Kidney Infection

A kidney infection is a painful and unpleasant illness that usually happens when bacteria travel up from your bladder into one or both of your kidneys.

The medical name for a kidney infection is pyelonephritis. It's more serious and different from cystitis, which is a common infection of the bladder that makes urinating painful.

If treated promptly, a kidney infection doesn't cause serious harm but it will make you feel very unwell. If a kidney infection isn't treated, it can get worse and cause permanent kidney damage.

Often the symptoms of a kidney infection come on quickly within a few hours. You can feel feverish, shivery, sick and have a pain in your back or side.

When to see your Doctor

You should see your Doctor if you have a fever and persistent tummy, lower back or genital pain, or if you notice a change to your usual pattern of urination.

Most kidney infections need prompt treatment with antibiotics to stop the infection from damaging the kidneys or spreading to the bloodstream. You may also need painkillers.

If you're especially vulnerable to the effects of an infection, for example if you have a pre-existing health condition or are pregnant, you may be admitted to hospital as a precaution and be treated with antibiotics through an intravenous drip.

Antibiotic treatment is usually a very effective way of treating a kidney infection and you should feel completely better after about two weeks.

In rare cases, a kidney infection can cause further problems. These include blood poisoning (sepsis) and a build-up of pus in the kidney called an abscess.

What causes a kidney infection?

A kidney infection usually happens when bacteria – often a type called E. coli – gets into the urethra (the tube which urine passes through) from the anus and travels up through the bladder into one or both of the kidneys.

Who's at risk?

Kidney infections are relatively rare. 

They can happen at any age, but are much more common in women. In fact, women are six times more likely to get a kidney infection than men. This is because a woman's urethra is shorter, making it easier for bacteria to reach the kidneys.

Younger women are most at risk because they tend to be more sexually active, and having frequent sex increases the chances of getting a kidney infection.

Younger children are also vulnerable to developing kidney infections because they may be born with an abnormality of the urinary tract or have a condition called vesico-ureteric reflux, where there is a back-flow of urine from the bladder up to the kidneys.

Can kidney infections be prevented?

You can reduce your chances of developing a kidney infection by keeping your bladder and urethra free from bacteria. This can be achieved with simple measures such as drinking plenty of fluids and practicing good genital hygiene.