
Medication
Remedies to help alleviate symptoms
- Drink plenty of water. Flushing bacteria from the kidneys is an important goal when a person has a kidney infection. ...
- Drink cranberry juice. ...
- Rest. ...
- Use warm, moist heat. ...
- Take green tea extract or drink green tea. ...
- Use over-the-counter pain relievers, but avoid aspirin. ...
Nutrition
- Eat fewer oxalate-rich foods if you are prone to calcium oxalate stones. ...
- Eat a diet low in salt and animal protein. ...
- Use caution with calcium supplements. ...
- Ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian who can develop an eating plan that will reduce your risk of developing kidney stones.
What is the best home remedy for kidney infection?
You may be able to lower your chances of getting a kidney infection by:
- Drinking plenty of water
- Urinating as soon as you feel the need to do so
- Urinating after having sex
- Wiping from front to back after going to the bathroom, if you are a woman. This helps to keep bacteria from your vagina or anus from getting into your urethra.
- Avoiding the use of deodorant sprays or douches in your genital area.
What should I do if I have a kidney infection?
Natural kidney cleansing options
- Drink more water – go the super natural way and drink eight or more glasses of water every day.
- Eat less refined foods – eliminate refined foods and high sodium foods.
- Drink apple juice – consume three gallons of apple juice and three gallons of water a day.
What medication is used to treat kidney infection?
How to cleanse kidneys fast and naturally?
See more

What is the most common treatment for kidney infection?
Antibiotics are the main treatment for a kidney infection, and are usually the only treatment that's needed. If your doctor strongly suspects that you have a kidney infection based on your symptoms, you may be immediately prescribed an antibiotic that targets the most common bacteria that cause kidney infections.
What are the warning signs of kidney infection?
Signs and symptoms of a kidney infection might include:Fever.Chills.Back, side (flank) or groin pain.Abdominal pain.Frequent urination.Strong, persistent urge to urinate.Burning sensation or pain when urinating.Nausea and vomiting.More items...•
When should you go to the hospital for a kidney infection?
If treated promptly, a kidney infection shouldn't cause serious harm. If you experience a fever over 101°F, pain, are unable to drink or take oral medication along with some of the other symptoms, get to the nearest urgent care or ER.
What causes kidney infection?
Kidney infections are caused by bacteria or viruses. Scientists believe that most kidney infections start as a bladder infection that moves upstream to infect one or both of your kidneys. Most often, the infection is caused by bacteria that normally live in your bowel.
What should I avoid if I have a kidney infection?
Here are 17 foods that you should likely avoid on a renal diet.Dark-colored soda. In addition to the calories and sugar that sodas provide, they harbor additives that contain phosphorus, especially dark-colored sodas. ... Avocados. ... Canned foods. ... Whole wheat bread. ... Brown rice. ... Bananas. ... Dairy. ... Oranges and orange juice.More items...
Can kidney infection go away by itself?
Kidney infections can lead to serious complications if untreated so it is important to see a doctor and not wait to see if the infection goes away on its own. Treatment for kidney infections depends on the severity of the infection and the patient's overall health.
How long does kidney infection last?
Most people who are diagnosed and treated promptly with antibiotics feel completely better after about 2 weeks. People who are older or have underlying conditions may take longer to recover. If your symptoms show no sign of improvement 24 hours after treatment starts, contact a GP for advice.
What does it feel like when your kidneys hurt?
Kidney pain typically feels like a constant dull ache deep in your right or left flank, or both flanks, that often gets worse when someone gently hits the area. Most conditions usually affect only one kidney, so you typically feel pain on only one side of your back.
Are kidney infections serious?
If treated promptly, a kidney infection doesn't cause serious harm, but will make you feel very unwell. If a kidney infection isn't treated, it can get worse and cause permanent kidney damage. Symptoms of a kidney infection often come on within a few hours.
What is the best antibiotic for kidney infection?
Commonly used antibiotics for kidney infections include ciprofloxacin, cefalexin, co-amoxiclav or trimethoprim. Painkillers such as paracetamol can ease pain and reduce a high temperature (fever). Stronger painkillers may be needed if the pain is more severe.
Where does it hurt when you have a kidney infection?
The symptoms of a kidney infection usually develop quite quickly over a few hours or days. Common symptoms include: pain and discomfort in your side, lower back or around your genitals.
Why do you need surgery for a kidney infection?
Sometimes surgery may be necessary to correct a blockage or problematic shape in your urinary tract. This will help prevent new kidney infections.
How many UTIs lead to kidney infection?
Urinary tract infections (UTIs). About 1 out of 30 UTIs leads to a kidney infection.
What causes a blockage in the urine?
bacteria from an infection somewhere else in your body, such as from an artificial joint, that spreads through your bloodstream to the kidneys. something blocking urine flow, such as a kidney stone or tumor in your urinary tract, an enlarged prostate in men, or a problem with the shape of your urinary tract.
What causes a bacterial infection in the urinary tract?
A common bacterial cause is Escherichia coli ( E. coli ). These bacteria are found in your intestine and can enter the urinary tract through the urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries urine out from your body. The bacteria multiply and spread from there to the bladder and kidneys.
What is the first line of treatment for a bacterial infection?
If the infection is mild, oral antibiotics are the first line of treatment. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotic pills for you to take at home. The type of antibiotic may change once the results of your urine tests are known to something more specific to your bacterial infection.
How long do you have to take antibiotics for a syphilis infection?
Usually you’ll need to continue taking antibiotics for two or more weeks. Your doctor may prescribe follow-up urine cultures after your treatment to make sure the infection is gone and has not returned. If necessary, you may get another course of antibiotics.
What is it called when your urine backs up to one kidney?
Urine backup. This is when your urine backs up to one or both of your kidneys, instead of the normal one-way outflow. It’s called vesicoureteral reflux, and it occurs most commonly in children.
What is the best treatment for kidney infection?
Antibiotics are the main treatment for a kidney infection, and are usually the only treatment that’s needed. If your doctor strongly suspects that you have a kidney infection based on your symptoms, you may be immediately prescribed an antibiotic that targets the most common bacteria that cause kidney infections.
How to take antibiotics for kidney infection?
Antibiotics are used to treat kidney infections. These drugs may be taken by mouth or by intravenous (IV) infusion in your arm.
How long do antibiotics last?
Depending on the specific drug you take, your course of antibiotics will typically last for 5 to 14 days. Taking the full course ensures that all bacteria causing your infection are eliminated. (3,4) Antibiotics used to treat kidney infections include: Cipro (ciprofloxacin)
What does a kidney scan reveal?
In some cases of kidney disease, your imaging scans will reveal that you have a structural abnormality in your urinary tract that makes you more susceptible to infection.
How often do you give antibiotics in the hospital?
Antibiotics may be given by IV at the hospital every 6 to 24 hours, and include: Cipro ( ciprofloxacin)
How long do you have to be hospitalized for a kidney infection?
If your kidney infection is deemed severe, or if the infection has spread to your blood or caused other complications, you’ll need to be hospitalized for a few days to control your infection.
What is the treatment for sepsis?
Treatment options for sepsis include: Antibiotics, given by IV. Vasopressors (drugs to raise your blood pressure) Intravenous fluids.
What Are The Causes Of Kidney Infection
A kidney infection is caused by bacteria, often E. coli. They get into your urethra and move up to your bladder and ureter and then into your kidneys. Often you will have a urinary tract infection or cystitis at the same time or before you have a kidney infection.
Kidney Infection Back Pain
Can kidney problems give you back pain? The main indicator of whether a urinary tract infection has migrated from the bladder to the kidneys is a fever and back pain. Kidney infections are serious and require immediate medical attention.
What Is The Function Of The Kidneys
The kidneys have a variety of important functions in the body. These functions include filtering and excreting the waste products from the blood as it circulates through capillaries within the kidneys, regulating blood pressure, maintaining steady levels of electrolytes , and contributing to the production of red blood cells.
Causes Of Utis Vs Causes Of Kidney Infection
Your urinary tract is normally well equipped to prevent infections. The regular passage of urine helps to flush pathogens out of the urinary tract.
