Kidney infections can come on quickly or develop more slowly with a tendency to reoccur. The Mayo Clinic recommends seeking timely medical treatment for suspected kidney infection. Kidney infections are usually caused by bladder infections that have traveled up the ureters, the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. In rare instances, kidney infections can spread into the blood stream causing widespread infection, or sepsis.
Pain
The nerves that supply the kidney also supply nearby muscles, so when one area is in pain, the pain sensation can "overflow" and spread to other areas. The pain from a kidney infection is local to the area around the kidneys. Pain is felt in the flank area of the low back and will radiate around the sides of the waist. Another area that commonly feels the pain, according to the National Institutes of Health, is the groin. This pain is usually deep and achy.
Infection Symptoms
The most common complaints with kidney infection are nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms are fever and chills. Health Central, a consumer health care site, indicates that most of these symptoms come on rapidly. It may be hard to tell at first that there is a kidney infection. Urinary symptoms and location of the pain are more diagnostically revealing than fever and chills alone. Infections that come on immediately are referred to as acute kidney infections whereas ones that come on slowly and reoccur are considered chronic kidney infections.
Urinary Symptoms
With a kidney infection, there is usually a feeling of a constant need to urinate, even after going to the bathroom. This feeling will cause frequent urination. There may also be pain or a burning sensation during urination. The Mayo Clinic states that pus or blood could be present in the urine causing the urine to be cloudy or tinged a different color than normal. Additionally, the Mayo Clinic says to seek immediate medical attention should you experience blood in the urine along with vomiting. Keep the doctor informed of any lack of improvement if being treated for a bladder infection.
