They’re more common in people with vaginas, who have shorter urethras that make it easier for bacteria to travel into the body. Other risk factors include having a urinary tract blockage, such as a kidney stone, or having a weakened immune system.
Symptoms can include pain, as Adams described, particularly in the abdomen, back, or groin, according to the Mayo Clinic. People might also experience fever, chills, peeing a lot or feeling the urge to pee a lot, burning while peeing, nausea, vomiting, pus in the urine, and cloudy, bad-smelling urine.
Kidney infections really aren’t something to take lightly. An untreated kidney infection can irreversibly damage the kidneys, or the bacteria can spread to the bloodstream and cause a potentially fatal infection-induced condition called septicemia.
Adams thinks one of her lifestyle habits could have been a cause of her condition. “I do not drink water, like, at all,” she said in her Instagram Story. “And it’s really bad, especially after a marathon, so that maybe could’ve been the effect that it may have had on this whole thing.”
Hydration definitely plays a role in kidney infections. Drinking plenty of fluid can help flush out bacteria from the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other ways to prevent kidney infections include peeing when you feel the urge (rather than holding it for long periods of time), emptying the bladder completely every time you pee, peeing immediately after sex, carefully wiping front to back after going to the bathroom to avoid spreading bacteria, and avoiding using potentially irritating products around your urethra such as deodorants or douches.
Treatment for severe kidney infections sometimes requires hospitalization so that doctors can provide fluids and antibiotics intravenously. This type of infection almost always requires antibiotics.
Adams said she went home with medication after her hospital stay and has been “laying low” while she heals. “It’s getting better, [there’s] a tad bit of pain, but [it] just feels not right quite yet,” she continued. As of Saturday morning, she said, “Thankfully, I’m on the up and up.”
However, she’s adamant that she doesn’t want her experience to turn people off of running marathons. “Stop associating this with a marathon,” she said. “It had nothing to do with it, okay? You’re running the marathon with me next year, and that’s a whole other conversation.”
Related:
- 10 Signs of a Kidney Infection to Know, and When to Go
- 8 Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Stones You Need to Know
- Here’s Why You Should Always Wipe Front-to-Back