What Is A Kidney Infection Is It The Same As A Urinary Tract Infection
The main components of the urinary tract system are kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Any part of the urinary system may become infected and this is generally referred to as urinary tract infection . When a kidney becomes infected, the condition is medically referred to as pyelonephritis. Thus, kidney infection is only one of several types of infections encompassed by the term UTI. The spectrum of UTIs includes:
What Is A Kidney Infection Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment And Prevention
A kidney infection, also known as pyelonephritis, occurs when harmful bacteria reach your kidneys as part of a urinary tract infection .
Most;UTIs;dont involve the kidneys. They affect only your lower urinary tract, meaning your urethra and bladder. But sometimes an infection that begins there moves into your upper urinary tract, affecting one or both kidneys.
Its also possible to get a kidney infection following surgery, if bacteria enter your body during the procedure and travel through your bloodstream to your kidneys. In this case, your lower urinary tract may not be affected.
If you have symptoms of a UTI or bladder infection such as pain with urination,;smelly urine, low back pain, or discolored urine its important to seek medical treatment to prevent the infection from spreading to your kidneys.
Kidney infections can be quite painful and require prompt evaluation and treatment. If your infection isnt treated soon enough, it may permanently damage your kidneys or spread to your bloodstream, possibly leading to and the impairment of other vital organs.
Does Your Blood Pressure Elevate When You Are Sick
Fact Checked
**High blood pressure, or hypertension, is diagnosed when the pressure of blood through your arteries is higher than normal 1.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
** Your doctor checks two types of pressure simultaneouslysystolic and diastolic. A reading of 120 over 80 is normal; 140 over 90 is considered high. Multiple readings must be taken to determine true hypertension 1. If you have hypertension, illness, as well as certain medications that you might take for illness, can cause your high blood pressure to rise even higher 1.
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Prevention Of A Kidney Infection
Preventing kidney infections usually starts with preventing UTIs in the lower urinary tract.;Steps you can take to help prevent UTIs include:
- Drink lots of water throughout the day.
- Urinate when you feel the urge to do so; dont wait.
- After using the toilet, wipe from front to back so;you don’t spread bacteria from your anus to your urethra.
- Urinate after having sex.
- Dont use unnecessary cleansing or deodorizing products in the genital area.
- Steer clear of birth control methods that can raise the risk of a UTI.
If you do develop a UTI, get it treated as soon as possible. See your primary healthcare provider for treatment, or visit an urgent-care facility for diagnosis and a prescription for antibiotics.
Treating a UTI promptly may prevent it from spreading from your bladder to your kidneys.
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 you’re more likely to;develop them if you:
- are a child
- rapid heartbeat
- breathlessness
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 you’re 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 Does High Blood Pressure Affect The Kidneys
High blood pressure can constrict and narrow the blood vessels, which eventually damages and weakens them throughout the body, including in the kidneys. The narrowing reduces blood flow.
If your kidneys blood vessels are damaged, they may no longer work properly. When this happens, the kidneys are not able to remove all wastes and extra fluid from your body. Extra fluid in the blood vessels can raise your blood pressure even more, creating a dangerous cycle, and cause more damage leading to kidney failure.
How Do I Take Care Of Myself
Take your medicines and do your best to keep your blood pressure low. Keep your body healthy by eating right, exercising and quitting smoking. Follow up with your appointments with your healthcare provider.
What questions should I ask my healthcare provider about renal hypertension?
- How high is my blood pressure?
- What medications should I be on?
- Should I have surgery?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Renal hypertension is a very serious disease. You and your healthcare provider need to pay close attention to your blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause heart attack, aneurysm and stroke, among other complications. Work with your healthcare provider to figure out the best treatment and be sure to take all medications and follow all post-operative instructions perfectly.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 12/14/2020.
References
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How Common Are High Blood Pressure And Kidney Disease
Almost 1 in 2 U.S. adultsor about 108 million peoplehave high blood pressure.1
More than 1 in 7 U.S. adultsor about 37 million peoplemay have chronic kidney disease .2
High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure in the United States after diabetes, as illustrated in Figure 1.2
Almost 1 in 2 U.S. adultsor about 108 million peoplehave high blood pressure.
What Are The Symptoms Of An Acute Kidney Infection
Signs and symptoms vary with age:
- Newborns: no fever but poor feeding and vomiting
- Children <2: may have a fever , a poor appetite, vomiting and diarrhea
- Children >2: ;fever, appetite changes, stomach or lower back pain, symptoms of urgency, frequency and pain with urination
If a toilet trained child is having accidents during the day or night, it may be a sign of an infection.; Typically a childs urine will have a strong, foul odor, and there may be blood in the urine.;
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Fda Panel Member Cheered By Pfizer News On Covid Vaccine In Kids
A new study suggests for the first time that cytomegalovirus , a common viral infection affecting between 60 percent and 99 percent of adults worldwide, is a cause of high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.
