Urology >>>> Kidney infections - causes and treatment

Kidney infections - causes and treatment.

The kidneys are a filter that allows you to remove many unnecessary and sometimes dangerous substances from the human body. Healthy kidneys are the ability to properly regulate the water and electrolyte balance in the body, remove excess fluid without overloading the work of organs and normalizing the work of tissue metabolism. Regardless of the fact that the kidneys themselves are responsible for the elimination of toxic substances produced by pathogens in the body, they can suffer from an infection that invades the kidney tissue.

There are two ways of kidney infection:

ascending, when the infection moves from the genitals, through the ureter, bladder towards the kidneys;
descending, when the infection spreads through the body with blood and lymph from other lesions.

.According to the severity of kidney damage by infection, there are:

pyelitis, when the mucous membrane of the renal pelvis is affected,
pyelonephritis, when not only the mucous membrane is infected, but also other renal structures (tubules, nephrons),
glomerulonephritis, when the infection affects absolutely all structures of the kidneys (tubules, nephrons, glomeruli).

Pyelitis is usually acute and heals within a few months. Pyelonephritis is acute and chronic, and is treated for up to a year. Glomerulonephritis of infectious origin has a recurrent course and can lead to disability.

It is very important to timely identify an infectious lesion in the kidney area and treat it correctly so that the process does not become chronic and does not lead to kidney loss.

Signs of a kidney infection:

back pain,
temperature (may not be high),
urinalysis shows high levels of protein and white blood cells.

Treatment for a kidney infection is done based on urine and blood tests. Pathogens (bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa) are identified. Culture identifies the infectious agent, and a blood test (expanded) allows you to determine the presence of antigens in the body.

Treatment is carried out with uroseptics (antiparasitic drugs, if a parasite is detected). Treatment involves the use of anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antispasmodic and analgesic drugs, according to indications, diuretics are prescribed (with a decrease in the level of urine excretion from the body).

Treatment for a kidney infection involves diet: lowering protein in the diet, lowering the amount of salt to regulate the load on the kidneys.