{"id":95,"date":"2020-02-18T22:52:21","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T22:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthissues24.co.za\/?p=95"},"modified":"2020-02-18T22:52:21","modified_gmt":"2020-02-18T22:52:21","slug":"kidney-infection-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/kidney-infection-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Kidney Infection Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Kidney infection (pyelonephritis) is a type of urinary tract infection (UTI) that generally begins in your urethra or bladder and travels to one or both of your kidneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A kidney infection requires prompt medical attention. If not treated properly, a kidney infection can permanently damage your kidneys or the bacteria can spread to your bloodstream and cause a life-threatening infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kidney infection treatment, which usually includes antibiotics, might require hospitalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Things You May like to know about Kidney Infection<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/kidney-infection-treatment\/\">Kidney infection treatment<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/kidney-infection-diagnosis\/\"> Kidney infection diagnosis<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/kidney-infection-causes\/\">  Kidney infection causes<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/kidney-infection-antibiotics\/\"> Kidney infection antibiotics<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/kidney-infection-in-men\/\"> Kidney infection in men<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/kidney-failure-symptoms\/\"> Kidney failure symptoms<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/kidney-infection-pain\/\"> Kidney infection pain<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/home-remedies-for-kidney-infection\/\"> Home remedies for kidney infection<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/what-are-the-early-signs-of-kidney-infection\/\"> What are the early signs of kidney infection?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/what-does-kidney-infection-feel-like\/\"> What does kidney infection feel like?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/how-do-you-get-a-kidney-infection\/\"> How do you get a kidney infection?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/can-a-kidney-infection-go-away-on-its-own\/\"> Can a kidney infection go away on its own?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/can-you-have-a-kidney-infection-without-fever\/\"> Can you have a kidney infection without fever?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/what-color-is-urine-when-your-kidneys-are-failing\/\"> What color is urine when your kidneys are failing?<br> Is clear urine a sign of kidney disease?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/can-kidney-problems-make-you-tired\/\"> Can kidney problems make you tired?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/how-do-you-know-if-you-have-kidney-pain\/\"> How do you know if you have kidney pain?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/can-drinking-more-water-help-with-kidney-pain\/\"> Can drinking more water help with kidney pain?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/when-should-i-go-to-the-er-for-kidney-pain\/\"> When should I go to the ER for kidney pain?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/why-do-my-kidneys-ache\/\"> Why do my kidneys ache?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/where-does-your-back-hurt-if-you-have-a-kidney-infection\/\"> Where does your back hurt if you have a kidney infection?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/can-dehydration-cause-kidney-pain\/\"> Can dehydration cause kidney pain?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/can-kidney-pain-feel-like-a-pulled-muscle\/\"> Can kidney pain feel like a pulled muscle?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/when-should-you-go-to-the-hospital-for-flank-pain\/\"> When should you go to the hospital for flank pain?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/can-you-have-a-kidney-infection-without-uti\/\"> Can you have a kidney infection without UTI?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/how-long-does-a-kidney-infection-last\/\"> How long does a kidney infection last?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/where-do-you-feel-a-kidney-infection\/\"> Where do you feel a kidney infection?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/how-do-you-test-for-kidney-infection\/\"> How do you test for kidney infection?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/is-a-kidney-infection-painful\/\"> Is a kidney infection painful?<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/is-a-kidney-infection-and-a-bladder-infection-the-same\/\"> Is a kidney infection and a bladder infection the same?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/what-are-the-early-signs-of-kidney-infection\/\"> What are the early signs of kidney infection?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/is-kidney-infection-an-emergency\/\"> Is kidney infection an emergency?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/should-i-go-to-the-er-if-i-think-i-have-a-kidney-infection\/\"> Should I go to the ER if I think I have a kidney infection?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/can-urgent-care-treat-kidney-infection\/\"> Can Urgent Care treat kidney infection?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/should-i-go-to-work-with-a-kidney-infection\/\"> Should I go to work with a kidney infection?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/how-do-i-know-if-its-kidney-pain\/\"> How do I know if its kidney pain?<br><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/how-do-you-know-if-a-uti-has-turned-into-a-kidney-infection-2\/\"> How do you know if a UTI has turned into a kidney infection?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Complications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two types of kidney infection:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Uncomplicated kidney infection:<\/strong>&nbsp;The patient is healthy and serious complications are highly unlikely.<\/li><li><strong>Complicated kidney infection:<\/strong>&nbsp;The patient is more likely to suffer complications, perhaps because of a pre-existing illness or condition.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If a kidney infection is not treated promptly, there is a risk of serious complications, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN):<\/strong>\u00a0This is a very rare, potentially fatal complication. EPN is a severe infection in which kidney tissues are destroyed rapidly. The bacteria that cause the infection release a toxic gas that accumulates inside the kidney, causing fever, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and confusion.<\/li><li><strong>Kidney abscesses:<\/strong>\u00a0pus\u00a0accumulates in kidney tissues in abscesses. Symptoms include blood in urine, weight loss, and abdominal pain. Sometimes surgery is needed to drain out the pus.<\/li><li><strong>Blood poisoning, or sepsis:<\/strong>\u00a0Also a rare but possibly life-threatening complication,\u00a0sepsis\u00a0leads to bacteria spreading from the kidneys into the bloodstream, resulting in infections in any part of the body, including major organs. It is a medical emergency and patients are usually placed in an intensive care unit (ICU).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>When to call a doctor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A kidney infection can\u00a0develop quickly\u00a0and lead to serious complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Medical help is needed if there is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>persistent pain<\/li><li>a high temperature<\/li><li>a change in urination patterns<\/li><li>blood in the urine<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>Prevention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, a kidney infection is the result of a pre-existing infection in the urinary tract. The best way to prevent a kidney infection from developing is by not having bacteria in the urethra or bladder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Hydration:<\/strong>\u00a0Drink plenty of fluids.<\/li><li><strong>Urination:<\/strong>\u00a0Urinate whenever there is an urge. Don\u2019t wait.<\/li><li><strong>Sexual intercourse:<\/strong>\u00a0Urinate after sexual intercourse. Wash the genitals before and after intercourse.<\/li><li><strong>Toilet hygiene:<\/strong>\u00a0After passing stools, wipe the anus from front to back. This lessens the risk of spreading bacteria to the genitals.<\/li><li><strong>Fiber:<\/strong>\u00a0Eat plenty of fiber so that stools come out easily and do not irritate or cause skin lesions.\u00a0Constipation\u00a0increases the risk of developing a kidney infection.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kidney infection (pyelonephritis) is a type of urinary tract infection (UTI) that generally begins in your urethra or bladder and travels to one or both of your kidneys. A kidney infection requires prompt medical attention. If not treated properly, a kidney infection can permanently damage your kidneys or the bacteria can spread to your bloodstream\u2026 <span class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/kidney-infection-overview\/\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionline24.co.za\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}