Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Health and wellbeing
  3. Illnesses and conditions
  4. A to Z

Kidney infection

A kidney infection is a painful, unpleasant illness usually caused by bacteria travelling from your bladder into one or both of your kidneys.

Symptoms of kidney infection 

A kidney infection is more serious than cystitis, a common infection of the bladder that makes urinating (when you pee) painful. The symptoms of a kidney infection usually develop quite quickly over a few hours or days.

Common symptoms include:

  • pain and discomfort in your side, lower back or around your genitals
  • high temperature (it may reach 39.5C or 103.1F)
  • shivering or chills
  • feeling very weak or tired
  • loss of appetite
  • feeling sick or being sick
  • diarrhoea

You may have other symptoms if you also have cystitis or urethritis (an infection of the urethra). These additional symptoms may include:

  • pain or a burning sensation during urination
  • needing to urinate very often or urgently
  • feeling that you're unable to urinate fully
  • blood in your urine
  • cloudy or foul smelling urine
  • pain in your lower abdomen

Children

Children with a kidney infection may also have additional symptoms, such as:

  • a lack of energy
  • irritability
  • poor feeding and/or vomiting
  • not growing at the expected rate
  • abdominal pain
  • jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
  • blood in the urine
  • unpleasant smelling urine
  • bedwetting

Causes of a kidney infection 

A kidney infection (pyelonephritis) usually happens when bacteria infect your kidneys. The bacteria are usually a type called E. coli, which live in your bowel.

Treating a kidney infection 

Kidney infections are quite rare. They can happen at any age, but are much more common in women.

Most people with a kidney infection can be treated at home with a course of antibiotics, and possibly painkillers as well.

When to see your GP 

You should contact your GP if you:

  • have a fever
  • have persistent tummy, lower back or genital pain
  • notice a change to your usual pattern of urination

If you have blood in your urine, you should always see your GP so the cause can be investigated.

Contact your GP immediately or out of hours GP service if you think your child may have a kidney infection.

Help with preventing infections

You can reduce your chances of developing a kidney infection by keeping your bladder and urethra (the tube that allows urine to pass out of your body) free from bacteria.

You can help prevent an infection by:

  • drinking plenty of fluids
  • keeping your genitals clean
  • treating any constipation

Toilet tips

To help keep your urinary tract free from bacteria:

  • go to the toilet as soon as you feel the need to urinate (to pee), rather than holding it in
  • wipe from front to back after going to the toilet
  • practice good hygiene by washing your genitals every day and before having sex
  • empty your bladder after having sex
  • if you're a woman, avoid ‘hovering’ over a toilet seat as it can result in your bladder not being fully emptied
  • Find out more about kidney infection on the NHS website

More useful links

  • How to use your health services

The information on this page has been adapted from original content from the NHS website.

For further information see terms and conditions.

Health conditions A to Z

Or find conditions beginning with A to Z…

Skip A to Z menu
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z

Related conditions

  • Blood in urine (haematuria)

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS