Which Antibiotic Will Work Best
Your doctor will take a urine sample to confirm that you have a UTI. Then the lab will grow the germs in a dish for a couple of days to find out which type of bacteria you have. This is called a culture. Itâll tell your doctor what type of germs caused your infection. Theyâll likely prescribe one of the following antibiotics to treat it before the culture comes back:
Which medication and dose you get depends on whether your infection is complicated or uncomplicated.
âUncomplicatedâ means your urinary tract is normal. âComplicatedâ means you have a disease or problem with your urinary tract. You could have a narrowing of your ureters, which are the tubes that carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder, a narrowing in the urethra which transports urine from the bladder out of the body, or, you might have a blockage like a kidney stone or an enlarged prostate . It’s also possible you have a urinary fistula or a bladder diverticulum.
To treat a complicated infection, your doctor might prescribe a higher dose of antibiotics. If your UTI is severe or the infection is in your kidneys, you might need to be treated in a hospital or doctor’s office with high-dose antibiotics you get through an IV.
Your doctor will also consider these factors when choosing an antibiotic:
- Are you over age 65?
- Are you allergic to any antibiotics?
- Have you had any side effects from antibiotics in the past?
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This article is not medical advice. It is intended for general informational purposes and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your physician or dial 911.
What Are The Best Antibiotics For Uti In Males
Urinary tract infection in males is a common condition. It occurs when harmful bacteria affect any part of your urinary tract system . Antibiotics are the most effective treatment option for UTIs. Antibiotics destroy the infection-causing bacteria and provide fast symptomatic relief as well.
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What Is A Kidney Infection
Kidney infection, or pyelonephritis, is a bacterial infection of the kidneys that constitutes a medically urgent condition requiring immediate antibiotic treatment. Untreated kidney infection runs the risk of an abscess, kidney damage, loss of kidney function, blood poisoning , and, in a worst-case scenario, kidney failure.
Kidney infections are a commonly experienced type of kidney disease, accounting for over 250,000 cases per year. They are typically caused by an active urinary tract infection that begins in the bladder, called cystitis. Because women are at a higher risk for cystitis, they are also at a higher risk for kidney infection. Approximately 15-17 out of every 10,000 women are diagnosed with kidney infection annually compared to 3-4 out of every 10,000 men. Other risk factors include urinary system blockage, a compromised immune system, urinary catheters, or vesicoureteral reflux, a condition in which urine flows up from the bladder back into the kidneys.
Most kidney infections are the result of urinary tract infections caused by a bacteria called Escherichia coli, or E. coli, which normally lives in the colon. Bacteria that finds its way into the bladder and goes untreated can travel up the ureters, the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder, and spread to the kidneys and their collecting systems.
How Do You Know If Youre Dealing With A Standard Uti Or Severe Kidney Infection
Both are technically forms of UTIs. A standard UTI, though, typically just means youre dealing with cystitis, or inflammation of the bladder. That inflammation causes those typical UTI symptoms like painful or burning urination and urgent or frequent urination, explains Dr. Mueller.
But a kidney infection, also known as pyelonephritis, is caused by the same bacteria and oftentimes results from an untreated bladder infection. These symptoms are typically much more severe.
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What Happens When A Uti Goes Untreated
Thanks to early diagnosis and proper treatment, the vast majority of lower urinary tract infections result in no complications. However, if left untreated, a UTI can have serious ramifications notes the Mayo Clinic, including:
- Recurrent UTIs
- Premature birth and low birth weight
- Kidney damage, which can occur is an untreated UTI spreads from the bladder to the kidneys.
You may have an infection if you have any of these symptoms:
- You feel pain or burning when you urinate.
- You feel like you have to urinate often, but not much urine comes out when you do.
- You have pain in your lower belly.
- Your urine is cloudy, looks pink or red, or smells bad.
- You have pain on one side of your back under your ribs. This is where your kidneys are.
- You have fever and chills.
- You have nausea and vomiting.
- You have a fever, nausea and vomiting, or pain in one side of your back under your ribs.
- You have diabetes, kidney problems, or a weak immune system.
- You are older than 65.
- You are pregnant.
What Is A Urinary Tract Infection
UTIs are common infections that happen when bacteria, often from the skin or rectum, enter the urethra, and infect the urinary tract. The infections can affect several parts of the urinary tract, but the most common type is a bladder infection .
Kidney infection is another type of UTI. Theyre less common, but more serious than bladder infections.
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How Do You Prevent Or Avoid Utis
While there are no scientifically proven home remedies to UTIs, there are some things you can do yourself to avoid getting a UTI:
- Urinate when your body tells you it needs to. Urinating flushes germs from your urinary tract.
