Urinary tract infections can affect any part of your urinary tract, but the lower urinary tract is far more common—specifically, your bladder (cystitis) and urethra (urethritis). Once in a while, a UTI can progress up to the kidneys (nephritis or pyelonephritis), which is a more serious infection and warrants a trip to your health care provider.

Kidney infections can cause permanent kidney damage and kidney failure if not promptly resolved, or can spread to your bloodstream.

In addition to the classic UTI symptoms listed earlier, symptoms of kidney infection can include:
• Fever
• Back, side (flank) or groin pain
• Abdominal pain

Take care while using an antibiotic, it has to be of high quality & high potency. It is advisable to take probiotic to replace the beneficial bacteria killed by the antibiotic. If you take your antibiotic at 8am and 8pm, take your probiotic at 2pm to minimize the affects of the antibiotic.

As a woman, there are some specific hygiene steps you can take to maintain a healthy urinary tract:
• Drink plenty of pure, filtered water every day
• Urinate when you feel the need; don’t resist the urge to go
• Wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria from entering your urethra
• Take showers instead of tub baths; avoid hot tubs/Jacuzzis
• Cleanse your genital area prior to sexual intercourse
• Avoid using feminine hygiene sprays, which may irritate your urethra
• Use only white unscented toilet paper to avoid potential dye reactions, or better yet—a bidet

In addition, a healthy diet is key in supporting your urinary tract.

Antibiotics for a UTI must be avoided whenever possible.

There are number of reasons:
1. Antibiotics are highly overused in humans and pets, as well as in livestock, and this careless overuse has created antibiotic-resistant superbugs like MRSA and antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis.
2. Antibiotics kill the good bacteria, along with the bad, as described earlier, setting you up for fungal infections, diarrhoea, and other digestive trouble.
3. Many antibiotics have terrible side effects and can cause dangerous allergic reactions.
4. Antibiotic treatment does not successfully kill all the bacteria participating in the infection and may, in fact, encourage many of the bacteria to persist in a resting state.
5. Using unnecessary antibiotics with children prevents them from developing their own natural defences as their immune systems mature.
6. Physicians often prescribe newer, very expensive antibiotics for UTIs instead of “old gold standards,” which is a strain on your pocketbook.
The majority of urinary tract infections can be cured when symptoms first arise, or prevented altogether by practicing the natural measures outlined in this article.

Occasionally, despite preventative measures, a kidney infection can develop. If you suspect you have a kidney infection—especially if you have a fever—it might be necessary to see a physician and employ an antibiotic so the infection does not spread to your kidney and cause some very serious problems.

Adopted from an article, Courtesy: http://articles.mercola.com