Pyelonephritis
Pyelonephritis is the medical term for kidney infection, and it is a complication of the lower urinary tract infection. As one of the most common kidney diseases, there are around 250,000 pyelonephritis cases diagnosed every year.
The urinary tract system has its mechanism to defend against infection. Each ureter has a one-way valve that always makes urine flow downside, so bacteria could be flushed out through urinating. However, when your body fails in defenses and the microbe travels upstream to reach the kidney, pyelonephritis happens. Left untreated, pyelonephritis could cause kidney damage, kidney failure, or infection of other body organs.
Symptoms of pyelonephritis often appear as:
- Chills and fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Cloudy urine or dark urine with a bad odor
- Frequent urination
- Painful urination
- Hematuria: Blood in the urine
- Discomfort in your back or groin [4]