- Drink plenty of water so your body can continuously clear your urinary tract. The American Urological Association suggests nearly half a gallon daily .
- Pee after sexual activity to clear the urethra.
Wash the penis between anal and vaginal intercourse. Not doing so could transfer UTI-causing germs directly into the urinary tract .
How Do Health Care Professionals Treat Kidney Infections
If you have a kidney infection, a health care professional will prescribe antibiotics. Even before your test results are in, the health care professional may prescribe an antibiotic that fights the most common types of bacteria. Although you may feel relief from your symptoms, make sure to take the entire antibiotic treatment that your health care professional prescribes.
Once your lab results are in, the health care professional may switch the antibiotic to one that better treats the type of infection you have. You may take these antibiotics by mouth, through a vein in your arm, called by IV, or both.
If you are very sick from your kidney infection, you may go to a hospital for bed rest. A health care professional may give you fluids through an IV.
If something such as a kidney stone or an enlarged prostate is blocking your urinary tract, a doctor can sometimes treat the problem with surgery or another procedure.
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Other Urinary Tract Antibiotics
There are other prescription antibiotics that may be administered for urinary tract infections however are not specifically for treating kidney infections. For example, Macrobid is particularly for dealing with bladder infections and must not be used for kidney infections although it minimizes the growth of bacteria in similar ways that kidney infection antibiotics will. Make certain you consult your physician to verify where the infection is located along the urinary tract prior to deciding in between macrobid or kidney infection prescription antibiotics.
Oral Versus Parenteral Administration
Growing data suggest that oral antibiotic therapy, parenteral antibiotic therapy, and initial parenteral antibiotic therapy followed by oral antibiotic therapy are equally effective regimens, although most of the studies have been small. Some clinicians believe that initiating therapy with an intravenous or intramuscular dose of medication reduces the risk of therapeutic failure other clinicians believe that a completely oral course is sufficient. Data exist to support both assertions.
One conventional regimen comprises levofloxacin, 500 mg/day, given intravenously and then orally for 7-14 days. A short-course regimen of intravenous levofloxacin at 750 mg/day for 5 days proved non-inferior to that conventional regimen in a prospective, open-label, randomized, controlled clinical trial in 317 Chinese patients with complicated urinary tract infections and acute pyelonephritis.
To be considered for oral therapy, patients must meet several prerequisites. They must, of course, be able to tolerate oral medication. In addition, they must have no indication for admission, and close monitoring to ensure good compliance must be possible.
The 2010 guidelines from the Infectious Disease Society of America recommend that women with pyelonephritis who require hospitalization be treated initially with an intravenous antimicrobial regimen. The choice of antimicrobial agents should be based on local resistance data, with the regimen tailored on the basis of susceptibility results.
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How Can You Improve Your Kidney Health
Lifestyle habits that benefit your overall health, like staying hydrated and exercising regularly, can be vastly beneficial to your kidney health.
Similarly, you shouldnt smoke, and you should go see your doctor for regular checkups to monitor your blood pressure. If youre at risk for kidney infections, you should have your kidneys tested and monitored.
What Treatments Work
The usual treatment for a kidney infection is antibiotics. Antibiotics are drugs that kill bacteria. Most people can take their antibiotic tablets at home. But some people need to have antibiotics as an intravenous drip in hospital.
Medicines
If youâre well enough to be treated at home youâll be given antibiotic tablets to take. Youâll probably take tablets for one or two weeks, depending on how severe your infection is. Some doctors recommend taking antibiotics for at least 10 days.
You should start to feel better within two days and be completely better in two weeks. You should always finish your tablets, even if youâre feeling better before then.
If you need to be treated in hospital you might be given intravenous antibiotics through a drip in your arm. The antibiotics work quickly when given like this because they go straight into your bloodstream.
Things you can do for yourself
Kidney infections can be painful. You might want to take painkillers, such as paracetamol or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug , such as ibuprofen.
You should also drink plenty of fluids.
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What Is A Uti
Before we talk about the antibiotics that treat UTIs, lets discuss what the medications are targeting.
Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, refer to a group of infections that can happen anywhere along the urinary tract, which includes the kidneys, ureters, bladders, and urethra. Antibiotics are used to treat UTIs because bacteria often cause themEscherichia coli is the type of bacteria notoriously famous for causing most UTIs.
Most germs that cause these infections typically live on the skin in unharmful numbers, especially in areas like the vaginal folds. However, once in the urinary tract, they can multiply to unsafe colony numbers and cause symptoms .
