Acute pyelonephritis
Acute pyelonephritis is a sudden, painful bacterial infection that travels from the bladder up into one or both of your kidneys.
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Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs in your back that filter waste from your blood to make urine. Acute pyelonephritis happens when bacteria, usually from the bladder or urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body), travel upward and infect your kidneys.
While a regular bladder infection stays in the lower part of your urinary system, pyelonephritis is more serious because it reaches the upper parts of the system. It causes significant inflammation, which is the body's swelling response to infection, leading to intense pain and fever.
Common Symptoms
- A high fever and chills that make you shiver.
- Sharp, aching pain in your side, back, or groin area.
- A frequent, urgent need to urinate even when your bladder is empty.
- Pain or a burning feeling when you urinate.
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine.
- Nausea or vomiting.