Chronic Kidney Infections: You Don't Have to Live with Them

The truth is, there is no living with chronic kidney infections. Or, should I say, there is no life with chronic kidney infections. There is always something there to stop you from doing the things you love, or the things you want to try. There is always that persistent flank pain whether you actually have an active infection or not. Always the unremitting fatigue that causes you to have to pencil in down time during the day. Down time that takes away your writing time, drawing time, certainly all your friend time; yet without that down time you’re useless. Just a walking zombie, and still there is never enough rest to satisfy your body. So, as I said, there is no life with chronic kidney infections. In fact, there is little in sight except for more kidney infections and a deep bout of depression.

Kidney infections are a rather more serious form of UTI infections, and stem from a number of different causes. Frankly, nearly every woman has suffered from some form of UTI, generally bladder infections. We’re more prone to them due to our anatomical make up. However, chronic UTIs are not part of our anatomical or genetic make up. There is no reason why I, or any other woman should have to suffer from it!

Symptoms of a kidney infection are not to be mistaken with those of a bladder infection and include: flank pain, abdominal pain, fever, chills, vomiting, nausea, and painful urination, increased urgency in or frequency in urination, abnormally colored urine, and blood in urine. (Infections, 2006). As with any illness, you may experience a few or all of the aforementioned symptoms. Furthermore, there are two separate types of kidney infections, one is called Pyelonephritis and has very acute symptoms, while the other, glomerulonephritis, has symptoms that are often vague and hard to properly diagnose. These two types of infections also stem from different sources.