A kidney infection can be more than an uncomfortable nuisance; it can be downright fatal if left untreated. Kidney infection symptoms that are not taken care of can cause blood poisoning or kidney failure both of which can possibly result in death. Fortunately the symptoms of a kidney infection are easy to recognize once you know what to look for. This article will discuss the five most common symptoms of a kidney infection.
Painful, Burning and Reduced Urination
Painful, burning urination is one of the best indicators of a kidney infection. While bladder infections and other urinary conditions may also be accompanied by a burning sensation during urination, it is much more painful and severe with kidney infections. Additionally, when you do urinate, you may find that only a little bit comes out even though you strongly feel the need to go. Both this urgency and the reduction in the amount of urine released are symptoms of a kidney infection.
A Difference In The Appearance Of The Urine
If you have a kidney infection, the odor and color of your urine will most likely change. Urine from a person with a kidney infection is often cloudy and foul smelling. You may also notice a tinge of red in the urine. The red color is created from a small amount of blood that gets into the urine from the kidneys. Most patients with a kidney infection notice the foul odor of the urine before noticing the color. Sometimes the odor is described simply as being a strong odor of urine and not particularly foul.
Patients with kidney infections usually experience a fever, chills and other flu-like symptoms. This is one of the main reasons kidney infections can be misdiagnosed early on. The fever that accompanies a kidney infection typically begins as a low-grade fever but rises as the infection goes untreated. A temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit or higher is common with a kidney infection in it’s later stages. Chills are usually the result of the high fever. The other flu-like symptoms include nausea, body aches and diarrhea. If the kidney infection is treated early enough, these symptoms may not be experienced at all.
Severe Fatigue
Quite understandably severe fatigue is often a symptom of a kidney infection. Of course this isn’t very telling since fatigue is a symptoms of many other illnesses as well. If you are prone to kidney infections, after time you may be able to recognize a certain feeling of fatigue as a kidney infection coming on but otherwise it is only important to note that fatigue accompanies a kidney infection in most people. Also important to note is the severity of the fatigue, to the point where a patient may be unable to keep their eyes open or remain standing for any length of time. As with the fever, this fatigue often grows worse as the kidney infection advances without treatment.
Back pain is the deciding factor in most cases of kidney infections. While all of the other symptoms may be symptoms of other conditions, the type of lower back pain that comes with a kidney infection is hard to mistake for anything else. Due to the location of the pain, in the lower corner of the back on one or both sides, the kidneys are obviously the problem. The pain may be sharp and stabbing or dull and throbbing but will always be located in the lower sides of the back.
Since a kidney infection that goes untreated can lead to serious complications and even death, you should see a doctor as soon as possibly after experiencing the symptoms of a kidney infection discussed in this article.
