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.
Why Should I Take The Full Course Of Antibiotics
Antibiotics start to work against the infection quickly, and you may start to feel better within a few days. However, it takes longer for the antibiotics to completely kill the bacteria causing the infection.
When you dont finish your antibiotic treatment, theres a chance that the bacteria isnt eliminated completely, which may cause repeat infection. Or the bacteria may become resistant to antibiotics and stop responding to treatment in the future.
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Whats Treated At Urgent Care And Whats Not
Health, Medical Tips, Physician Stories
Life happens, and sometimes it hurtsliterally. At some point, most of us will twist an ankle, get an infected bug bite or deal with a child with a raging fever. When these ailments strike, it can be hard to know whether to go to the emergency department. Fortunately, an urgent care facility can treat many conditions, with shorter wait times and lower costs. But other problems, such as chest pain and suspected concussions, need to be seen in an emergency department, fast.
For a look at what can be treated at urgent care and what cant, Linwood Watson, MD, with UNC Urgent Care, shares a log of the patients he sees on a typical day.
9 a.m.: Patients are waiting outside the clinic before we open. The first six come in and are seen by our nurses to check their vital signs and decide whose condition is most urgent.
Every patient meets with a triage nurse after check-in to have his or her vitals taken: blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels. These numbers help tell the medical team if someone is in immediate danger of fainting or cardiac arrest.
9:25 a.m.: Nurses determine the patient who needs to be seen immediately is a 71-year-old woman with 2½ weeks of congestion, pulse of 120 and low oxygen saturation despite not being a smoker. The nurse and patients daughter are worried it may be pneumonia, and I agree. I examine the patient and order a chest X-ray.
10:05 a.m.: I treat an adult patient with sinus congestion and a cough.
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When Should I Go To Urgent Care
Since infections of the ear are so common, many people put off seeking medical treatment. This can be dangerous, because those infections can get worse. An untreated case of otitis can cause an infection of the bone, meningitis, eardrum perforation or long-term hearing loss. If you or your child experience any of the following symptoms, go to your nearest urgent treatment facility immediately:
- Symptoms lasting for two or more days
- Severe pain in the ear
- Sleepless or irritable children
- Pus or blood in the discharge
- Babies seem extra restless or unable to sleep following a cold or other illness
Should I See A Uc Provider For A Uti
A urinary tract infection is an infection in any part of your urinary system your kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Most infections involve the lower urinary tract the bladder and the urethra.
If you have ever felt a burning sensation while trying to urinate, you may have a urinary tract infection. These infections are severely painful, and they can pop up seemingly out of nowhere. If you believe you may have a urinary tract infection, read on. You may need medical attention.
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When To Seek Medical Attention
If you experience any symptoms of a kidney infection or a UTI more generally, its important to see a health professional to have them evaluated right away.
This is true especially if certain symptoms seem to appear suddenly, indicating that your UTI is spreading or growing more severe.
A kidney infection that isnt treated effectively can become chronic , potentially causing permanent damage to your kidneys that impairs their function.
An untreated kidney infection can also lead to dangerous complications in the short term, such as a blood infection . Symptoms of sepsis include:
- Fever and chills
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What Is A Uti
A urinary tract infection is an infection in part of the patients urinary system. This can include the bladder, kidneys, ureters or urethra. However, most of these types of infections occur in the bladder or the urethra. Women are more likely to get a UTI than men. While an infection in the bladder can be annoying or painful, the UTI can spread to the kidneys and cause more serious problems.
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How To Know If You Have A Urinary Tract Infection
When you start to feel an urgent need to find a bathroom, and when it starts to burn when you do go, you could be experiencing the early stages of a urinary tract infection, or UTI as it is commonly called. According to the National Kidney Foundation, UTIs are responsible for nearly 10 million doctors office visits per year. One in five women will have at least one UTI, also called cystitis, during her lifetime. Men and children can also get UTIs. But what exactly is a UTI and why is it so common?
A UTI can be any infection in the urinary system including the urethra, bladder, ureters or kidneys. These painful infections generally start at the beginning of the system, or the urethra opening, and progress upward until medical treatment arrests the spread. Most UTIs are contained to the urethra and bladder.
