Aa
info on kidney infections
Hello, I was just wondering if anyone could give me a little information on kidney infections. I've been experiencing pain and discomfort where my kidneys are located for a couple of months. It just progressed happening more frequently instead of the coming and going it was doing. I've been getting disoriented and having chest pains with shortness of breath. I havent been running a fever though. I have to urinate more often and at times feel that i didnt empty my bladder. Im sorry this is so long I just need to talk to someone about it and I dont have health insurance at the moment. Any feed back would be appreciated.
Obviously lowered your immune system getting chilled and you caught the nasty bugs.
When my kidney stone moved down, I did experience severe lower back pain, but at the same time had a very high fever with bleeding and passing green gunge also with colicky pain (like wind) in the lower abdomen (this is called renal colic).
When the actual kidneys are the ones with the problem that pain will be in the side at the back just under the rib cage.
With cystitis the first symptoms may be a heaviness in the lower belly and frequency of going to the loo. When I was 8 months pregnant and had that feeling even my doctor could not confirm that it was cystitis. But that night it started to sting when I passed urine and then I started to pass blood too. I sat up all night drinking lots of water and 3 glasses with 1 teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda over a 3 hour period to neutralise the acidic urine that was causing the burning sensation. This helped until I was able to get to the doctors to get the right medication.
Sometimes lower back pain can be from vaginal or ovary problems, bowel problems or just simply the back (spinal or muscular).
Hope you never experience any more urinary infections, but any signs of it, like cloudy urine for example, up your intake of water and get checked out.
Best wishes
When my kidney stone moved down, I did experience severe lower back pain, but at the same time had a very high fever with bleeding and passing green gunge also with colicky pain (like wind) in the lower abdomen (this is called renal colic).
When the actual kidneys are the ones with the problem that pain will be in the side at the back just under the rib cage.
With cystitis the first symptoms may be a heaviness in the lower belly and frequency of going to the loo. When I was 8 months pregnant and had that feeling even my doctor could not confirm that it was cystitis. But that night it started to sting when I passed urine and then I started to pass blood too. I sat up all night drinking lots of water and 3 glasses with 1 teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda over a 3 hour period to neutralise the acidic urine that was causing the burning sensation. This helped until I was able to get to the doctors to get the right medication.
Sometimes lower back pain can be from vaginal or ovary problems, bowel problems or just simply the back (spinal or muscular).
Hope you never experience any more urinary infections, but any signs of it, like cloudy urine for example, up your intake of water and get checked out.
Best wishes
yeah it was horrible having it but it went soon enough. to be honest i couldnt pin where the kidneys are exactly without looking it up, but i meant that from what i understood when i had it, that the pain from kidneys is centred around the lower back? i got it right after evacuating where i was staying last summer in the south west by the coast, when there were really bad floods. i am guessing wading knee deep through dirty water for ages may have caused it, though im not certain.
Sorry to hear that you had a bad bout of kidney problems and are much better now. When the doctor sends the urine off for analysis, this is to find out which bacteria that is causing the infection. They will give you a general antibiotic they think will sort the problem out, but only a lab test will identify the bacteria and then an antibiotic will be prescribed to kill off that particular bacteria. Hence the reason why you were called back and given a different antibiotic.
I have to correct you. The kidneys are located on each side on the back just below the ribs and not in the lower back.
The urinary tract starts with the kidneys and runs all the way down. Ureter (tubes from the kidneys to the bladder), then the bladder which holds the urine, when you feel the urge to urinate it usually means your bladder is full.
Then the urethra, this is a short tube that runs from the bladder and the urine is excreted through this. The urethra is a tiny opening near to the
vagina.
You can view diagrams on the web of the human body that shows the location of the kidneys.
I have just finished a course of Trimethoprim for a urinary infection. I had to go to the out of hours doctor as I had a kicking pain in my left kidney (mid back just under the rib cage, felt unwell with leukocytes, protein and blood showing on the urine reagent strip (I stopped having menstral cycles some years ago). Now I have finished my antibiotics, I propose to take a urine sample to be analysed by the lab as I still have a discomfort. In the last few days I have got some respiratory bug and have now started to use my inhaler again.
Most importantly for any urinary tract infection is to drink water, around 2-3 litres a day.
Hope you all get on well
Best wishes
PS I live in the UK too Sam
I have to correct you. The kidneys are located on each side on the back just below the ribs and not in the lower back.
The urinary tract starts with the kidneys and runs all the way down. Ureter (tubes from the kidneys to the bladder), then the bladder which holds the urine, when you feel the urge to urinate it usually means your bladder is full.
Then the urethra, this is a short tube that runs from the bladder and the urine is excreted through this. The urethra is a tiny opening near to the
vagina.
You can view diagrams on the web of the human body that shows the location of the kidneys.
