Best Antibiotic Treatment For Kidney Infection

Are Kidney Infections Serious What Is The Prognosis

Generally, urinary tract and kidney infections are common conditions with an overall favorable outlook.

• A kidney infection can be managed at home if the infection is diagnosed and treated early with antibiotics.
• Severe or complicated infections may require more intensive treatment and possible hospitalization.
• Personal hygiene is important in the prevention of recurring kidney infections.
• Cranberry juice is a simple natural remedy to prevent recurring kidney infections.

Rarely, serious complications from a kidney infection occur.

When Does A Uti Turn Into A Kidney Infection

What happens if a UTI goes untreated? If left untreated, the E. coli or other bacteria that caused your urinary tract infection can move farther up your urinary system.

When they reach your upper urinary system , you may experience a kidney infection, medically known as pyelonephritis.

Most people seek medical help and receive treatment before they get to this point.

Most often, the bacteria involved in a kidney infection are the same that caused the initial bladder or urethral infection. In rare instances, bacteria from your skin or the environment can cause a kidney infection.

Any condition that reduces or obstructs urine flow increases your risk of contracting a kidney infection as it allows bacteria to more easily flow from the bladder, up the ureters, to the kidneys. These conditions include:

• Kidney, bladder, or ureter stones
• Masses in the abdomen or pelvis caused by cancer or other disorders

Tell Your Doctor If Youre Taking Any Other Remedies Or Medications

Many patients turn to at-home UTI remedies or over-the-counter medicine to first treat their UTI. Patients should be sure to provide the full details of their medical history to their doctor before taking nitrofurantoin including any medications , supplements, and herbs, as well as any history of kidney disease, anemia, diabetes, electrolyte imbalance, vitamin B deficiency, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, or any other diseases.

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Why Is It Important To Take My Antibiotic As Prescribed

When prescribing an antibiotic, a healthcare provider takes many factors into account, such as allergy history, cost, tolerability, previous antibiotic therapy, and prevalence of drug resistance. Drug resistance is a public health problem. It refers to how germs can develop antibiotic resistance to our antibiotics through developing mutations that defend them and passing that genetic information on to other germs .

Antibiotic resistance makes our drugs less effective and affects people everywhere. If your healthcare provider prescribes an antibiotic treatment, you can do your part to help fight this problem. Follow your providers directions and remember the following guidelines .

What Is The Treatment For A Kidney Infection

• Antibiotics will usually clear the infection. An antibiotic is usually prescribed straightaway if a kidney infection is suspected, even before the result of the urine test is known. Some germs are resistant to some antibiotics. Therefore, sometimes a change of antibiotic may be needed if the urine test shows a germ which is resistant to the initial antibiotic. The course of antibiotics is for 7-14 days, depending on which one is used. Commonly used antibiotics for kidney infections include ciprofloxacin, cefalexin, co-amoxiclav or trimethoprim.
• Painkillers such as paracetamol can ease pain and reduce a high temperature . Stronger painkillers may be needed if the pain is more severe. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen are not usually recommended for a person with a kidney infection. This is because they may possibly cause problems with the working of the kidney during a kidney infection.
• Plenty of fluid should be taken to prevent lack of fluid in the body .

In many cases, the infection is not too severe, treatment can be taken at home and the infection will clear with a course of antibiotic tablets. If treatment is to be home-based, a doctor should be called if the symptoms are not improving after 24 hours, or the person is feeling more unwell.

However, some people need to be admitted to hospital – for example if:

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Is 3 Days Of Antibiotics Enough For A Kidney Infection

Most people respond well to treatment. As long as there are no complications, you should usually be well enough to leave the hospital in 3-7 days. Treatment will usually switch to tablets or capsules after the infusion of antibiotics has been stopped.

What do doctors prescribe in case of kidney infection?

Drugs used to treat kidney infections

Can oral antibiotics treat kidney infection?

If your kidney infection is causing serious illness, you may be hospitalized for a few days to make sure your infection is under control. After that, you can continue home treatment with oral antibiotics or sometimes with IV antibiotics.

What does a kidney infection look like?

Kidney pain is usually a dull, constant ache deep in your right or left flank, or both flanks, often worsening when someone gently taps the area. Only one kidney is usually affected in most conditions, so you usually feel pain on only one side of your back.

