Kidney infection
What is a kidney infection?
Your kidneys are the organs in your body that make urine. You have two of them, each one about the size of a fist. They sit near the middle of your back, just below your ribs. They filter water and waste products out of your blood to make urine.
Urine drains from your kidneys down tubes called ureters. You have two ureters, one from each kidney. Both ureters empty into your bladder. Urine is stored in your bladder until
you go to the bathroom. When you urinate, urine passes out of your body through a tube called the urethra.
The part of your body that makes and gets rid of urine is called your urinary tract. Your urinary tract includes your kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.
You can get an
infection in your urinary tract when tiny organisms, usually
bacteria, get into your urethra and start to multiply.
1
infection
You get an infection when viruses, bacteria, fungi or other tiny organisms get into your body. These bugs are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope. For example, an infection in your airways causes the common cold. And an infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot.
You get an infection when viruses, bacteria, fungi or other tiny organisms get into your body. These bugs are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope. For example, an infection in your airways causes the common cold. And an infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot.
bacteria
Bacteria are tiny organisms. There are lots of different types. Some are harmful and can cause disease. But some bacteria live in your body without causing any harm.
Bacteria are tiny organisms. There are lots of different types. Some are harmful and can cause disease. But some bacteria live in your body without causing any harm.
Source:
National Institute of Diabetic and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Urinary tract infection in adults.
December 2005. Available at http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/utiadult (accessed on 20 October 2008).
National Institute of Diabetic and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Urinary tract infection in adults.
December 2005. Available at http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/utiadult (accessed on 20 October 2008).
An infection that stays in your urethra is called urethritis. If it spreads to your bladder, it's a bladder infection, also called cystitis. Doctors sometimes call infections in your bladder or urethra lower urinary tract infections.
An infection in the lower part of your urinary tract may travel up your ureters to infect one or both kidneys. The medical
name for a kidney infection is pyelonephritis. Doctors sometimes call kidney infections upper urinary tract infections.
If a doctor just says "urinary tract infection" or "UTI," they probably mean urethritis or a bladder infection. To read more,
see our information on Bladder infection.
There are two main types of kidney infections.
2
3
4
Source:
Horcajada JP, Smithson A.
Acute pyelonephritis in adults: an update.
Reviews in Medical Microbiology. 2003; 14: 119-127.
Horcajada JP, Smithson A.
Acute pyelonephritis in adults: an update.
Reviews in Medical Microbiology. 2003; 14: 119-127.
Source:
Ramakrishnan K, Scheid DC.
Diagnosis and management of acute pyelonephritis in adults.
American Family Physician. 2005; 71: 933-942.
Ramakrishnan K, Scheid DC.
Diagnosis and management of acute pyelonephritis in adults.
American Family Physician. 2005; 71: 933-942.
Source:
Bergeron MG.
Treatment of pyelonephritis in adults.
Medical Clinics of North America. 1995; 79: 619-649.
Bergeron MG.
Treatment of pyelonephritis in adults.
Medical Clinics of North America. 1995; 79: 619-649.
-
Uncomplicated kidney infections. This is when a person with a normal urinary tract and a healthy
immune system
The immune system is made up of the parts of the body that are devoted to fighting infection. The body is constantly being threatened by infections from things like bacteria, viruses and parasites. The immune system fights these infections in different ways. At the microscopic level, the immune system uses antibodies and white blood cells, which travel in the blood and target infectious agents, such as bacteria. These microscopic parts of the immune system either kill the infectious agent directly, or take it to other parts of the body, like the spleen, where it can be dealt with. The lymph nodes are another important part of the immune system. Within them, white blood cells filter through the foreign material that has entered the blood, to see if there are any infections. When you have a swollen gland during a cold, this is actually a lymph node that is reacting to the infection. Unfortunately, it is possible for the immune system to become confused and to use its destructive powers to target healthy parts of the body. Diseases that result from this type of situation are called autoimmune diseases.immune system gets infected with a common type of bacteria. This type of kidney infection is most common in women ages 18 to 40. - Complicated kidney infections. This is when the infection is more serious for some reason. It might be caused by bacteria that aren't as easy to kill with drugs. Or you could have another medical condition that makes your kidney infection worse, or means your body can't fight it off as well as it should.
- Are over 60
- Have a blockage or another problem with your urinary tract
- Have kidneys that don't work properly
- Have a kidney stone
- Need a catheter (a tube to drain urine from your bladder)
- Have a problem that affects your immune system. Your immune system is made up of all the parts of your body that help fight disease.
- Have recently had your bladder and urethra examined with an instrument called a cystoscope
- Are pregnant
- Get infected by less common bacteria that are difficult to treat with
antibiotics
These medications are used to help your immune system fight infection. There are a number of different types of antibiotics that work in different ways to get rid of bacteria, parasites and other infectious agents. Antibiotics do not work against viruses.antibiotics.
prostate
Only men have a prostate. It's a small, solid gland that's about the size of a chestnut. Its job is to help make the milky fluid that comes out of a man's penis when he has an orgasm. The fluid from the prostate helps keep sperm healthy and also helps them swim freely.
Only men have a prostate. It's a small, solid gland that's about the size of a chestnut. Its job is to help make the milky fluid that comes out of a man's penis when he has an orgasm. The fluid from the prostate helps keep sperm healthy and also helps them swim freely.
If you have a complicated kidney infection, you're likely to feel more sick than you would with an uncomplicated infection.
4 You may need to be treated in the hospital.
Source:
Bergeron MG.
Treatment of pyelonephritis in adults.
Medical Clinics of North America. 1995; 79: 619-649.
Bergeron MG.
Treatment of pyelonephritis in adults.
Medical Clinics of North America. 1995; 79: 619-649.
Most kidney infections are acute. This means they come on suddenly and go away after treatment. But some people get a chronic kidney infection. Chronic is a word doctors use to describe a condition you have for a long time. It doesn't mean that a
condition is any more serious. People usually only get a chronic kidney infection if they also have another medical problem
with their kidneys.
5
Source:
U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Medline Plus medical encylopedia: kidney infection (pyelonephritis).
July 2006. Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000522.htm (accessed on 20 October 2008).
U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Medline Plus medical encylopedia: kidney infection (pyelonephritis).
July 2006. Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000522.htm (accessed on 20 October 2008).
The bacteria that cause kidney infections nearly always reach the kidneys by traveling up from the urethra and the bladder.
Sometimes, the infection reaches the kidneys through the bloodstream. But this is rare in healthy people.
3
Source:
Ramakrishnan K, Scheid DC.
Diagnosis and management of acute pyelonephritis in adults.
American Family Physician. 2005; 71: 933-942.
Ramakrishnan K, Scheid DC.
Diagnosis and management of acute pyelonephritis in adults.
American Family Physician. 2005; 71: 933-942.
More than 8 in 10 uncomplicated kidney infections are caused by bacteria called Escherichia coli, or E. coli for short.
2
Source:
Horcajada JP, Smithson A.
Acute pyelonephritis in adults: an update.
Reviews in Medical Microbiology. 2003; 14: 119-127.
Horcajada JP, Smithson A.
Acute pyelonephritis in adults: an update.
Reviews in Medical Microbiology. 2003; 14: 119-127.
E. coli also causes more than half of all complicated kidney infections. People with this type of infection often have strains of
E. coli that are more difficult to treat with antibiotics.
6
Source:
Velasco M, Horcajada JP, Mensa J, et al.
Decreased invasive capacity of quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in patients with urinary tract infections.
Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2001; 33: 1682-1686.
Velasco M, Horcajada JP, Mensa J, et al.
Decreased invasive capacity of quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in patients with urinary tract infections.
Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2001; 33: 1682-1686.
Anyone can get a kidney infection, but there may be things about you and your life that make it more likely. These are called
risk factors. For women, the risk factors for kidney infections are the same as the risk factors for bladder infections. Risk factors
for women include:
7
Source:
Scholes D, Hooton TM, Roberts PL, et al.
Risk factors associated with acute pyelonephritis in healthy women.
Annals of Internal Medicine. 2005; 142: 20-27.
Scholes D, Hooton TM, Roberts PL, et al.
Risk factors associated with acute pyelonephritis in healthy women.
Annals of Internal Medicine. 2005; 142: 20-27.
- Having sex (including oral sex or anal sex) often. We don't know exactly why sex increases your risk of infection, but it
probably makes it more likely that bacteria can get into your body from the area around your genitals.
Source:
Scholes D, Hooton TM, Roberts PL, et al.
Risk factors for recurrent urinary tract infection in young women.
The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2000; 182: 177-1182.
8 - Using a spermicide for contraception. Spermicide kills some of the protective bacteria that live in your vagina.
Source:
Scholes D, Hooton TM, Roberts PL, et al.
Risk factors for recurrent urinary tract infection in young women.
The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2000; 182: 177-1182.
8 - Having a new sex partner in the last year
- Having had a urinary tract infection, such as a bladder infection, in the last year
- Having a mother with a history of urinary infections
- Having
diabetes
Diabetes is a condition that causes too much sugar to circulate in your blood. It happens when your body stops making a hormone called insulin (type 1 diabetes) or when insulin stops working (type 2 diabetes).diabetes - Leaking urine, for example when you cough or sneeze. To read more, see our information on Stress incontinence.
Sources for the information on this page:
- National Institute of Diabetic and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Urinary tract infection in adults.December 2005. Available at http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/utiadult (accessed on 20 October 2008).
- Horcajada JP, Smithson A.Acute pyelonephritis in adults: an update.Reviews in Medical Microbiology. 2003; 14: 119-127.
- Ramakrishnan K, Scheid DC.Diagnosis and management of acute pyelonephritis in adults.American Family Physician. 2005; 71: 933-942.
- Bergeron MG.Treatment of pyelonephritis in adults.Medical Clinics of North America. 1995; 79: 619-649.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine.Medline Plus medical encylopedia: kidney infection (pyelonephritis).July 2006. Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000522.htm (accessed on 20 October 2008).
- Velasco M, Horcajada JP, Mensa J, et al.Decreased invasive capacity of quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in patients with urinary tract infections.Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2001; 33: 1682-1686.
- Scholes D, Hooton TM, Roberts PL, et al.Risk factors associated with acute pyelonephritis in healthy women.Annals of Internal Medicine. 2005; 142: 20-27.
- Scholes D, Hooton TM, Roberts PL, et al. Risk factors for recurrent urinary tract infection in young women. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2000; 182: 177-1182.
This information was last updated on Jan 08, 2009
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
The information on ConsumerReportsHealth.org should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional.
The information is meant to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Consumers Union can not be liable for any loss, injury, or other damages related to your use of this information.
Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.
Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.
Source: ConsumerReportsHealth.org Copyright © 2005-2008 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
Find a condition
Search
Condition name not found!