UTI symptoms include: burning during urination, needing to pee frequently, lower abdominal pain or cramping, blood in your urine, and feeling the need to urinate even if you just went to the bathroom.
Drink Plenty Of Liquids
Drinking plenty of liquids, particularly water, will help to wash bacteria from your bladder and urinary tract.
Drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry extracts may also help prevent urinary tract infections . However, you should avoid cranberry juice or extracts if youre taking warfarin, a medicine used to prevent blood clots. Cranberry juice can make the effects of warfarin more potent, so theres a risk of excessive bleeding.
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How Long Should I Take Antibiotics
Your doctor will let you know. Typically, for an uncomplicated infection, you’ll take antibiotics for 2 to 3 days. Some people will need to take these medicines for up to 7 to 10 days.
For a complicated infection, you might need to take antibiotics for 14 days or more.
If you still have symptoms after completing antibiotics, a follow-up urine test can show whether the germs are gone. If you still have an infection, you’ll need to take antibiotics for a longer period of time.
If you get UTIs often, you may need a prolonged course of antibiotics. And if sex causes your UTIs, you’ll take a dose of the medicine right before you have sex. You can also take antibiotics whenever you get a new UTI if youâre having symptoms and a positive urine culture.
What Antibiotics Are Used To Treat Kidney Infections
Treating a kidney infection requires antibiotics to prevent bacteria from multiplying. A variety of antibiotics are normally used to treat kidney infections. What is the best medicine for kidney infection treatment? Some of the most commonly prescribed kidney infection medications include:
Request antibiotics for kidney infection treatment online if you qualify here.
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For How Long Do You Administer Antibiotic For Kidney Infection In Dogs
The length of treatment should be determined by your veterinarian. The length of time that it takes for an antibiotic to cure your dogs kidney infection depends on a number of factors, including:
- The severity of the infection. If your dog has a mild case, then it will probably only require 5-7 days of antibiotics. A severe case may require 10+ days or longer until theyre cleared up.
- Your dogs overall health and age. Older dogs tend to take longer recoveries than younger ones do, so this can also affect how long youll need to administer antibiotics for kidney infection in dogs before theyre completely healed up and back at 100%.
What Are The Types Of Utis
UTIs are categorized into two types.
Complicated UTIs refer to infections associated with another condition. Often, that underlying condition makes the UTI worse because it may involve pre-existing kidney or bladder problems. If left untreated, complicated UTIs can lead to severe, permanent kidney damage.
The other category of UTIs is an uncomplicated UTI. These occur in individuals who are otherwise healthy and do not have abnormalities in their urinary tract. Uncomplicated UTIs tend to be recurring. They are categorized based on where the infection develops along the urinary tract. If it develops in the bladder, its called cystitis if it grows in the kidney, its called pyelonephritis .
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Treatments For Utis And Kidney Infections
After making a diagnosis and determining that you have a urinary tract infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to get rid of the bacteria causing your infection.
You should inform your doctor if you have any drug allergies before taking the medication. Call your doctor if you develop any side effects like rashes while taking your antibiotic.
Kidney infection
For kidney infections, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to get rid of the bacteria causing the infections.
Your doctor may also give you pain relievers to manage the painful symptoms that can accompany a kidney infection. Depending on the severity of your infection and other factors in your personal medical history, you may need to be admitted to the hospital for further monitoring.
It’s also important that you drink a lot of fluids. This will help prevent dehydration and flush the bacteria out of your kidneys.
How Long Does A Uti Last
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If you have a UTI, its best to get it treated right away before any complications develop . Its possible for a UTI to get better on its own, but most of the time, it wont. While home remedies can help ease some of the discomfort, a doctor can prescribe you an antibiotic that is a much quicker and more effective treatment. An antibiotic will start working immediately and, depending on how complicated your UTI is, may clear it up in a matter of days. Be sure to always take your medication how your doctor prescribes.
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What Bacteria Causes Kidney Infections
The most common bacterium that causes urinary tract infections is Escherichia coli, which you might know better as simply E. coli. Responsible for about 90 percent of all uncomplicated urinary tract infections, E. coli can be found in the colons of humans and animals and in their fecal waste. Bacteria can develop in the urinary tract through the urethra and move into the kidneys, which may lead to kidney infections.
Why Should I Take The Full Dose
Antibiotics work well against UTIs. You might start to feel better after being on the medicine for just a few days.
But even so, keep taking your medicine. If you stop your antibiotics too soon, you wonât kill all the bacteria in your urinary tract.
These germs can become resistant to antibiotics. That means the meds will no longer kill these bugs in the future. So if you get another UTI, the medication you take might not treat it. Take the full course of your medicine to make sure all the bacteria are dead.
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