Causes Of Kidney Infections
Kidney infection can be termed as any infection that includes bladder infection, urine infection and any other kind of infection in the urinary tract. Two of the most common kidney disorders due to infections are glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis. Strep infection is normally the most common cause of glomerulonephritis. Pyelonephritis is a urinary tract infection that has reached the pelvis of the kidney. In this case the kidney infection usually occurs because of the bacteria that spread from the bladder. Some of the other causes of the infection include surgery on the urinary tract, use of a catheter to drain urine from the bladder, prostate enlargement and kidney stones that prevent the efficient flow of urine from the bladder. The use of spermicide and a positive family history wherein close family members suffer from urinary tract infections can also be responsible for the infection. Also abnormal growth of the prostrate gland, tumors, kidney stones, stagnation of urine due to backflow from the bladder, diabetes and even pregnancy are some of the conditions that can increase the likelihood of such an infection.
Signs And Symptoms Of Kidney Infection
Some of the signs or symptoms of a kidney infection include pain in the back, side and groin. One also feels the urge to urinate frequently and urgently, this is accompanied at times by pain or a burning sensation while urinating, nausea and vomiting, pus and blood in the urine and fever or chills. A urine test is conducted to diagnose a kidney infection.
Natural Treatment For Kidney Infection
The most important treatment would be to increase your intake of fluids. This helps in flushing out toxins and infections from the urinary tract. Foods like water melons and cucumbers are also beneficial. They have very high water content along with other vital nutrients. The benefits of Vitamin C have also been tested in treating kidney infection. Food sources like salmon, almonds and varied dairy products are rich in Vitamin C and can help in curing the infection. Drinking cranberry juice can help too as does drinking blueberry juice. However, at times drinking these juices might only address the symptoms of irritation and the burning sensation felt with an infection. Fermented milk products containing probiotic bacteria have similarly been shown to be beneficial in the case of a urinary tract infection. Try taking two cloves of garlic everyday. It is vital to have a healthy diet which is rich in minerals and other supplements. Also avoid too much caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes and spicy food. Avoid carbonated drinks like soda, beer or any other fizzy drinks.
