If youโre experiencing a backache, itโs easy to chalk it up to overexerting yourself. But if the ache is accompanied by an urgent need to urinateโa telltale sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI)โyou may wonder, can a UTI cause back pain? ย A report in the journal American Family Physician reveals that 7 million women are diagnosed with UTIs each year. Delaying diagnosis can lead to a serious UTI complication, and back pain can be a hallmark symptom. Hereโs everything you need to know to ease the ache and clear the infection.[โฆ]CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLEโถ
Can a UTI cause back pain?
โUTIs are common infections that are usually contained inside the bladder and do not cause back pain,โ notes Barbara Hanna, DO, ob/gyn and co-founder of MyMenopauseRx.com. They happen when bacteria enter the bladder through the urethra, often leading to painful urinationโthe back pain comes in if a UTI goes untreated and spreads to the kidneys. This is why itโs important to do what you can to prevent a UTIโlike peeing after sex and hydratingโand get a suspected UTI treated quickly.
โPyelonephritis, also known as a kidney infection, usually occurs when a bacterial infection causes inflammation of the kidneys,โ explains Raj Dasgupta, MD, Chief Medical Advisor for Fortune Recommends Health. โPyelonephritis causes flank and back pain because it causes the kidney tissue to swell, which stretches the renal capsule, a thin membranous sheath that covers the outer surface of each kidney to help support the kidney and protect it from injury. Stretching of the renal capsule results in pain in the low back and sides.โ
The pain usually feels constant, dull and achy, but can sometimes feel sharp and come in waves, he adds.
How to tell if your back pain is caused by a UTI or kidney infection
โIf back pain is caused by UTI, there should be some other symptom related to urinationโmost commonly pain with urination or frequent and urgent urination,โ says Sarah Adelstein, MD, assistant professor of urology at Rush University Medical Center.
And as Dr. Dasgupta adds, โAcute pyelonephritis will classically present as a triad of fever, back pain and nausea or vomiting. But not all symptoms need to be present when making the diagnosis.โ
What to do if you suspect a UTI is causing back pain
โItโs important to see a doctor quickly if you think your back pain is from a UTI,โ says Dr. Dasgupta. โIf the infection reaches your kidneys, it can cause serious problems like sepsis or kidney damage.โ
To diagnose a suspected infection, your doctor will test your urine for the presence of bacteria, nitrites and white and red blood cells. They may order a urine culture to ID specific bacteria, and in some cases, conduct blood tests to check for sepsis and assess kidney function.
The good news: โAcute kidney infection can usually be managed in the outpatient setting with oral antibiotics,โ Dr. Dasgupta notes. But if testing reveals youโre suffering from a severe or resistant infection, hospitalization may be recommended. The bottom line: โYour doctor will advise you on the appropriate clinical setting to treat your acute kidney infectionโฆCLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES>>>