I have just finished a course of Trimethoprim for a urinary infection. I had to go to the out of hours doctor as I had a kicking pain in my left kidney (mid back just under the rib cage, felt unwell with leukocytes, protein and blood showing on the urine reagent strip (I stopped having menstral cycles some years ago). Now I have finished my antibiotics, I propose to take a urine sample to be analysed by the lab as I still have a discomfort. In the last few days I have got some respiratory bug and have now started to use my inhaler again.
Most importantly for any urinary tract infection is to drink water, around 2-3 litres a day.
Hope you all get on well
Best wishes
PS I live in the UK too Sam
I had a kidney infection last year. Is the pain you are experiencing greatly around your lower back? because this is where your kidneys are, and this location of pain suggests kidney infection, but you will also probably feel nausea brought on by the kidney pain. The pain was so bad i could not sleep at night the first time i felt it and went to doctor right away. He did an examination and a few tests, for example asking me to go into a certain position and asking if it was painful, and putting pressure in different places and again asking about pain. I was given one lot of antibiotics to go on with while he sent a urine sample off for analysis as he was not 100% certain if it was a kidney infection or not. I soon got a phone call from the surgery asking me to come in urgently and collect a prescription for much stronger antibiotics. If it is a kidney infection you really need to get it seen to as soon as possible as left untreated it will only worsen the pain and become a more serious problem. I am in UK so health system a little bit different, I dont know how easy it is to just see a doctor and get treatment fast, but if you think it is a kidney infection then you must go get it looked at.
i am not a health expert of any sort but have suffered with this condition.
i am not a health expert of any sort but have suffered with this condition.
As you are complaining of discomfort in the kidney area for a couple of months and have to urinate more often and feel that you haven't emptied your bladder, could be a sign of a Urinary Tract Infection.
If you have kidney stones moving - they can take months to come down if they are moving; you would experience pain in the kidney area, or have renal colic (like wind pains in the belly). As they come down they can scratch and aggravate the tubes and hence cause infections.
With the bladder problem you are experiencing again this could be that a stone is in the bladder. The other reason is that you may have an infection in the bladder (Cystitis). Another reason for frequent urination can be diabetes.
The only way to find out if you have a kidney or urinary infection is by having the urine tested by the lab, blood tests, xrays or ultrasound (depending on the type of stone you have) . Also the simplest and cheapest way to find out is by using a urine dip stick. You may purchase these at your chemist (pharmacist) or through Amazon. I use the 10LG Parameter Urine Reagent Strips for home testing.
The other way is to catch your urine into a clear and clean recepticle and look and smell your urine. Best time to do this is first thing in the morning and by taking a mid stream sample (wee a bid first, take the sample and then finish weeing into the loo). If you have an infection the urine could smell like kidneys or liver (if you have not smelled them before, have a go at the butchers). Also observe the colour of your urine. If it is cloudy this is a good indication that there is an infection. Also very dark coloured urine could indicate there is blood (or that you are not drinking enough water).
As regards chest pains and shortness of breath, this would not have any bearing from a urinary tract infection.
What you may have is a chest infection and or asthma. There are other reasons for chest pains and shortness of breath. So you really need to get it seen to.
You really need to see a doctor for an accurate medical diagnosis and treatment if required.
Best wishes
If you have kidney stones moving - they can take months to come down if they are moving; you would experience pain in the kidney area, or have renal colic (like wind pains in the belly). As they come down they can scratch and aggravate the tubes and hence cause infections.
With the bladder problem you are experiencing again this could be that a stone is in the bladder. The other reason is that you may have an infection in the bladder (Cystitis). Another reason for frequent urination can be diabetes.
The only way to find out if you have a kidney or urinary infection is by having the urine tested by the lab, blood tests, xrays or ultrasound (depending on the type of stone you have) . Also the simplest and cheapest way to find out is by using a urine dip stick. You may purchase these at your chemist (pharmacist) or through Amazon. I use the 10LG Parameter Urine Reagent Strips for home testing.
The other way is to catch your urine into a clear and clean recepticle and look and smell your urine. Best time to do this is first thing in the morning and by taking a mid stream sample (wee a bid first, take the sample and then finish weeing into the loo). If you have an infection the urine could smell like kidneys or liver (if you have not smelled them before, have a go at the butchers). Also observe the colour of your urine. If it is cloudy this is a good indication that there is an infection. Also very dark coloured urine could indicate there is blood (or that you are not drinking enough water).
As regards chest pains and shortness of breath, this would not have any bearing from a urinary tract infection.
What you may have is a chest infection and or asthma. There are other reasons for chest pains and shortness of breath. So you really need to get it seen to.
You really need to see a doctor for an accurate medical diagnosis and treatment if required.
Best wishes
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Undiagnosed Symptoms Community
Discharge often isn't normal, and could mean an infection or an STD.
In this unique and fascinating report from Missouri Medicine, world-renowned expert Dr. Raymond Moody examines what really happens when we almost die.
Think a loved one may be experiencing hearing loss? Here are five warning signs to watch for.
When it comes to your health, timing is everything
We’ve got a crash course on metabolism basics.
Learn what you can do to avoid ski injury and other common winter sports injury.