How Is Kidney Infection Diagnosed
Kidney infection may be diagnosed by a physician by performing a complete physical examination and taking a detailed medical history. The evaluation includes checking the vital signs , assessing for signs of dehydration, and checking for tenderness on the mid and lower back.
Kidney Infection Treatment Options
Kidney infections are treated with antibiotics, pain relievers, and fever reducers. Uncomplicated kidney infection and few complicated kidney infections will be treated on an outpatient basis by a general practitioner, but people with a complicated kidney infection likely require hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics..
Consume Apples And Apple Juice
Apples are also nutrient-dense. Their high acid content may help the kidneys maintain acidity in the urine, possibly inhibiting further growth of bacteria.
What to do if you have a kidney infection?
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 ...
How do you take antibiotics for kidney infection?
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.
What is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases?
This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. The NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by the NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.
What to do if kidney stone blocks urinary tract?
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. If you think you have a kidney infection, see a health care professional right away.
Can you take antibiotics by mouth?
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, ...
Can a kidney infection be prevented?
Many kidney infections start as a bladder infection, so preventing bladder infections may help prevent kidney infections . Scientists are still trying to understand the best ways to prevent bladder infections, but these small changes in your daily habits may help:
What is kidney infection?
A kidney infection is a serious medical condition that requires prompt treatment. These infections often start as a urinary tract infection (UTI) or a bladder infection which then spreads to affect one or both kidneys. urine that’s cloudy, smells bad, or contains blood.
What is the best way to get rid of kidney problems?
A cranberry supplement or pure cranberry juice is a healthier way to get the benefits of cranberries. 3. Avoid alcohol and coffee. The kidneys’ most important role is to filter out harmful substances and toxins, and both alcohol and caffeine can require extra work from the kidneys.
How to get rid of UTIs faster?
1. Drink lots of water. Drinking plenty of water can help flush bacteria from the body, helping the infection to be eliminated faster. It can also help clear out the entire urinary system. Drinking plenty of water can also help to prevent UTIs that can lead to kidney infections, so it’s a good practice to keep.
What are the symptoms of kidney disease?
back or side pain. groin pain. abdominal pain. nausea and vomiting. frequent urination. urine that’s cloudy, smells bad, or contains blood. You may be able to use home remedies together with your prescribed medical treatment to ease some symptoms and improve kidney health, but you shouldn’t try to treat yourself alone.
How to get rid of a urinary infection faster?
Drinking plenty of water can help flush bacteria from the body, helping eliminate the infection faster. It can also help clear out the entire urinary system.
What is the best medicine for a fever?
Nonaspirin pain relievers can help relieve discomfort. Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil)and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can also help break fevers caused by the infection.
Can Epsom salts help with kidney infection?
Both Epsom salts and warm water can ease pain. This can help to make the uncomfortable side effects of the kidney infection a little more tolerable while you wait for the antibiotics to take effect.
What is a kidney infection?
A kidney infection happens when bacteria or viruses get into your kidneys. Kidney infections can affect both or just one of your kidneys. A kidney infection is a type of urinary tract infection (UTI).
What causes a kidney infection?
The bacteria or viruses that cause kidney infections usually come from another part of your urinary tract, such as your bladder, ureters (the tubes that connect your kidneys to your bladder) or urethra (the tube that urine passes through to leave your body) and spread to your kidneys.
How will I know if I have a kidney infection?
To find out if you have a kidney infection, doctors may do tests such as:
How do doctors treat a kidney infection?
Doctors treat most kidney infections with antibiotics (medicines that kill bacteria). Doctors will often first prescribe an antibiotic that fights the most common types of kidney infection because it is very important to treat a kidney infection right away.
What is the diagnosis of kidney infection?
Kidney infection diagnosis is based on physical symptoms and urine testing. Most typically, a kidney infection diagnosis will be made by a general practitioner, urgent care physician, or emergency room physician.
How long does it take to get antibiotics for kidney infection?
Patients with an uncomplicated kidney infection can be treated on an outpatient basis with a one- to two-week course of oral antibiotics. The doctor will prescribe an antibiotic specific to the type of bacteria found in the urine culture. In some cases, the doctor will start treatment with a single, antibiotic injection. A follow-up visit will be scheduled one or two days after starting antibiotic treatment. By that time, most symptoms will markedly fade. If symptoms do not improve in that time, the physician will order more tests and possibly admit the patient to a hospital.