Proper medical care is needed for this condition. At Advance ER in Dallas, TX, we know how to diagnose and to treat UTIs with our in-house laboratory and patient pharmacy. A UTI can be extremely painful, said Advance ER physician Dr. Ronnie Shalev. Its not something to try to tough out, it needs medical treatment.
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When To Go To The Er For Uti Symptoms
If your symptoms have progressed to the point of lethargy, pain, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and/or blood in the urine, you need to get to the nearest Advance ER right away.
If you are pregnant, have diabetes, use a catheter, have an enlarged prostate or are prone to kidney stones, it is especially important for you to see a physician right away when you first start to show symptoms of a UTI, said Dr. Shalev. Also, babies and children need prompt care.
Can You Go To Urgent Care For A Uti
Reviewed by: Amy Surdam
A urinary tract infection is an infection of the urinary system that can develop in the kidney, ureters, bladder, urethra, kidneys, or urethra. UTIs develop most often in the lower urinary tract, including the urethra and bladder.
While a UTI is typically uncomfortable, there can also be serious health concerns if the infection spreads. This article will take you through how long a UTI lasts, what a UTI feels like and when to go to urgent care for a UTI.
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What Causes Kidney Infections
The most common cause of kidney infections is when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the tube that carries urine from your body and multiplies and travels to the kidneys.
Bacteria from an infection elsewhere in your body also can spread through your bloodstream to your kidneys, such as if you have an artificial joint or heart valve that becomes infected. These instances are certainly more rare, but they can happen. Weve listed some common symptoms of kidney infections below.
Can You Effectively Treat A Uti At Home
While most all UTIs require a course of antibiotics, there are a few things you can do to help alleviate your symptoms until you can get to an urgent care clinic:
- Stay hydratedDrinking plenty of fluids not only helps remove bacteria from your urinary tract but also helps lessen the painful, burning sensations while urinating.
- Drink unsweetened cranberry juiceCranberry juice helps stop bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract.
- Take vitamin CIncreasing your vitamin C intake helps make your urine more acidic, which helps kill infection-causing bacteria.
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Appendicitis: Early Signs & Urgent Care Treatment
It is a medical emergency that requires urgent care with surgical treatment at the walk-in clinics. If left untreated, the appendix can burst or perforate, discharging infectious materials into the abdominal cavity. Although appendicitis can happen at any age, it is most common among older children and adults between ages 10 and 30.
How Much Does Uti Treatment Cost At Planned Parenthood
Antibiotics are the most common course of treatment for a UTI and are usually covered by insurance providers.
Some health care plans also cover the cost of this procedure.
However, if you are unsure of your insurance plan, talk to your doctor about a reduced-price plan.
A simple urine culture will only cost around $25, and the cost of antibiotics depends on your insurance plan and community.
You can also try a cheaper alternative to a Planned Parenthood doctor
PPDirect offers an appointment booking service, which can help you get an appointment.
And you can also use this app to order birth control and learn more about how to stay healthy while breastfeeding.
You can also make a reservation for a visit through the app, and the cost of your visit will be only $15 plus medication.
The PPDirect app is a digital doctors visit.
This app allows you to submit information online and receive a prescription.
If you have a UTI, the app will then send you a prescription for the appropriate antibiotics.
And if you dont have insurance, you can get your antibiotics without any hassle at an affordable price or even free of charge.
Youll have to pay for the cost of the visit, but the benefits can make it worth it in the long run.
The Planned Parenthood Direct app also makes it easier to book appointments.
This app allows women to receive an accurate diagnosis and prescription for the antibiotics they need.
And you can also get a prescription for your birth control pills.
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Who Is At Risk Of A Uti
Urinary tract infections can affect any person regardless of age, gender and ethnicity. They are, however, more common in females because they have shorter urethras, which are also closer to the rectum. This allows the bacteria to enter the urinary tract of the females more easily than that of the males.
Some of the other risk factors that increase the likelihood of UTIs are
Complications Of Kidney Stones
Kidney stones can range in size from a grain of sand to that of a pearl or even larger. They can be smooth or jagged, and are usually yellow or brown. A large stone may get stuck in the urinary system. This can block the flow of urine and may cause strong pain.
Kidney stones can cause permanent kidney damage. Stones also increase the risk of urinary and kidney infection, which can result in germs spreading into the bloodstream.
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What Causes A Kidney Infection
The regular passage of urine usually flushes pathogens out of the urinary tract and prevents infections. Sometimes, however, bacteria can enter the urinary tract, causing a UTI that, if left untreated, can develop into a kidney infection. Usually, the infection is caused by bacteria in the bowel, most commonly E. coli bacteria. However, urethritis can also occur due to sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. In some cases, bacteria from an infection in another part of the body can enter the bloodstream to cause a kidney infection.
Increase Vitamin C Intake
An increase in Vitamin C consumption may increase the bodys ability to fight off an existing UTI or preventing any looming urinary tract infections. Vitamin C is widely known for its ability to strengthen the immune system. These immunity-boosting properties are necessary to slash the number of days a patient will experience one or multiple of these unpleasant symptoms.
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What Are The Signs Of A Kidney Infection And What Does A Kidney Infection Feel Like Anyway
Both bladder and kidney infections share some symptoms such as painful urination, frequency, and urgency, but usually only kidney infections present with back pain, nausea or vomiting, fever, and chills, Dr. Movassaghi says. This pain is known as flank pain in the medical community and usually presents on either side of your body between your upper abdomen and lower back. Youll likely notice a deep, dull ache in the area, which is where your kidney pain would likely manifest.
So if youre a young or middle-aged adult, the signs of a kidney infection are similar to what you might experience in the beginning stages of UTI symptoms with extra unpleasantness thrown on top. Heres a breakdown of what to look out for:
- Pain in your back, side, or groin area,
- Nausea or vomiting
An important FYI: Kidney infection signs can differ depending on your age. Adults over 65 might not have any of the typical symptoms and instead present with cognitive issues like confusion, hallucinations, and disorganized speech.
Babies and toddlers, especially girls and uncircumcised boys, can be prone to kidney infections too. And when children under two are affected, the only symptom they might have is a high fever, notes the NIDDK.
What Are The Causes Of A Uti
Before treatment, women will need to ensure that they are accurately diagnosing a UTI before following up with treatment. Per the Mayo Clinic, the main causes of of a UTI are from bacteria that enter the urinary tract, bladder, or kidneys. The risk of a bacterial infection include a womens shorter urethra, which makes it easier for bacteria to enter, sexual activity, some forms of birth control, urinary abnormalities, and autoimmune issues.
Any of the causes and risks mentioned above can lead to sudden symptoms in a select few patients. However an intial UTI is asymptomatic and does not cause immediate symptoms. Later on, a UTI can lead to the following symptoms such as:
-A strong, persistent urge to urinate-A burning sensation when urinating-Passing frequent, small amounts of urine-Urine that appears cloudy-Urine that appears red, bright pink or cola-colored a sign of blood in the urine-Strong-smelling urine-Pelvic pain, in women especially in the center of the pelvis and around the area of the pubic bone
Source: Mayo Clinic
Additionally, an untreated UTI can lead to increased symptoms and potentially life-threatening health issues. Experts at the Mayo Clinic say that the following symptoms may re-occur or develop in patients with untreated urinary tract infections:
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Things You Can Do Yourself
To help ease pain:
- takeparacetamolup to 4 times a day to reduce pain and a high temperature for people with a UTI, paracetamol is usually recommended over NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or aspirin
- you can give childrenliquid paracetamol
- rest and drink enough fluids so you pass pale urine regularly during the day, especially during hot weather
Its important to follow the instructions on the packet so you know how much paracetamol you or your child can take, and how often.
It may also help to avoid having sex until you feel better.
You cannot pass a UTI on to your partner, but sex may be uncomfortable.
Taking cystitis sachets or cranberry products has not been shown to help ease symptoms of UTIs.