Can a UTI Cause Back Pain? How To Tell Whether Your Ache Is A Symptom Of A Kidney Infection

If you’re experiencing a backache, it’s easy to chalk it up to overexerting yourself. But if the ache is accompanied by an urgent need to urinate—a telltale sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI)—you may wonder, can a UTI cause back pain?  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. Here’s everything you need to know to ease the ache and clear the infection....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Can a UTI cause back pain?

“UTIs are common infections that are usually contained inside the bladder and do not cause back pain,” 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 urination—the back pain comes in if a UTI goes untreated and spreads to the kidneys. This is why it’s important to do what you can to prevent a UTI—like peeing after sex and hydrating—and get a suspected UTI treated quickly.

“Pyelonephritis, also known as a kidney infection, usually occurs when a bacterial infection causes inflammation of the kidneys,” explains Raj Dasgupta, MD, Chief Medical Advisor for Fortune Recommends Health. “Pyelonephritis 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.”

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

“If back pain is caused by UTI, there should be some other symptom related to urination—most commonly pain with urination or frequent and urgent urination,” says Sarah Adelstein, MD, assistant professor of urology at Rush University Medical Center.

And as Dr. Dasgupta adds, “Acute 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.”

What to do if you suspect a UTI is causing back pain

“It’s important to see a doctor quickly if you think your back pain is from a UTI,” says Dr. Dasgupta. ”If the infection reaches your kidneys, it can cause serious problems like sepsis or kidney damage.”

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: “Acute kidney infection can usually be managed in the outpatient setting with oral antibiotics,” Dr. Dasgupta notes. But if testing reveals you’re suffering from a severe or resistant infection, hospitalization may be recommended. The bottom line: “Your doctor will advise you on the appropriate clinical setting to treat your acute kidney infection…CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES>>>