The study, led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and published in the May 15 issue of PLoS Pathogens, further demonstrates that when coupled with other risk factors for heart disease, the virus can lead to the development of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.
CMV infects humans all over the world, explains co-senior author Clyde Crumpacker, an investigator in the Division of Infectious Diseases at BIDMC and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. This new discovery may eventually provide doctors with a whole new approach to treating hypertension, with antiviral therapies or vaccines becoming part of the prescription.
A member of the herpes-virus family, CMV affects all age groups and is the source of congenital infection, mononucleosis, and severe infection in transplant patients. By the age of 40, most adults will have contracted the virus, though many will never exhibit symptoms. Once it has entered the body, CMV is usually there to stay, remaining latent until the immune system is compromised, when it then re-emerges.
What Are Clinical Trials For High Blood Pressure And Kidney Disease
Clinical trialsand other types of clinical studiesare part of medical research and involve people like you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help doctors and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.
Researchers are studying many aspects of high blood pressure and kidney disease, such as
- managing high blood pressure through diet, education, and counseling in patients with kidney disease
- testing new medications to treat high blood pressure and kidney disease
Find out if clinical studies are right for you.
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Treatment And Medication Options For Kidney Infection
Kidney infections are treated with;antibiotics, either oral or intravenous , depending on the severity of your infection and its symptoms.
People with severe illness may need to be hospitalized for several days or longer for initial treatment. During this time, you may receive IV antibiotics in addition to fluids while your medical team monitors you closely.
The oral antibiotics prescribed for kidney infection generally must be taken for 7 to 14 days, to make sure all of the bacteria causing the infection have been killed. Its most common for your doctor to prescribe a 14-day course of antibiotics.
For reasons that arent fully understood, kidney infections in men are often resistant to treatment and may require as long as six weeks of antibiotic therapy.
Your doctor may order follow-up tests after antibiotic treatment to make sure you no longer have an infection.
Coronavirus Might Target Kidney Cells
The virus itself infects the cells of the kidney. Kidney cells have receptors that enable the new coronavirus to attach to them, invade, and make copies of itself, potentially damaging those tissues. Similar receptors are found on cells of the lungs and heart, where the new coronavirus has been shown to cause injury.
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How The Kidneys Work
The kidneys are like the body’s garbage collection and disposal system. Through microscopic units called nephrons, the kidneys remove waste products and extra water from the food a person eats, returning chemicals the body needs back into the bloodstream. The extra water combines with other waste to become urine, which flows through thin tubes called ureters to the bladder, where it stays until it exits through the urethra when someone goes to the bathroom.
The kidneys also produce three important hormones:
- erythropoietin, which stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells;
- renin, which helps regulate blood pressure; and
- the active form of vitamin D, which helps control the calcium balance in the body and maintain healthy bones.
Kidney failure, which is also called renal failure, is when the kidneys slow down or stop properly filtering wastes from the body, which can cause buildups of waste products and toxic substances in the blood. Kidney failure can be acute or chronic .
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What Are Different Types Of Kidney Infection
Kidney infection, or pyelonephritis, may be classified as uncomplicated, complicated, or chronic kidney infection .
A complicated kidney infection refers to a kidney infection in which there is an accompanying condition that increases the risk of severe infection and ineffective treatment, such as abnormalities of the urinary tract, urinary obstruction, or diabetes. It can also mean there is severe involvement of the kidney, for example, abscess formation, obstruction, or enlarged kidney, or gas is seen in the kidney by an imaging study, such as a CT scan. In these situations, the symptoms may be more severe and less responsive to usual treatments.
A chronic kidney infection may refer to a recurring kidney infection that could be a result of a kidney stone obstructing the ureter or other structural abnormalities in the ureters . These conditions are usually associated with milder symptoms, but they may last longer.
The evaluation of complicated kidney infection and chronic kidney infection typically requires a more thorough evaluation and more extensive testing such as CT scans and X-rays.
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How Does Illness Cause Blood Pressure To Rise
There are a number of ways in which a severe cold or flu, particularly if you are running a fever, can cause a higher blood pressure reading. Anytime you get a fever, your body is working to fight off an infection. Fever raises your temperature, speeds up your heart rate and raises your blood pressure levels. This increased blood pressure is due to “vasoconstriction” a narrowing of blood vessels. If you have a fever, a blood pressure exam is likely to show that your blood pressure is elevated.
An increase in your heart rate can also occur during other kinds of bacterial or viral infection, including bronchitis, pneumonia and strep throat. This happens in response to your heart’s extra oxygen demands, so your system can fight off the infection. A heart-rate increase can also raise your blood pressure. Dehydration from fever or infection can raise your blood pressure, too.
