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Kidney & Bladder Infections

Infections in your urinary tract can be painful and inconvenient. If left untreated, they can lead to complications like bladder and kidney infections. Bladder and kidney infections have more severe symptoms and can lead to potentially fatal complications.

  1. Bladder Infection

    • If you have a bladder infection, or cystitis, the tissue that lines your urethra and your bladder is infected and becomes inflamed. Bladder infections are caused when bacteria enters your urinary tract through the urethra. The infection spreads up your urethra to your bladder. The bacterium responsible for most bladder infections is E. coli. Some people are more prone to urinary tract infections than others. If you are one of them you can experience recurring bladder infections.

    Kidney Infection

    • Kidney infections, or pyelonephritis, are less common then bladder infections. If you have one, then your kidneys and your ureters are inflamed because of a bacterial infection. Kidney infections can come on suddenly or can be a chronic condition. They are often caused by bladder infections. If you are prone to reoccuring urinary tract infections then you are at a greater risk of contracting a kidney infection.

    Symptoms

    • There is some overlap among the symptoms of bladder and kidney infections. Symptoms of a bladder infection foul-smelling and cloudy urine, frequent strong urges to urinate, painful urination and the need to urinate often during the night. These symptoms are also found in kidney infections. Additional symptoms that occur in kidney infections include severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, chills and warm, moist skin.

    Treatment

    • Treatment for both bladder and kidney infections involves antibiotics. A bladder infection usually requires a course of antibiotics to clear it. Your doctor can also give you phenazopyridine, a medication that will help relieve the symptoms of painful urination. For a kidney infection, your treatment will depend on the severity of the infection. For a mild infection, a single course of oral antibiotics can clear it. For more severe or chronic kidney infections, you could need intravenous antibiotics to begin your treatment, followed by a long-term course of oral antibiotics.

    Considerations

    • If left untreated, a bladder infection can lead to a kidney infection. Possible complications of a kidney infection include sepsis, kidney failure and abscesses in the tissue surrounding the kidney. Kidney infections are more likely to become severe in elderly patients. They are also likely to be dangerous to people with suppressed or compromised immune systems.

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