Symptoms of kidney infection
You can feel feverish, shivery, sick and have a pain in your back or side. In addition to feeling unwell like this, you may also have symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) such as cystitis. These include: needing to pee suddenly or more often than usual.
Symptoms of a kidney infection may include chills; fever; and frequent, painful urination. A child younger than 2 years old with a kidney infection may only have a high fever.
A kidney infection can start off similar to a UTI, but then it gets more severe. Kidney infection symptoms include fever, pain in your back or side, and weakness. Other infections, like sexually transmitted infections, can feel similar to a UTI — but the treatments are different.
A severe kidney infection can lead to dangerous complications. They may include blood poisoning, damage to the body's tissues or death. Seek medical care right away if you have kidney infection symptoms and bloody urine or nausea and vomiting.
Most of the time, kidney pain symptoms occur under your ribs, to the right or left of your spine. Kidney pain may also radiate to other areas, such as your abdomen or groin.
Can a kidney infection go away by itself? For some people, lower UTIs can go away on their own, but kidney infections can lead to serious complications if left untreated. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have symptoms of a kidney infection.
Your doctor can determine if you have a UTI or a kidney infection by reviewing your symptoms, analyzing a urine sample, and ordering certain blood tests. They may also order imaging studies or other tests to monitor your kidney function. UTIs and kidney infections are treated with antibiotics.
What does kidney pain feel like? Kidney pain often feels like a dull ache that gets worse if someone gently presses on that area. While it is more common to feel kidney pain on only one side, some health problems may affect both kidneys and cause pain on both sides of your back.
Light-Brown Urine.
Light-brown or tea-colored urine can be a sign of kidney disease/failure or muscle breakdown.
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.
Kidney pain is felt higher and deeper in your body than back pain. You may feel it in the upper half of your back, not the lower part. Unlike back discomfort, it's felt on one or both sides, usually under your rib cage. It's often constant.
Type of pain: Kidney pain comes from a deeper place than the muscles. This means it usually doesn't get worse with lifting, twisting, or bending like muscle pain does. Sometimes kidney pain feels dull and constant. Other times it comes in waves.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is naturally acidic and increases citrate levels in urine, hence discouraging the formation of kidney stones. Lemon juice also filters blood and flushes out wastes and other toxins.
Water: Water is simply the best drink you can have! Water is a zero-calorie, perfectly hydrating, cheap drink. If you are in the earlier stages of kidney disease, choosing water most of the time to quench your thirst will keep your body and kidneys functioning well.
The lowdown
While plain water is the best drink for your kidneys, other fluids are perfectly acceptable, including coffee, green tea, low-potassium juices, and infused water. Avoid sweetened, carbonated beverages and coconut water.
Most often, your bladder gets infected first. This can be painful but isn't usually serious. But if the bad bacteria or viruses travel up your ureters, you can get a kidney infection. If left untreated, a kidney infection can cause life-threatening problems.
You have symptoms that a kidney infection is getting worse. These may include: Pain or burning when you urinate. A frequent need to urinate without being able to pass much urine.
Get emergency care if you have sudden, serious kidney pain, with or without blood in your urine.