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 don’t 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 they’re common and easily treated. The sooner you contact your doctor, the sooner you’ll be able to get rid of the problem.
Diagnosing Cystitis And Urinary Tract Infections
First, your doctor will ask about your symptoms. They may also complete urinalysis to determine your diagnosis. This test will look for:
- PH balance this represents if the urine is acidic or alkaline
- Glucosesugar levels should remain low in urine output
- Nitrites a specific bacteria that causes UTIs
- Protein similar to sugar, proteins are not typically found in urine output
How Is Kidney Infection Diagnosed
A kidney infection is usually diagnosed based on your symptoms, a physical exam, and the results of urine tests, indicating bacteria in your urinary tract.
Your doctor will likely ask about your health history and any conditions that might place you at higher risk of a kidney infection, such as having an enlarged prostate gland or a medical condition that can cause urinary retention, such as multiple sclerosis.
Sometimes a doctor will order imaging tests, such as an ultrasound or computerized tomography scan, to look for signs of swelling or other abnormalities in your kidneys or bladder.
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Eating Diet & Nutrition
Experts dont think eating, diet, and nutrition play a role in preventing or treating bladder infections. If you have any type of UTI, talk with a health care professional about how much to drink each day to help prevent or relieve your infection.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and other components of the National Institutes of Health conduct and support research into many diseases and conditions.
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Blood Tests To Diagnose Kidney Infection
The kidney is one of the vital organs in the human body. It filters waste products of the blood into urine and excretes from the body. Any dysfunction of the kidneys can result in the accumulation of waste products in blood along with excess fluid. Infection is a major cause which can cause acute kidney injury and sometimes can proceed into chronic renal failure.
Prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent complications which occur due to a chronic kidney infection. Children are more susceptible to develop complications due to kidney infection. This is because post infection induced kidney injury scarring can occur in the developing kidney of the child. In order to minimize the bad outcomes, the clinicians practice many diagnostic blood tests for a kidney infection.
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Can Uti Tests Detect Kidney Stones
Yes, both involve analyzing a sample of urine. The urine analysis test that can detect the presence of organisms causing a urinary tract infection can also be used to detect the presence of blood or minerals and acid salts.
Also, imaging tests tell the health care provider if there are abnormalities in the urinary tract, such as a kidney stone, how big the stone is, and where it is located.
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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Chronic Kidney Disease: 20 Common Symptoms Of Ckd
Health Check Certified By: Dr. Gerald Morris
The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste through the blood using tiny filters, called nephrons, and flushing them out of the body via the urine. However, when nephrons get damaged, or worse, a kidney fails completely, waste builds up in the blood and cant be eliminated from the body, which will result in health concerns.
Chronic kidney disease is often an issue for years before damage starts to take a serious toll on the body. However, the following 20 symptoms do exist and can indicate CKD. To help you get the treatment you need, be on the lookout for these common symptoms of chronic kidney disease!
Treatments For Urinary And Kidney Infections
Kidney infections always require antibiotics. Dont rely on home remedies alone to take care of kidney infections.
Usually, doctors will prescribe empiric antibiotics to cover all the potential bacteria that could have caused the infection until they can target the specific bacteria based on test results. Antibiotics are usually prescribed for at least a full week.
Normally, you wont require a stay at a hospital for a kidney infection as long as you can move around and consistently keep down oral antibiotics.
However, if you exhibit severe symptoms or cannot keep down the medication due to nausea and vomiting, you may be hospitalized so that your doctor may administer antibiotics and fluids intravenously.
If the kidney infection progresses enough to create an abscess in the kidney, you may require more serious treatment. Abscesses cannot be cured with antibiotics alone. In order to drain them, doctors will perform a nephrostomy, which involves placing a tube through your back, into the kidney.
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How To Tell If You Have A Bladder Infection Vs Uti
Is there any feeling more horrible than when you start to feel something going wrong âdown there?â Youâve got to pee every two minutes, to the point where you dare not stray more than a few steps from a bathroom but the only thing worse than the constant need to go is the fact that when you do, it hurts! Itâs an all too familiar feeling for many women, but even men get bladder infections, too .
Your first thought, once you feel an infection coming on, is how to stop the pain and discomfort. Do you drink a quart of water, knock back a few glasses of cranberry juice, or see what over-the-counter treatments your local drugstore has to offer? Alternatively, should you make an appointment with your doctor? If you choose this last option, though, you may be wondering, âjust what, exactly, should I tell them is wrong? Do I have a urinary tract infection , or could it be a bladder infection instead?â
Well, as Healthline points out, itâs either one thing, or itâs both. Bladder infections are actually a type of urinary tract infection, but they arenât the only kind.
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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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What Is The Outlook For Kidney Infections
With treatment, the outlook for kidney infections is very positive. It is vital that you take all of any prescribed medications for the infection. You may begin feeling better shortly after beginning a treatment, but still need to take the entire prescribed treatment.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 05/22/2019.
References
- National Kidney Foundation. Urinary Tract Infections Accessed 5/23/19.
- National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases . Pyelonephritis: Kidney Infection Accessed 5/23/19.
Medication Options For Kidney Infection
Your doctor will decide what antibiotic to prescribe, and for how long, based on your symptoms and the results of your urine tests. Your doctor may start you on one medication right away, but change it later if your urine test results indicate that a different antibiotic will be more effective.
Drugs taken by mouth for kidney infection include:
All of these drugs and others may be considered for IV treatment if you need to be hospitalized for a severe kidney infection.
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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.
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Bipoc Communities And Kidney Infection
While many diseases affect different populations in the United States at different rates, there isnt much information available on the relative risk of kidney infection among different racial and ethnic groups.