Alleviating Discomfort Caused By Uti Bloating

The bloating and pain associated with UTIs can cause severe discomfort and may last for a few days or even up to a week. Some suggestions for helping to alleviate this discomfort include:

• drink lots of water at least one large glass of water every hour to try and flush the infection out of the body
• eat small healthy meals regularly
• reduce sugar intake as certain types of bacteria feed off it in particular, avoid fizzy drinks as these can also cause gas
• limit your intake of any foods that you know you react to, such as wheat or beans
• certain nutrients have been shown to help with the symptoms of UTIs, including cranberry extract , D-mannose, and good bacteria

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Who’s Most Likely To Get A Kidney Infection

Women and children are most at risk of developing a kidney infection, as well as other urinary tract infections such as cystitis.

Other factors can also put you more at risk of developing a kidney infection, including:

• having a condition that blocks, or obstructs, your urinary tract, such as kidney stones or an enlarged prostate children with constipation can also be at an increased risk
• being born with an abnormality in your urinary tract
• having a condition that prevents you emptying your bladder fully, such as an injury to your spinal cord this can allow bacteria in your bladder to multiply and spread
• having a weakened immune system for example, due to type 2 diabetes or as a side effect of chemotherapy
• having an infection of the prostate gland called prostatitis the infection can spread from the prostate gland into the kidneys
• having a urinary catheter
• being female and sexually active sexual intercourse can irritate the urethra and allow bacteria to travel into your bladder
• being pregnant this can cause physical changes that slow the flow of urine out of your body and make it easier for bacteria to spread to the kidneys
• having undergone female genital mutilation an illegal practice where a woman’s genitals are deliberately cut or changed for cultural, religious and social reasons

Do I Need To See A Doctor

Yes. Painful urination can be a symptom of a more serious problem. You should tell your doctor about your symptoms and how long youve had them. Tell your doctor about any medical conditions you have, such as diabetes mellitus or AIDS, because these could affect your bodys response to infection. Tell your doctor about any known abnormality in your urinary tract, and if you are or might be pregnant. Tell your doctor if youve had any procedures or surgeries on your urinary tract. He or she also need to know if you were recently hospitalized or stayed in a nursing home.

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What Procedures And Tests Diagnose Kidney Infections In Men And Women

The most important test in diagnosing kidney infection is a urinalysis . Urinalysis is a test to analyze urine sample and evaluate for an infection in the urine. Urinalysis is done by collecting a clean catch, midstream urine in a sterile collection cup. The urine may be analyzed by the doctor in the office using or by analysis in a laboratory.

Because urine is normally sterile, any finding suggesting an infection may be considered abnormal and supportive of a kidney infection.

Amoxicillin/potassium Clavulanate Cefdinir Or Cephalexin

How it Works: is another combination drug that belongs to the penicillin class of antibiotics. and belong to a different class of antibiotics thats closely related to penicillins.

All three antibiotics kill bacteria by destroying one of its most important components: the cell wall, which normally keeps bacteria structurally intact.

Common doses:

• Amoxicillin/clavulanate: 500 twice a day for 5 to 7 days

• Cefdinir: 300 mg twice a day for 5 to 7 days

• Cephalexin: 250 mg to 500 mg every 6 hours for 7 days

Notable side effects: Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and rash are common side effects of these antibiotics. In rare cases, all three have the potential to cause the dangerous skin reactions, SJS and TEN.

If you have a penicillin allergy, your healthcare provider wont prescribe amoxicillin/clavulanate. They may or may not prescribe cefdinir or cephalexin since there is a small chance that a person with a penicillin allergy may also be allergic to these two.

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Home Remedies And Treatments For Kidney Infections

Some people prefer to treat medical conditions with home remedies or complementary remedies.

Because of how serious kidney infections are, its important that you dont rely on home remedies. Instead, take the prescription antibiotics a doctor gives you and use home remedies to help ease symptoms or pain.

You can also use home remedies to avoid UTIs and improve kidney function.

When To See A Gp

See a GP if you feel feverish and have pain that will not go away in your tummy, lower back or genitals.

You should also see a GP if you have symptoms of a UTI that have not improved after a few days, or if you have blood in your pee.

Contact a GP immediately if you think your child may have a kidney infection.

If you cannot get a GP appointment and need urgent medical attention, go to your nearest urgent care centre .

If you do not have a local UCC, go to your nearest A& E.

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When Should You Call Your Doctor

if painful urination or other symptoms of a urinary tract infection occur with:

• Nausea and vomiting.
• Fever and chills.
• Pain in the flank, which is felt just below the rib cage and above the waist on one or both sides of the back, or lower belly pain.

if you are pregnant and have symptoms of a UTI .

• Have had UTI symptoms previously and have those symptoms again.
• Have minor symptoms of a UTI that do not clear up in 1 to 2 days, such as pain or burning when you urinate, foul-smelling urine, or the urge to urinate frequently while passing only small amounts of urine.
• Notice blood or pus in your urine.
• Have symptoms of a UTI and you have diabetes.
• Have been taking antibiotics for a UTI but your symptoms do not improve after 48 hours or they come back after improving temporarily.

