You can often hear that after severe hypothermia, a person froze his kidneys. What does this expression mean? Excessive exposure to low temperatures on the lumbar region can lead to the development of the inflammatory process in the organs of the excretory system. This is accompanied by pain and burning sensation during urination, the appearance of edema, deterioration in general condition and fever. It is necessary to treat such diseases as soon as possible, otherwise severe complications and violations of excretory function may occur. Do not rely only on folk remedies. Inflammatory renal ailments require serious treatment by a nephrologist or urologist.
What is a "cold of the kidneys"
What does the doctor mean when he says that the patient has stiffened his kidneys? This term refers to the inflammatory process in the tissues of the organ of excretion, resulting from exposure to bacteria and hypothermia. Pathology can affect either one kidney or two at once. Inflammation develops in different parts of the body: parenchyma, pelvis or calyx.
Bacteria and viruses enter the kidneys from the focus of the primary infection: teeth, throat or nasopharynx. Hypothermia causes a decrease in immunity and activation of pathogens.
Under the terms "froze kidneys" or "colds of the kidneys" are meant the following diseases:
- Pyelonephritis. This is an inflammation of the parenchyma, calyx and renal pelvis.
- Glomerulonephritis. With this disease, the inflammatory process occurs in the renal glomeruli.
Causes of pathology
Inflammatory diseases of the urinary organs occur not only as a result of sitting on cold ground. Sometimes, in order for a person to stiffen a kidney, even slight hypothermia is enough. Excretory organs are extremely sensitive to low temperatures. The following adverse factors can become the cause of the inflammatory process:
- drafts;
- swimming at low water temperature;
- sitting on any cold surface (iron, stone, concrete);
- the impact of cold on the area of the bare lower back;
- walking without shoes on the cold floor;
- recent infections (flu, SARS, tonsillitis);
- long stay in wet shoes;
- off-season clothing too light.
In the cold, a person has narrowed blood vessels and impaired nutrition of the kidneys. This creates a favorable environment for the development of microorganisms. In addition, stagnation of urine occurs due to a decrease in the outflow of urine. All of these factors lead to inflammation.
General symptoms of kidney inflammation
How to understand that a person has stiffened his kidneys? Symptoms of inflammation will vary depending on which part of the organ has been affected. Next, the manifestations of pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis will be examined in detail. However, common signs of congestive kidneys can be distinguished:
- back pain;
- difficulty emptying the bladder;
- frequent urination;
- cramping and burning when urine is excreted;
- an admixture of blood and pus in the urine ;
- swelling (especially on the face);
- increase in blood pressure;
- deterioration in overall health.
More often, inflammatory diseases of the urinary system affect women. However, in the practice of doctors there are cases when a man has stiffened his kidneys. In this case, the inflammatory process can spread to the prostate gland, which exacerbates the clinical picture. There are unpleasant manifestations associated with violations of the outflow of urine. Inflammation of the organs of excretion may be accompanied by prostatitis if the patient has a stiff kidney. Symptoms in men can be as follows:
- too frequent or rare urge to urinate;
- inability to completely empty the bladder;
- pain not only in the lower back, but also in the groin.
If pyelonephritis or glomerulonephritis is complicated by prostatitis, then treatment should be immediate. Such diseases very quickly become chronic.
Often, gynecologists and nephrologists during a medical history can hear from the patient that she has got a cold in her kidneys. Symptoms in women may be similar to signs of other pathologies: inflammation of the appendages, premenstrual syndrome, cystitis. It is necessary to undergo a gynecological examination and pass smears in order to exclude inflammatory processes in the reproductive organs.
Often there are cases when a child has a cold in his kidneys. Symptoms of the disease in children can be as follows:
- fever and chills (as with the flu);
- back pain;
- blanching of the skin.
Inflammatory kidney diseases resulting from hypothermia are found even in infants. However, the kids cannot explain where it hurts. Parents should pay attention to the following symptoms:
- restlessness, tearfulness;
- loss of appetite;
- frequent spitting up;
- diarrhea.
Thus, a "cold of the kidneys" may occur in a child up to 1 year old.
Signs of pyelonephritis
This disease is accompanied by a sharp increase in temperature to 39-40 degrees. General condition quickly worsens, chills, headache, weakness appear. A person is thirsty.
In the urine, even with the naked eye, clouding, flakes and an admixture of blood can be noticed. In the analysis of urine, an increased protein is determined. This disease usually appears in patients with chronic inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx.
Symptoms of Glomerulonephritis
In addition to general inflammatory symptoms, glomerulonephritis is accompanied by an increase in blood pressure. There is a headache, shortness of breath and palpitations.
In the analysis of urine, blood and protein are noted. Due to increased blood pressure, abnormalities appear in the cardiogram. This disease affects not only the condition of the kidneys, but also the cardiovascular system.
Complications
In no case should you self-medicate inflammatory renal pathologies. Complications of pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis can be very severe. The neglected cases of these diseases can lead to the following consequences:
- chronic inflammation;
- renal failure;
- kidney rupture;
- urosepsis (blood poisoning);
- chronic urinary incontinence.