- There are a number of ways in which a severe cold or flu, particularly if you are running a fever, can cause a higher blood pressure reading.
What Causes A Kidney Infection
Kidney infections are caused by bacteria or viruses.
Scientists believe that most kidney infections start as a bladder infection that moves upstream to infect one or both of your kidneys. Most often, the infection is caused by bacteria that normally live in your bowel. The urinary tract has several ways to prevent infection from moving up the urinary tract. For example, urination most often flushes out bacteria before it reaches the bladder. Sometimes your body cant fight the bacteria and the bacteria cause a UTI. If you dont get medical treatment to stop the infection, the bacteria may infect your kidneys.
In some cases, your blood can carry bacteria or viruses from another part of your body to your kidneys.
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Swelling Around Your Extremities
The kidneys filter wastes from the blood and remove excess water from the body via urine. When the kidneys arent doing their job, this fluid can stay in the system instead of being excreted. Swelling around the hands, feet, and ankles may be associated with kidney or heart failure and shouldnt be dismissed.
Research Is Revealing More About Sars
While kidney damage in COVID-19 is still not well understood, more data will reveal how this occurs. Sperati, who also conducts research on kidney disease, says the Johns Hopkins Division of Nephrology is exploring exactly how SARS-CoV-2 and the bodys response to it is affecting kidney health.
He says that patients with COVID-19-related kidney damage should follow up with their doctors to ensure kidney function is returning to normal. Lasting kidney damage might require dialysis or other therapies even after recovery from COVID-19.
Mostly, Sperati stresses the importance of adhering to guidelines around physical distancing and hand-washing, the basics of prevention. For everyone, especially people with underlying chronic disease, avoiding infection with COVID-19 for as long as you can is crucial, he says.
Right now, we dont have a treatment or vaccine for this disease. The longer a person can go without getting infected, the better chance they have of benefiting from a future therapy.
Coronavirus
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Coronavirus Kidney Damage: A Serious Sign
Organ systems like the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys rely on and support one another’s functions, so when the new coronavirus causes damage in one area, others might be at risk. The kidneys essential functions have an impact on the heart, lungs and other systems. That may be why doctors note that kidney damage arising in patients with COVID-19 is a possible warning sign of a serious, even fatal course of the disease.
What Is A Kidney Infection
Kidney infections are a type of UTI. The medical term for a kidney infection is pyelonephritis. Certain bacteria and viruses can cause these infections.
Experts believe that many kidney infections start as an infection of the lower parts of the urinary tract, such as the bladder or urethra. Many times, these infections happen when bacteria from your bowel enter your urinary tract through your urethra.
Its possible for a UTI to continue to move up your urinary tract, progressing from your bladder into your kidneys.
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Can A Infection Cause High Blood Pressure
infectioncan causecausehigh blood pressure
. Considering this, can having an infection cause high blood pressure?
Summary: A new study suggests for the first time that cytomegalovirus, a common viral infection affecting between 60 and 99 percent of adults worldwide, is a cause of high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Similarly, can a urine infection cause high blood pressure? Pyelonephritis does cause some degree of kidney damage especially when it recurs. UTIs that are associated with high fevers in young children may sometimes cause kidney damage if not treated promptly. This damage may lead to poor kidney function and high blood pressure in the future.
Just so, what can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure?
These spikes, which typically last only a short period of time, are also known as sudden high blood pressure. These are some possible causes: Caffeine. Certain medications or combinations of medications.
Can an infection cause your blood sugar to rise?
Illness or stress can trigger hyperglycemia because hormones produced to combat illness or stress can also cause your blood sugar to rise. Even people who don’t have diabetes may develop hyperglycemia during severe illness.
Is It A Kidney Infection Or Something Else
Your symptoms could also result from another common illness. Some similar conditions you may mistake for a kidney infection include:
- Other UTIs. Other types of UTIs, such as those affecting the urethra and bladder, can also cause symptoms like urgent and painful urination, abdominal pain, and urine thats cloudy, foul-smelling, or bloody.
- Kidney stones.Kidney stones are hard deposits of materials like calcium or uric acid that form in the kidneys. When they become lodged in the kidneys, they can cause pain in the abdomen, side, or back, as well as nausea and vomiting.
- Lower back pain. If low back pain is your primary symptom, you may have a condition thats affecting your lower back. Examples include injuries, degenerative disc disease, and nerve compression.
- Pregnancy. Symptoms like frequent urination, nausea and vomiting, and abdominal cramping can all be early signs of pregnancy.
Its always a good rule of thumb to seek medical attention if you experience any new or concerning symptoms. A healthcare professional can work with you to determine what may be causing them.
Heres an idea of what you can expect when you seek care for a possible kidney infection.
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