Symptoms of Kidney Disease in Women

The symptoms of kidney disease in women are easily detected than in men. Also, kidney disease is more common in women than in men. This is because a woman’s genitalia are more likely to be exposed to bacteria that can cause kidney infection. During the early stage, kidney disease in women can be easily treated with oral antibiotics. But when caught at the advanced stage, this would pose a great risk to the individual’s health and the treatment process would take a lot longer. It is therefore essential to know the signs and symptoms of kidney disease in women and report them to the doctor as soon as these symptoms are detected.

Common Types of Kidney Disease in Women

There are a number of diseases that arise due to kidney infection. Below are the common types of kidney diseases in women:

• Urinary Tract Infection – Urinary Tract infection is a disease wherein the bacteria invade the urinary tract via the urethra. This is a mild type of kidney disease in women and would need oral antibiotics to heal it.

• Pyelonephritis – Pyelonephritis is a condition in which the bacteria that entered the urinary tract have made their way up to the kidneys causing inflammation. If left untreated, kidney stones could develop which would need to be removed through surgery.

• Kidney Failure – Kidney failure is a life threatening condition. This is when the kidney is heavily contaminated with bacteria and its normal function has completely shut down. Wastes cannot be eliminated so the bacteria will now spread throughout the body, infecting other organs as well, resulting to their failure to function normally. Kidney failure could lead to death.

Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Disease in Women

The kidneys are important organs in our body. They are responsible for the elimination of liquid wastes from the body. If the kidneys are damaged, removal of these wastes will be impaired, hence, allowing the accumulation of bacteria in the urethra and the kidneys. The bacteria may be circulated throughout the body, spreading the infection and posing a great threat to one’s life.

Women are more prone to kidney disease than men. These are the common signs and symptoms of kidney disease in women:

• An urgent feeling to urinate all the time

• A painful sensation upon urination

• Cloudy, foul smelling urine

• Fevers and chills

• Abdominal and back pains

Once these common symptoms persist, it is advisable to inform the doctor right away.

Treatment of Kidney Disease in Women

If the kidney disease in women is still at its early stage, the doctor would normally prescribe oral antibiotics to kill the bacteria that have invaded the kidneys. Examples of these antibiotics include ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin and cefalexin. For severe cases of kidney disease in women, the individual would have to be confined in a hospital for closer monitoring of the symptoms in case they become worse. The antibiotics will be given intravenously. For chronic and fatal types of kidney diseases, a crucial procedure called dialysis should be done. Dialysis helps clean the kidneys from bodily wastes and serves as substitute to the kidneys in doing their function.

The symptoms of kidney disease in women should be addressed as soon as perceived. Medical attention should be sought right away in order to remedy the disease while it’s still early.