What Is Vesicureteral Reflux?

Your ureters are two tubes that typically carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder. If you suffer from vesicoureteral reflux, urine leaks from your bladder back into your ureters, causing a number of symptoms.

Time Frame

• Vesicoureteral reflux usually develops during infancy or childhood, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Types

• Primary vesicoureteral reflux occurs because of a defect present at birth that makes the valve which keeps urine contained in the bladder weak and prone to leaking, reports the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Secondary vesicoureteral reflux is caused by an obstruction in your ureter due to an infection that leads to inflammation of your bladder.

Symptoms

• Normally, vesicoureteral reflux is diagnosed after you develop a urinary tract infection, explains the Mayo Clinic. Common symptoms of urinary tract infections include a persistent urge to urinate, painful urination, frequent urination that produces only a small amount of urine, fever, abdominal pain and urine that is bloody or has a strong smell.

Risks

• Untreated, vesicoureteral reflux has the potential to cause high blood pressure, scarring of your kidneys and kidney failure. Scarring and kidney failure can be life-threatening, warns the Mayo Clinic.

Treatment

• Secondary vesicoureteral reflux is usually treatable with antibiotic medications, while primary forms of the condition may need surgery to correct the bladder defect that causes the disease, according to the the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.