What is a complicated kidney infection?
Complicated kidney infection occurs in people with compromised immune systems, kidney damage, chronic kidney disease, transplanted kidneys, kidneystones, kidneys with structural abnormalities, or diabetes. A kidney infection which occurs in men automatically defaults to the complicated category. Infancy, advanced age, pregnancy, ...
What is the difference between a complicated and uncomplicated kidney infection?
Healthcare professionals distinguish between uncomplicated and complicated kidney infections. Uncomplicated kidney infection occurs in women with a healthy immune system and functioning kidneys, and generally occur in the childbearing age-range of 15-45 years of age. Complicated kidney infection occurs in people with compromised immune systems, kidney damage, chronic kidney disease, transplanted kidneys, kidneystones, kidneys with structural abnormalities, or diabetes. A kidney infection which occurs in men automatically defaults to the complicated category. Infancy, advanced age, pregnancy, and kidney infection that does not improve with antibiotics also count as complications. Complicated kidney infection is a more hazardous condition and can sometimes require hospitalization.
What is the worst case scenario for a kidney infection?
Untreated kidney infection runs the risk of an abscess, kidney damage, loss of kidney function, blood poisoning (sepsis), and, in a worst-case scenario, kidney failure.
How to tell if you have a kidney infection?
Kidney infection is a type of urinary tract infection, so symptoms will typically include symptoms of a bladder infection (cystitis) such as pain over the pubic area, frequent urination, and cloudy urine. The healthcare professional will look for specific symptoms of a kidney infection in addition to the UTI symptoms: 1 Pain in the side (flank pain) or lower back pain 2 Costovertebral angle tenderness, which is pain caused by tapping the back above the kidney 3 Fever 4 Chills 5 Nausea
What causes kidney disease?
They are typically caused by an active urinary tract infection (UTI) that begins in the bladder, called cystitis. Because women are at a higher risk for cystitis, they are also at a higher risk for kidney infection. Approximately 15-17 out of every 10,000 women are diagnosed with kidney infection annually compared to 3-4 out of every 10,000 men. Other risk factors include urinary system blockage, a compromised immune system, urinary catheters, or vesicoureteral reflux, a condition in which urine flows up from the bladder back into the kidneys.
What to do if kidney infection keeps coming back?
If your kidney infections keep coming back, there might be a problem with the structure of your urinary tract. Your doctor may send you to a specialist, such as a urologist. These types of issues often need surgery.
What is the name of the infection that causes a person to have a kidney infection?
A kidney infection, also called pyelonephritis, is when bacteria or viruses cause problems in one or both of your kidneys. It’s a type of urinary tract infection (UTI). Your kidneys ’ main job is to remove waste and take extra water from your blood. They’re part of your urinary tract, which makes liquid waste (urine) and removes it from your body.
What is the name of the infection that can destroy kidney tissue?
This is a medical emergency and needs treatment right away. Severe infection. An infection called emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) may destroy kidney tissue and make toxic gas build up there.
What is a urinary catheter?
A urinary catheter, a tube that goes unto your urethra to drain pee. A weakened immune system, as with type 2 diabetes. Kidney Infection Diagnosis. After asking about your symptoms, your doctor will probably do tests including: Urine analysis to check for blood, pus, and bacteria in your pee.
How to prevent bladder infections?
Use a heating pad on your belly, back, or side. Kidney Infection Prevention. You can’t completely prevent bladder infections. But you may be less likely to get one if you: Don’t use deodorant sprays or douches on your genitals. Don’t use condoms or diaphragms with spermicide, which can trigger bacteria growth.
What causes kidney infections?
Kidney infections usually start with a bladder infection that spreads to your kidney. Bacteria called E. coli are most often the cause. Other bacteria or viruses can also cause kidney infections.
How do you know if you have a kidney infection?
Symptoms of a kidney infection include: Blood or pus in your pee. Fever and chills. Loss of appetite. Pain in your lower back, side, or groin. Upset stomach or vomiting. Weakness or fatigue. You may also have some of the symptoms of a bladder infection, such as:
