7 Silent Signs Of Kidney Infection You Should Never Ignore!

On an everyday basis, all of us eat and drink to sustain our energy and also to satisfy our taste buds, right? While most of the foods and drinks that we ingest are used up by the body to produce more energy required for the healthy functioning of the organs and also to help us remain active, there is some of the ingested foods and fluids that are left over.

The excess foods and fluids, along with certain other waste and toxins that are rejected by the body have to pass out through the body, through our excretory system. This is where the kidneys, one of the vital organs of the body, come into the picture, as they are responsible for filtering out the excess waste and toxins from the body.

The kidneys are a pair of vital organs located behind the stomach region, on either side of the spine, just below the rib-cage. These bean-shaped organs are approximately 4-5 inches in length, in an adult human. As we read earlier, the main function of the kidney is to filter out the waste and toxins from the blood and flush it out of the body, in the form of urine.

So, when the kidney or both kidneys malfunction, it could lead to a number of health complications, as the waste and toxins may not be able to get out of your body effectively. Many a time, due to bacteria getting into the kidney, through the urinary tract, the kidneys can get infected and the signs may not be very apparent. Not getting kidney infection treated could cause kidney stones and even kidney failure.

So, here are some of the silent signs of kidney infection you must never ignore.

1. Urge To Urinate Often
2. Foul-smelling Urine
3. Pain During Urination
4. Difficulty In Starting Urine Flow
5. Back Pain
6. Blood In Urine
7. Flu

1. Urge To Urinate Often

If you have been having an urge to urinate very frequently, even though your liquid intake has not increased more than usual, or you are not pregnant or suffering from diabetes, then it could be a silent sign of kidney infection. When the tissues of the kidney are affected by bacterial infection, they get inflamed and irritated, stimulating the bladder more, thus increasing the urge to pee often.

2. Foul-smelling Urine

Yet another silent sign of kidney infection is that the urine starts to smell foul or has a putrid odour. This odour will be very different from the normal odour of urine. This is because when the kidneys are infected, pus cells will be produced in them. The pus cells are flushed out through the urine and they give the urine this foul smell.

3. Pain During Urination

Many a time, when people, especially women, experience pain or a burning sensation during urination, they mistake it to be a symptom of a urinary tract infection and ignore it, as it is not very serious. However, it could also be a symptom of kidney infection, especially, if it is coupled with a few other symptoms mention in this list. It happens, as the infection of the kidneys can inflame the urethra and bladder also, causing pain while urinating.

4. Difficulty In Starting Urine Flow

If you notice that even when you have the urge to urinate, when you start to go you may not be able to start the urine flow and may feel like nothing is coming out! This could also be because of kidney infection, especially if it is coupled with pain, as the inflammation in the kidneys could be blocking the urine from passing out of the body with ease.

5. Back Pain

Earlier we read that the kidneys are located in the back region, on either sides of the spine. So, naturally, when the kidneys are inflamed and infected, they could lead to back pain. This back pain is usually blunt and mild initially, so people tend to ignore it. However, persistent back pain can indicate kidney infection and must be checked.

6. Blood In Urine

Noticing blood while urinating, especially if it is coupled with pain and foul smell can surely indicate kidney infection, although this sign may occur only in the later stages. The inflammation and infection can lead to bleeding in the kidneys, which gets mixed with the urine and is seen when it passes out of the body.

7. Flu

This is yet another silent sign of kidney infection which must not be ignored or mistaken for the regular flu. A flu occurs when any part of the body is infected, as the immune system will be fighting against the infection, causing flu symptoms. So, if you are experiencing flu, especially if it is coupled with one or more symptoms mention above, you must immediately get checked for kidney infection.