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Kidney Infection Cures

A kidney infection is usually a sign of a urinary tract infection that has spread, so many of the same remedies that help with that infection will also help treat the kidney problem. See your doctor if you have severe lower-back pain, fevers or chills, as a kidney infection can be a severe and even deadly condition. Your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic that will wipe out the bacteria, but it may be painful to take at first.

  1. Natural treatments

    • Practice simple good hygiene to prevent urinary tract and kidney infections. According to medicinenet, the bacteria responsible for 80 percent of kidney infections is E. coli--the same bacteria found in waste from your colon. You should wash yourself after having sexual intercourse and always wipe yourself front to back when on the toilet. Do not hold back on the urge to urinate, as this can also lead to an infection through the urethra.

      If you already have a urinary tract infection, drink plenty of cranberry juice and apple cider vinegar, both of which fight bacteria. Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water daily as a way of flushing the infection from your system. Eating probiotics such as yogurt will help bring your kidneys back into balance by supporting good bacteria. Avoid carbonated beverages, which may lead to swelling of the kidneys.

    Seeing a doctor

    • See your doctor if you have a urinary tract infection and have a fever, chills, lower back pain or unexplained fatigue. Your doctor will ask you to provide an uncontaminated urine sample that will be analyzed; if your bacteria count is high, you will be given an oral antibiotic designed to kill off the infection. Call your doctor if your symptoms have not gotten better within a few days. Some bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, and in other cases the primary culprit is misidentified.

      You can be expected to fully recover provided the infection is not the result of kidney stones or a recurrent condition such as cysts. Practice preventative medicine in the future to make sure you do not get another kidney infection.

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