An alarming sign is the appearance of an unpleasant ammonia odor from the patient's mouth. This indicates the development of renal failure.
Diagnostics
What should I do if I have a cold? It is necessary to consult a nephrologist. A specialist will prescribe blood and urine tests. In addition, additional studies of urine are being carried out: for sowing and analysis according to Nechiporenko.
Sometimes an antibiotic test is performed. This study helps differentiate kidney inflammation from cystitis. An antibacterial drug is injected into the bladder cavity. After 10 minutes, urine is tested for bacteria. If pathogens are not found in the test results, then this is a sign of cystitis, since the antibiotic locally affects the bladder. If bacteria are detected in the urine, then this indicates inflammation of the kidneys.
Ultrasound is prescribed to identify pathological changes in the structure of the kidneys. Women are recommended to visit a gynecologist to exclude diseases of the genital area.
First aid
Usually within 1-2 days after hypothermia, a person feels that he has frozen his kidneys. How to treat such an ailment? Therapy of inflammatory diseases of the urinary system can only be done by a doctor. It is impossible to cure pyelonephritis or glomerulonephritis with folk remedies alone. Therefore, it is necessary to visit a specialist as soon as possible. However, at the pre-medical stage, you can provide first aid to the patient:
- The patient should be laid down and covered with a warm blanket.
- The patient needs to avoid sudden movements, this can intensify the pain.
- You can give the patient an antispasmodic (Papaverine or No-shpu) to relieve pain. However, such drugs should not be abused. They do not treat the cause of the pathology, but only relieve symptoms.
- If there is an increased temperature, then an antipyretic should be taken.
- The patient should be given to drink as much fluid as possible. Preference should be given to the following drinks: cranberry juice, rosehip broth, compote of dried fruits. However, the intake of a large amount of liquid is permissible only in cases where there is no violation of the excretion of urine.
Do I need to apply a heating pad to the lower back? This question is often asked by patients. It is important to remember that warming can bring both benefit and harm. Heat dilates blood vessels and reduces pain, but can lead to the spread of infection and inflammation. Therefore, if the patient has an increase in body temperature of more than 37 degrees, then the heating pad should not be applied. It is better to wrap a lower back with a scarf, it will be safer. The use of a heating pad is also contraindicated in the appearance of blood in the urine.
Drug treatment
How to relieve inflammation in the organs of excretion if a person has a cold The treatment of pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis is aimed primarily at combating bacterial infection. For this purpose, cephalosporin antibiotics are prescribed. They are especially effective for kidney inflammation. These drugs include:
- Ceftriaxone.
- "Cefoperazone".
- Cefotaxime.
In no case should you prescribe yourself antibiotics yourself. Many antibacterial drugs have a toxic effect on the kidneys and can only aggravate the situation. Only a doctor can choose the safest antibiotics.
To reduce inflammation, phytopreparations with antiseptic and antispasmodic effects are prescribed:
- "Kanefron".
- "Urolesan".
- "Fitolizin".
Symptomatic therapy is performed. For severe pain, antispasmodic drugs and analgesics are indicated: Papaverine, No-shpa, Pentalgin. The drug "Analgin" can be taken only if the patient has no temperature. With fever, antipyretics based on paracetamol and acetylsalicylic acid are recommended.
If the patient does not have an outflow of urine, then he is recommended to drink plenty of fluids. During treatment, fried foods, salt and alcohol should be excluded from the diet. These products contribute to the appearance of edema and increase blood pressure.
Folk remedies
Treatment with folk remedies should complement drug therapy. Many doctors recommend the use of home prescriptions for pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis. Such a comprehensive treatment with medicines and folk remedies contributes to a speedy recovery.
It is useful to use the following formulations:
- Bearberry broth (bear’s ear). This herb acts as a natural antiseptic. 1 tablespoon of the leaves of the plant is placed in a glass of boiling water and heated for a couple for 30 minutes. After this, the volume of the composition must be brought to 200 ml. The drug is drunk in 50 ml four times a day.
- A decoction of corn stigmas. 1 tablespoon of raw material is placed in 200 ml of boiling water and boiled for 5 minutes. Then the composition is cooled, filtered and drunk 2 tablespoons 6 times a day before meals. The tool well removes swelling and removes fluid from the body.
- Camomile tea. In a thermos insist for 2 hours 2-3 tablespoons of dried flowers of the plant. The resulting infusion is consumed 5-6 times a day with honey.
- Cranberry juice and rosehip broth. These drinks not only quench your thirst, but also establish a balance of water in the body. In addition, they relieve heat and increase diuresis.
Prevention
To prevent inflammatory kidney diseases, hypothermia should be avoided. The lumbar region should be kept warm. Weather-appropriate clothing should be worn, drafts, bathing in cold water, and sitting on cold surfaces should be avoided.
It is also necessary to lead an active lifestyle, because low physical activity often causes stagnation in the kidneys and bladder. It is necessary to cure chronic foci of infection in the body in time to prevent the entry of bacteria into the organs of excretion. These measures will help reduce the risk of pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis.