Your kidneys are a pair of organs found near your hips, which are connected by two narrow tubes to your bladder, a smaller organ used to store urine until you release it through urination. Both your kidneys and bladder have the potential to become infected with bacteria, resulting in a variety of symptoms.

Types of Symptoms

Symptoms of kidney and bladder infections include a fever, shaking, chills, nausea, vomiting and urine that is bloody, cloudy or strong-smelling, reports the Mayo Clinic. It is also common to experience an intense and frequent urge to urinate, but to only be able to pass small amounts of urine.

Time Frame

The symptoms of a kidney or bladder infection typically come on suddenly and worsen rapidly, reports the Mayo Clinic.

Features

Kidney infections tend to cause pain in your sides and upper back, while bladder infections often result in a feeling of lower abdominal pressure and pain. Both conditions often cause burning or pain upon urination.

Signs

Upon examining a urine culture, doctors find signs of kidney or bladder infections, such as the presence of bacteria and elevated amounts of red or white blood cells, explains the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

When to See a Doctor

Because kidney and bladder infections are easiest to treat when caught early, contact your doctor as soon as you notice any symptoms that resemble those of a urinary tract infection, suggests the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Source:

Mayo Clinic: Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

U.S. National Library of Medicine: Urinary tract infections