The kidneys play a crucial role in the body’s waste management system. When they get infected, they can wreak havoc on one’s overall health. Recognizing the symptoms early can make all the difference in seeking timely diagnosis and treatment. Whether it’s a persistent ache or a fever that won’t go away, paying attention to the signals one’s body sends could save one from developing complications associated with a kidney infection.

Signs that indicate a kidney infection

• High fever
• Chills or uncontrollable shivering
• Pain or burning sensation while passing urine
• Abdominal pain that begins at the flank
• Pain in the groin region
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Blood in the urine
• Cloudy or pus-filled urine
• Foul smelling urine
• Persistent urge to urinate
• Frequent urination
• Inability to urinate fully
• Weakness

It is imperative to identify some of these signs as they are similar to urinary tract infection or UTI and can be easily misunderstood. Hence it is important to consult your doctor and verify the difference. The doctor is most likely to follow these following steps to have a proper diagnosis.

• Urine analysis – to check for blood, pus, and bacteria
• Urine culture – to identify the bacterium type causing the infection
• Ultra sound or CT scan– to understand if the renal infection is caused due to any blockage in the urinary tract
• Voiding cystourethrogram – this type of X ray enables the doctor to understand where exactly the problem is in the bladder or urethra
• Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy – this is high-end digital imaging to see where exactly the kidney is damaged.
• Digital rectal exam (for men) – to check for swollen prostate gland if it is the cause of renal infection

So, now, you see that even the doctor needs to do a lot of testing to confirm the presence of renal infection and just the signs and symptoms are not enough to accurately determine it.