A pregnant woman experiences a range of physiological and emotional alterations throughout the duration of her pregnancy. This is primarily caused by hormonal fluctuations, which prime the body for pregnancy for the entire nine-month period.
When the body endeavors to adapt to these new changes, the risk of developing a urinary tract infection escalates significantly. Failure to appropriately treat urinary tract infections will ultimately lead to the development of kidney infections or pyelonephritis.
A bacterial infection called pyelonephritis is a condition that primarily involves one or both kidneys. An individual may be experiencing either acute or chronic pyelonephritis, depending on the severity of their condition. Particularly in pregnant women, the development of acute pyelonephritis is marked by the abrupt advent of a severe kidney infection. This is usually caused by a sudden fluctuation in the hormone levels within your body, which may lead to an increase or decrease in the levels of those hormones.
After a pregnant woman has provided all pertinent medical history information, a doctor will typically diagnose a kidney infection in her. The following diagnostic procedures may be recommended by your doctor:
A blood test, which may be required of you, can be used to determine the severity of a kidney infection in your body by a doctor. Following the collection of a blood sample by the doctor, a medication that can easily treat the infection will be prescribed to you. The infection will not reach toxic levels that require a kidney transplant before this medication is administered.
Particularly in the initial stages, when there are no symptoms, kidney infections cannot be easily detected through visual examination. Your doctor may require you to perform a urine test to determine the severity of this infection in your body. Based on the results of these urine tests, your doctor will be able to formulate a medication to treat the kidney infection.
If a blood test or urine test does not reveal any kidney infection during pregnancy, your doctor may recommend an imaging test instead. An imaging test can help you determine whether a blockage exists in your urinary tract system that may be obstructing the normal passage of urine.
As a result, it is crucial to treat a kidney infection in its early phases, as this can later result in kidney failure, which may require kidney transplant or dialysis. It is essential for pregnant women to undergo regular medical examinations to maintain their health and the well-being of their unborn child.
What You Need to Know about Kidney Infection During Pregnancy
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