If you have burning or stinging sensations when you urinate it is probable that you just have a urinary tract infection. Drinking plenty of water and letting a few days pass normally helps urinary tract infections to resolve naturally, but kidney infections will not go away without medical assistance from a trained professional. People who end up needing kidney infection treatment may have had symptoms that they didn’t know had anything to do with a chronic kidney infection. This might have allowed their infections to worsen and become more difficult to treat because had they no knowledge that their bodies were fighting off an infection of a serious magnitude. Here are four ways to tell if you have a kidney infection that should be treated by a doctor.
1. Chronic Kidney Pain
When you get pains in your back you are likely to assume that you just pulled a muscle or picked up a heavy box the wrong way. Kidney pain might be isolated to just one side of the body if only one of your kidneys is infected. Coincidentally, kidneys are not perfectly level so you may feel pain higher up on one side than the other. If you have pain in your back despite laying down and resting your muscles, using a hot compress, or taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, you might have a symptom of a kidney infection.
2. Irregularities and Pain When You Urinate
When you urinate, the color of your urine is normally a very pale yellow. Dark colored urine means that you are drinking too much coffee, soda, and juice, or it can also mean that you are getting very dehydrated. Another potential symptom of kidney infection is noticing blood or chunky residue in your urine. If your body is dealing with a kidney infection, you may see various irregularities when you go to urinate.
3. A Prolonged Loss of Appetite
It’s okay to feel like you don’t want to want to eat a normal amount of food every once in a while. However, kidney infection symptoms include a loss of appetite that doesn’t get better after a day. If you have made your favorite meal, made sure that your stomach is fully settled, and you still don’t have an urge to eat, your loss of appetite may mean that you have a kidney infection.
4. Feeling Tired Even After Sleeping a Full Eight Hours
Experiencing a long and active day will leave you feeling pretty fatigued. Get some sleep and try not to do anything physical that will drain your energy. If you are getting plenty of sleep, but your energy levels are not back to normal, you might need treatment for a kidney infection.
Some people get kidney infections because their kidney function is beginning to diminish and they will ultimately need to have a kidney transplant. You might also get an infection of the kidneys if your health habits are poor. Keep your kidneys hydrated and urinate soon after you get the urge to relieve yourself to keep your kidneys functioning as they should.