How Do You Prevent Or Avoid Utis

While there are no scientifically proven home remedies to UTIs, there are some things you can do yourself to avoid getting a UTI:

• Urinate when your body tells you it needs to. Urinating flushes germs from your urinary tract.
• Drink plenty of water so your body can continuously clear your urinary tract. The American Urological Association suggests nearly half a gallon daily .
• Pee after sexual activity to clear the urethra.

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When You Need Themand When You Dont

Antibiotics are medicines that can kill bacteria. Doctors often use antibiotics to treat urinary tract infections . The main symptoms of UTIs are:

• A burning feeling when you urinate.
• A strong urge to urinate often.

However, many older people get UTI treatment even though they do not have these symptoms. This can do more harm than good. Heres why:

Antibiotics usually dont help when there are no UTI symptoms.

Older people often have some bacteria in their urine. This does not mean they have a UTI. But doctors may find the bacteria in a routine test and give antibiotics anyway.

The antibiotic does not help these patients.

• It does not prevent UTIs.
• It does not help bladder control.
• It does not help memory problems or balance.

Most older people should not be tested or treated for a UTI unless they have UTI symptoms. And if you do have a UTI and get treated, you usually dont need another test to find out if you are cured. You should only get tested or treated if UTI symptoms come back.

Antibiotics have side effects.

Antibiotics can have side effects, such as fever, rash, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, tendon ruptures, and nerve damage.

Antibiotics can cause future problems.

Antibiotics can kill friendly germs in the body. This can lead to vaginal yeast infections. It can also lead to other infections, and severe diarrhea, hospitalization, and even death.

Antibiotics can be a waste of money.

When should older people take antibiotics for a UTI?

10/2013

How Do I Know If The Treatment Isnt Working

If the treatment isnt working, your symptoms will stay the same, get worse, or you will develop new symptoms. Call your doctor if you have a fever , chills, lower stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. You should also call your doctor if, after taking medicine for 3 days, you still have a burning feeling when you urinate. If you are pregnant, you should also call your doctor if you have any contractions.

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Antibiotics Dosage How Many Over The Counter Antibiotics Pills Should You Take

Depending on the type of antibiotic you take, the dosage varies. The strength of each antibiotic varies. Moreover, depending on the bacterial infection, the strength and the dosage is decided. However, it is important to complete the antibiotic course fully. In most cases, the recommended antibiotic course spans between 5 to 7 days. In certain cases, 3 to 5 days would be sufficient.

How Can I Make Sure My Kidney Infection Is Completely Gone

If you recently had a kidney infection, the health care professional will often repeat urine cultures after your treatment ends to make sure your infection has completely gone away and has not come back. If a repeat test shows infection, you may take another round of antibiotics. If your infection comes back again, he or she may prescribe antibiotics for a longer time period.

If your health care professional prescribes antibiotics, take all of the antibiotics as prescribed and follow the advice of the health care professional. Even if you start to feel better, you should finish all of your medicine.

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Over The Counter Antibiotics Results After First Use:

Antibiotics start working on your system right after the first dose. You may not, however, be able to feel any difference immediately after the first dose, but the drug would have started acting internally, controlling the further growth of the bacterial colony. Allow your body enough time to respond to the antibiotic and complete the entire course of the antibiotics.

How Long Should I Take Antibiotics

Your doctor will let you know. Typically, for an uncomplicated infection, you’ll take antibiotics for 2 to 3 days. Some people will need to take these medicines for up to 7 to 10 days.

For a complicated infection, you might need to take antibiotics for 14 days or more.

If you still have symptoms after completing antibiotics, a follow-up urine test can show whether the germs are gone. If you still have an infection, you’ll need to take antibiotics for a longer period of time.

If you get UTIs often, you may need a prolonged course of antibiotics. And if sex causes your UTIs, you’ll take a dose of the medicine right before you have sex. You can also take antibiotics whenever you get a new UTI if youâre having symptoms and a positive urine culture.

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Preventing A Kidney Infection

There are numerous preventative care alternatives and natural home remedy that can be performed to lower kidney infection symptoms and avoid repeating infections. Typically, these methods involve minimizing the possibility of bacteria to go into the urinary tract and turn into an infection. Significant techniques beyond dietary factors to consider and proper hygienic regimens when cleaning consist of:

• Dont hold urine and try to completely empty your bladder without hurrying anything
• Urinate ASAP after sex
• Diaphragms prevent correct and total emptying of the bladder consider changing to various contraception methods

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