You probably know someone who has suffered from urinary tract infection (UTI). You might have gotten it yourself at some point. It is in fact one of the most common types of infection. What might be less familiar to you are kidney infections. Medically known as pyelonephritis, a kidney infection is actually a type of UTI that normally begins in your bladder or urethra and moves on to one or both of your kidneys.
This type of infection is a serious condition that needs to be attended to promptly. If it is left untreated, a kidney infection can cause permanent damage to your kidneys. It may also lead to sepsis, also called septicemia, which happens when your immune system releases chemicals into your blood in an attempt to fight the bacteria, triggering widespread inflammation in your body. This inflammation can result in clotting that can reduce the flow of your blood to your limbs and internal organs. This may ultimately lead to organ failure and in extreme cases even death.
As frightening as this sounds, a kidney infection can be treated and complications can be avoided if you seek help as soon as you start experiencing symptoms.
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