Its well known that Black Americans are at higher risk for kidney failure than any other group 4 times as likely as white Americans, according to the National Kidney Foundation. But kidney infection rarely leads to kidney failure, accounting for a tiny sliver of cases.
There is some evidence that the risk of getting a UTI during pregnancy which can develop into a kidney infection is different for different groups, according to earlier research published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.
Looking at records of 24,000 births, researchers found that rates of UTI during pregnancy were 28.7 percent for white and Asian women, 30.1 percent for Black women, and 41.1 percent for Hispanic women. However, once the researchers controlled for socioeconomic differences, there were no significant differences between the groups.
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Treatment And Home Remedies
UTIs and yeast infections require different treatments.
UTI treatment usually involves antibiotics, which clear up bacterial infections. The class and dosage of antibiotic treatment depend on the type of infection and the persons medical history.
Although symptoms usually go away shortly after a person starts taking antibiotics, they should complete the entire course of medication that the doctor prescribed.
People can treat yeast infections in several different ways. Mild yeast infections may respond to over-the-counter antifungal medications, which are available in the following forms:
OTC antifungal medications are available to purchase in stores or online.
Severe yeast infections might require a prescription-strength antifungal oral tablet called fluconazole.
Although OTC and prescription medications can successfully treat UTIs and yeast infections, some people may choose alternative or natural therapies instead.
Eating natural, unsweetened yogurt that contains Lactobacillus acidophilusmay help prevent yeast infections.
Unsweetened cranberry juice is a common home remedy for UTIs. However, in a 2013 article, researchers reviewed 24 studies and concluded that cranberry juice is less effective than earlier research indicated and that it demonstrates a limited ability to prevent UTIs.
Mild UTIs and yeast infections are easily treatable and may even resolve on their own. However, people should still consult a doctor before attempting to treat either infection at home.
What Happens If An Antibiotic Doesnt Work For A Urinary Tract Infection
Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment for urinary tract infections , most of which are caused by a bacteria called Escherichia Coli . Infections of the lower urinary tract, which includes bladder infections , are the most common type of UTI and are usually treated with a 3-5 day course of antibiotics. Sometimes, however, the antibiotic prescribed to treat a bladder infection doesnt work.
If you suspect your antibiotic isnt working you should promptly contact your healthcare provider. Left untreated a UTI may become more serious and in rare cases cause permanent or life-threatening complications.
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Whats The Difference Between A Urinary Tract Infection And Bladder Infection
A urinary tract infection is a more general type of infection. There are many parts of your urinary tract. A UTI is a term for an infection that takes place throughout the urinary tract. A bladder infection, also called cystitis, is a specific infection. In this infection, bacteria makes its way into the bladder and causes inflammation.
Not all urinary tract infections become bladder infections. Preventing the spread of the infection is one of the most important reasons to treat a UTI quickly when you have symptoms. The infection can spread not only to the bladder, but also into your kidneys, which is a more complicated type of infection than a UTI.
How Can You Tell The Difference Between A Bladder Infection And A Uti
Theres a reason that people use the terms UTI and bladder infection interchangeablythe symptoms are largely the same.
- Burning sensation while peeing
- Feeling of urgency to pee, but produce very little urine
The most common type of UTI is a bladder infection. Therefore if you have a UTI, its likely in your bladder. And thankfully, bladder infections are relatively simple to treat.
If you have a UTI that isnt a bladder infection, you may experience additional symptoms.
- Lower back pain that feels more severe than a bladder infection
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Pinkish or reddish urine
If you think you have a UTI, its important to get treated quickly to prevent the infection from spreading to your kidneys.
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Embarrassed Dont Be: It Can Be Dangerous
A lot of people dont visit their doctor due to symptoms because they consider it potentially embarrassing. Dont put it off! Both UTIs and STDs are easy to diagnose and just as easy to cure. Any waiting before you see your doctor has the potential to be more dangerous to you and your sexual partners, and not seeing a doctor at all could mean that your symptoms get worse.
What Are The Causes Of Kidney Infections
Normally, bacteria are flushed out by the flow of urine. However, several problems can increase the risk of a kidney infection. These problems can include:
- Structural abnormalities blocking urine flow.
- An enlarged prostate gland compressing the urethra.
- Backflow of urine from the bladder to the kidneys.
- If your immune system is affected .
- Pregnancy, during which time the enlarging uterus can squeeze the ureters and reduce the flow of urine, allowing the bacteria to migrate to the kidneys.
- Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus.
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Is There Any Other Way To Prevent A Uti
While theres no foolproof way to ensure you never have a UTI, there are strategies and behaviors that may lower your risk:
- Women should wipe from front to back to stop the spread of bacteria.
- Avoid using douches, powders, sprays or other materials in the genital area.
UTIs are commonplace so commonplace, in fact, that theyre one of the most frequently treated issues by telehealth professionals. If youre experiencing symptoms consistent with a UTI, dont wait until your schedule clears up to make an appointment with a physician. Dont wait for your doctors next in-office opening six weeks from now, either.
What Is The Difference Between A Uti And A Kidney Infection Are The Antibiotics For Treatment The Same
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How Do Health Care Professionals Treat Kidney Infections
If you have a kidney infection, a health care professional will prescribe antibiotics. Even before your test results are in, the health care professional may prescribe an antibiotic that fights the most common types of bacteria. Although you may feel relief from your symptoms, make sure to take the entire antibiotic treatment that your health care professional prescribes.
Once your lab results are in, the health care professional may switch the antibiotic to one that better treats the type of infection you have. You may take these antibiotics by mouth, through a vein in your arm, called by IV, or both.
If you are very sick from your kidney infection, you may go to a hospital for bed rest. A health care professional may give you fluids through an IV.
If something such as a kidney stone or an enlarged prostate is blocking your urinary tract, a doctor can sometimes treat the problem with surgery or another procedure.