The Symptoms & Causes Of A Kidney Infection

What Causes A Kidney Infection?

As previously mentioned, a kidney infection develops from a urinary tract infection, specifically when bacteria enters the urinary tract through a tiny tube known as the urethra that carries urine from the body that then multiplies and travels to one or both kidneys. Specifically, the bacteria called E. coli generally causes the infection to begin with, and this is often the most common cause of a kidney infection. However, other infections can result in a kidney infection.

Bacteria from an infection elsewhere in the body can also spread and travel through the bloodstream to the kidneys, as although it is quite unusual for an infection to develop in this manner, it can happen if an individual has an artificial joint or heart valve that becomes infected. Rarely, a kidney infection occurs after a patient has kidney surgery, and it is also incredibly rare for an infection transmitted through the skin to travel through the bloodstream to the kidneys, but it can happen.

Risk Factors Associated With Kidney Infections

There are various risk factors that can put the possibility of an individual developing a kidney infection including being female, pregnancy, a urinary tract blockage, a weakened immune system, nerve damage around the bladder, a urine catheter, and a condition resulting in urine flowing in the wrong direction. On average, women are more prone to developing a kidney infection than men, as the urethra is shorter in women, which makes it substantially easier for bacteria to travel from outside of the body to the bladder, and once in the bladder, bacteria can spread to the kidneys.

Pregnant women have an even higher chance of developing a kidney infection due to this biological design. A urinary tract blockage includes anything that slows the flow of urine or decreases an individual’s ability to empty the bladder completely when urinating, such as a kidney stone, something abnormal in the urinary tract’s structure, or for men, an enlarged prostate gland. A weakened immune system includes medical conditions that impair the immune system such as diabetes and HIV, and specific medications.