Kidney infection (pyelonephritis) is a specific type of urinary tract infection (UTI) that generally begins in your urethra or bladder and travels up into your kidneys. If not treated properly, a kidney infection can permanently damage your kidneys or spread to your bloodstream and cause a life-threatening infection. Treatment is typically with the antibiotics cephalexin or nitrofurantoin, which may be taken for up to two weeks and will disrupt the flow of blood in the body and cause a delay in the period when the uterus lining breaks down. Consult your gynecologist or doctor if concerned, and monitor the regularity and frequency of your periods over several months. Ensure that all fluids are replaced after the illness, and energy levels are kept high so that your blood cells don't naturally deplete. Women are more prone to UTIs than men because their urethra is much closer to the anus and shorter than in males. There are several ways bacteria can get into the urethra. During sexual intercourse, the bacteria in the vaginal area may be pushed into the urethra and eventually end up in the bladder, where urine provides a good environment for the bacteria to grow. Among the elderly, UTI frequency is roughly equal in women and men, due in part to an enlarged prostate in older men. As the gland grows, it obstructs the urethra, leading to increased frequency of urinary retention. If urine testing shows signs of infection even in the absence of symptoms (known as asymptomatic bacteriuria) women are treated.
