Quick answer: A kidney infection is a UTI that has traveled up to one or both kidneys, and it needs prompt care. The telltale signs are a fever with chills, an ache in your back or flank below the ribs, nausea or throwing up, plus the burning and frequent urination that come with a bladder infection. If you have those signs, get seen the same day. At Total Health Urgent Care in Covington, LA we can run an on-site urinalysis, start treatment, and tell you fast whether you need a higher level of care.
What are the symptoms of a kidney infection?
Kidney infection symptoms usually come on faster and hit harder than a simple bladder infection. You often feel genuinely sick all over, not just uncomfortable when you pee. Watch for this combination:
- Fever and chills, sometimes shaking chills
- An ache in your flank, side, or groin, usually right below the rib cage (doctors call this flank pain)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Burning when you urinate, a strong urge to go, or going often
- Cloudy, dark, bloody, or foul-smelling urine
- Feeling generally worn out or achy
Kidney infections are more common than a lot of people realize. The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that acute pyelonephritis accounts for roughly 250,000 office visits and 200,000 hospital admissions in the United States each year. Catching one early is what keeps it out of that hospital column.
How is a kidney infection different from a regular UTI?
A urinary tract infection and a kidney infection are on the same spectrum. Most UTIs stay in the bladder, where they cause burning and urgency but usually no fever. A kidney infection, or pyelonephritis, happens when that bladder infection climbs up the ureters into a kidney. That’s when you start running a fever, hurting in your back or side, and feeling nauseated. UTIs are extremely common, so knowing when yours has crossed the line matters.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that between 50 and 80 percent of women will have at least one UTI in their lifetime. Here’s a simple way to tell the two apart:
Can urgent care test for a kidney infection?
Yes. An urgent care clinic is a good first stop for a suspected kidney infection. At Total Health Urgent Care in Covington we run a rapid urinalysis on site, which checks your urine for the white blood cells, bacteria, and blood that point to an infection. If a urine culture is needed to pin down the exact bacteria, we send it out to a lab. You don’t need an appointment, and you don’t have to wait days for a primary care opening while you feel awful.
Because we’re a walk-in clinic open seven days a week, you can come in on a weekend or an evening when your primary care office has closed for the day. That matters with a kidney infection, since waiting it out is the thing you most want to avoid.
When is a kidney infection an ER trip instead of urgent care?
Most kidney infections can be evaluated and treated at urgent care, but some need the emergency room. Head straight to the emergency room (or call 911) if any of these show up:
- Confusion, extreme drowsiness, or trouble staying awake
- A very high fever with violent shaking chills
- A racing heart, trouble breathing, or lightheadedness like you might pass out
- Throwing up so often that no fluids will stay down
- Severe, unrelenting pain
The reason to take those signs seriously: NIDDK warns that “although uncommon, a kidney infection could lead to sepsis, which can be life threatening.” Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming response to an infection, and it’s the situation the warning signs above can point to. When in doubt, get emergency care. If your symptoms are the more typical fever, back pain, and burning, urgent care is the right and faster choice.
How is a kidney infection treated?
Kidney infections are treated with antibiotics, and the sooner they start, the better you tend to do. At a same-day visit we’ll go over your symptoms, test your urine, and start an appropriate treatment plan. We’ll also help with the miserable parts, like fever, nausea, and dehydration, and we’ll be clear with you about what to watch for at home and when to come back or escalate.
Fluids matter too. If you’re too nauseated to keep water down, that’s one of the signs it’s time to be seen rather than tough it out.
Getting seen for UTI or kidney infection care in Covington
You know your body. If a bladder infection suddenly comes with a fever and back pain, treat that as your cue to get checked the same day. Total Health Urgent Care offers walk-in urgent care in Covington with same-visit urine testing and lab work, no appointment needed. We’re founded and led by Jennifer Duncan, APRN, MSN, FNP-C, and we treat patients from across the Northshore, including Mandeville, Madisonville, Abita Springs, and Folsom.
Our self-pay office visit is a flat $130, and you can see our full pricing and insurance details before you come in. We’re at 73015 Hwy 25, Suite A, right near the Hwy 25 and Hwy 190 junction in Covington, open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. See everything we handle on our services page, or contact us with a question. For an emergency, call 911.
Frequently Asked Questions
The biggest clues are a fever, chills, nausea, and an ache in your back or flank, layered on top of the usual burning and frequent urination. A plain bladder infection rarely causes a fever. If yours does, treat it as a possible kidney infection and get seen the same day.
We’ll ask about your symptoms, check your temperature, and test a urine sample right here to look for signs of infection. If a culture is needed to identify the exact bacteria, we send that out to a lab. It’s a walk-in visit, so you can be seen and start treatment without an appointment.
You shouldn’t count on it. Kidney infections are treated with antibiotics, and delaying care raises the risk of complications. If you have kidney infection symptoms, it’s worth getting evaluated promptly rather than waiting to see if it passes.
Our self-pay office visit is a flat $130 at Total Health Urgent Care. We also accept most major insurance and bill directly. You can review the full pricing details on our pricing and insurance page before your visit.
Aim for same-day care. Kidney infections respond best to prompt treatment, and getting checked quickly is how you keep a treatable infection from turning into a hospital stay. If you notice emergency warning signs like confusion or a very high fever with shaking chills, get emergency care right away or call 911.
General health information from the team at Total Health Urgent Care, the walk-in clinic in Covington founded by Jennifer Duncan, APRN, MSN, FNP-C. This is for general information and is not a substitute for care from a licensed provider. For a medical emergency, call 911.