abrupt change in mood or behavior is observed. Medical professionals can test for UTI and can determine whether or not a bacterial or fungal infection is present in the urinary tract, or if the changes are the result of some other condition. Tests for UTI are usually performed through urinalysis.

The good news is that if UTI is diagnosed early enough, treatments are usually easy and effective. Depending on the source of infection, antibiotics or antifungal medications are used with great success against UTI. Drinking plenty of fluids while taking the medication will also help flush the infection out of the urinary tract. It is important to take the antibiotic or antifungal medication exactly as it is prescribed, even after UTI symptoms go away. Taking all of the medication will help kill all of the infections. Centric Healthcares trained and caring professionals can help ensure that their clients take all medications as prescribed and drink appropriate amounts of fluids.

What Can Happen If A Uti Is Not Treated

If treated right away, a UTI is not likely to damage your urinary tract. But if your UTI is not treated, the infection can spread to the kidneys and other parts of your body. The most common symptoms of kidney infection are fever and pain in the back where the kidneys are located. Antibiotics can also treat kidney infections.

Sometimes the infection can get in the bloodstream. This is rare but life-threatening.

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What Conditions Are Related To Recurrent Utis

Recurrent UTIs sometimes happen along with other conditions, such as:

• vesicoureteral reflux , which is found in 30%50% of kids diagnosed with a UTI. In this congenital condition, pee flows backward from the bladder to the ureters. Ureters are thin, tube-like structures that carry pee from the kidney to the bladder. Sometimes the pee backs up to the kidneys. If itâs infected with bacteria, it can lead to pyelonephritis.
• hydronephrosis, which is an enlargement of one or both kidneys due to backup or blockage of urine flow. Itâs usually caused by severe VUR or a blocked ureter. Some kids with hydronephrosis might need to take daily low doses of antibiotics to prevent UTIs until the condition producing hydronephrosis gets better or is fixed through surgery.

But not all cases of recurrent UTIs can be traced back to these body structure-related problems. For example, dysfunctional voiding when a child doesnât relax the muscles properly while peeing is a common cause of UTIs. Not peeing often enough also can also increase a childâs risk for recurrent infections. Both dysfunctional voiding and infrequent urination can be associated with constipation.

Rarely, unrelated conditions that harm the bodyâs natural defenses, such as diseases of the immune system, also can lead to recurrent UTIs. Use of a nonsterile urinary catheter can introduce bacteria into the urinary tract and also cause an infection.

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Causes Of Urinary Tract Infections You Need To Know

Urinary tract infections are a common ailment, affecting as many as 8.1 million Americans annually. The urinary tract is an amazing system that helps us get rid of waste from our bodies. Its composed of the bladder, kidneys, urethra, and the tubes that run between them, the ureters.

UTIs can be caused by bacteria entering the system from the genital opening, and they may affect the upper or lower urinary tracts. UTIs are more common in women, though men can also develop them. See 5 Signs of a Urinary Tract Infection You Need To Know

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What If The Infection Does Not Clear Up With Treatment

Most infections clear up with treatment. However, if an infection does not clear up, or if you have repeated infections, you may be given some special tests such as:

• a type of x-ray called an intravenous pyleogram , which involves injecting a dye into a vein and taking pictures of your kidney and bladder

• an ultrasound exam, which gives a picture of your kidneys and bladder using sound waves

• a cytoscopic exam, which uses a hollow tube with special lenses to look inside the bladder.

How Do You Know When A Uti Becomes A Kidney Infection

When you do not see a doctor, a urinary tract infection can swiftly turn into a kidney infection, which can be very serious to your long-term health.

Urinary tract infections are one of the most common types of infection, second only to respiratory infections. They account for over 8.3 million visits to hospitals and health care providers each year. An untreated UTI may lead to a kidney infection, this is a potentially life-threatening condition.

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What About Kidney Stones Are They Involved Here Somehow

Sort of. A kidney stone isnt an infection, but a collection of salt and minerals that hardens and turns into a stone. While some stones may be small others can be much larger. They may stay in the kidney, or begin to move into the ureter, the tube that connects the kidney and the bladder. When this happens, kidney stones can become extremely painful.

Kidney stones can be tricky, since they may have many of the same symptoms as a UTI or a kidney infection pain when urinating, needing to urinate often, and cloudy or strong smelling urine, blood in the urine, fever, nausea or vomiting. And while stones often pass on their own, larger stones sometimes need to be broken up, or removed.

Sometimes, kidney stones can lead to a urinary tract infection or a kidney infection, so its important to get them checked out by your doctor. And, since the symptoms are so similar, getting a checkup is probably a good idea anyway just to rule out the possibility of an infection, and to make sure the stone is moving along as it should.

Can Urinary Tract Infections Be Prevented

These steps may help reduce the chance of getting UTIs:

• Drink plenty of water every day.
• Drink cranberry juice. Large amounts of vitamin C limit the growth of some bacteria by acidifying the urine. Vitamin C supplements have the same effect.
• Urinate when you feel the need. Do not wait.
• Take showers instead of tub baths.
• Clean the genital area before and after sex, and urinate shortly after sex.
• Women should not use feminine hygiene sprays or scented douches.
• Cotton underwear and loose fitting clothes help keep the area around the urethra dry. Tight clothes and nylon underwear trap moisture. This can help bacteria grow.
• Repeated bouts of urinary tract infections can be treated with small doses of regular antibiotics.

Please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns you may have about UTIs.

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Number 9 Extended Use Of Catheter

If you need to use a catheter to urinate, there is a risk of getting a urinary tract infection. This is because it is not natural for there to be a foreign object in the urethra for an extended period of time. People who are hospitalized generally have to use indwelling urinary catheters, which increase the risk of bladder, kidney, and urinary tract infections.

How Do I Know If My Child Has A Urinary Tract Infection

UTIs are sometimes hard to diagnose in babies and young children, because they canât tell us how theyâre feeling. Therefore, urine should be tested in a baby or a young child who has an unexplained fever for three days. A UTI may be the cause of the fever. Fever might be the only symptom in a baby with pyelonephritis.

An older child might be able to tell you that it hurts to urinate. Children who have a sudden need to urinate and who hold themselves or squat to keep from urinating might have a UTI. If your child has a kidney infection, you may be able to tell that he or she is sick. Your child may act tired, or have a fever, or have nausea and vomiting.

Of course, babies and children can get a fever from many other illnesses, such as colds, ear infections and the flu. Also, other things can cause pain with urination or loss of urine control. Irritation at the opening of the urethra may cause pain with urination. Bubble baths can irritate the tender skin around the urethra and make urination hurt. Dirty diapers or underpants can irritate the skin around the genital area and cause pain. .

If you think your child has a UTI, call your doctor.

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