Brief overview
- Symptoms: Similar to renal pelvic inflammation: pain in the kidney area and in the abdomen, cramps in the lower abdomen, pain during urination, sometimes also fever and chills
- Causes and risk factors: Mostly due to ascending bacteria of a bladder infection, also due to ureteral stones, bladder catheters, congenital malformations of the ureters or narrowed ureters, transmission of the bacteria through sexual intercourse is possible.
- Diagnosis: medical interview with questioning about complaints, physical examination, urine examinations, sometimes ultrasound examination (sonography), possibly X-ray images
- Treatment: Usually by means of antibiotics, in addition general measures/home remedies such as drinking plenty of fluids, heat applications.
- Course of the disease and prognosis: The course of the disease varies; early treatment with antibiotics usually gives a good chance of recovery, late diagnosis and treatment may result in a complicated and severe course of the disease, life-threatening course possible if the pathogen spreads to the bloodstream (urosepsis).
What is ureteritis?
Ureteritis affects both men and women. However, the urethra is significantly shorter in women than in men, which makes it easier for germs to ascend. Thus, women are generally more likely to get a bladder infection, which also results in an increased risk of ureteritis.
The ureters are two delicate “muscular tubes” that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. When the mucous membranes inside the ureters become inflamed, it sometimes causes severe pain and a general feeling of illness. People with urinary stones have a much higher risk of developing ureteritis.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of ureteritis are similar to those of renal pelvic inflammation. Pain radiates from the kidney area to the rest of the abdomen and back. The abdomen often feels cramped.
Because ureteritis often rises from the bladder, there is often pain during urination as well. In many cases, fever and chills accompany ureteritis.
What home remedies can help?
If ureteritis is already present, home remedies can be used as a supportive measure in addition to medical treatment – which usually takes the form of antibiotic therapy. It is highly advisable to consult a doctor at an early stage in order to prevent a severe course of the disease.
Home remedies that are helpful for inflammation of the urinary tract in addition to antibiotic therapy include:
- Heat improves circulation in the abdomen and kidney area. This allows the body to better use its own defense mechanisms. Undershirts, warm stockings and a hot water bottle help keep the body warm. Warm feet are especially important for ureteritis.
- Drinking is important to “flush out” the urinary system. This is because the higher the flow velocity, the harder it is for bacteria to rise in the urinary tract. Three to four liters per day are recommended. Cranberry juice or currant juice additionally acidifies the urine and makes it more difficult for bacteria to multiply.
- Sitz baths, for example also with chamomile extract, have an anti-inflammatory effect and can relieve the discomfort of ureteritis. A full-body bath can also have a relaxing and pain-relieving effect.
- D-Mannose: According to initial studies, taking two grams of mannose daily seems to reduce the frequency of recurrent urinary tract infections. Mannose binds bacteria to itself, preventing them from adhering to the mucosa. Remedies containing mannose are usually available over-the-counter at pharmacies or drugstores.
Home remedies have their limitations. If the symptoms persist for a long period of time, do not improve or even get worse, you should always consult a doctor.
For more tips on using home remedies for cystitis, such as kidney and bladder teas or cranberry juice, see the article Cystitis Home Remedies.
How does ureteritis develop?
Chlamydia or gonococci are very often contracted during unprotected sexual intercourse. The bacteria migrate from the urethra at the genitals to the bladder and then continue upwards to the ureters and renal pelvis.
Young women in particular often get cystitis in cool temperatures. Occasionally, this develops into ureteritis. In addition, people with a so-called indwelling catheter show a higher risk of developing ureteritis. An indwelling catheter is a urinary catheter that stays in place for an extended period of time and drains urine through the urethra into a urine bag.
In addition, patients with ureteral stones are at additional risk of developing ureteritis. The stones obstruct the outflow of urine and also irritate the mucous membrane. As a result, potential pathogens are less easily flushed out, and at the same time they settle better on the irritated mucous membranes.
How is ureteritis diagnosed?
Ureteritis practically never occurs without a simultaneous inflammation of the urinary bladder. If the symptoms of an inflammation of the bladder exist and, in addition, symptoms of an inflammation of the ureter occur – for example, strong, radiating pain in the abdomen and back – an inflammation of the ureter is probable.
As a rule, however, the doctor “only” diagnoses an inflammation of the urinary tract. These include the urinary bladder, the ureters and the renal pelvis. This is because the exact location of the inflammation can only be diagnosed with complex diagnostic measures such as cysto-ureteroscopy. In most cases, however, a precise localization of the inflammation is not even necessary.
In principle, the doctor will first ask you a few questions about your symptoms and examine you physically. He will check, for example, whether there is a pressure pain at bladder level or a knocking pain in the flank or kidney area. A urine sample for examination in the laboratory is also necessary.
In some cases, doctors also consult other examinations such as ultrasound (sonography) or X-ray – especially if urinary stones are suspected – to diagnose ureteritis.
How is ureteritis treated?
Treatment depends on the cause of the ureteritis. Ureteritis is not without risk, as it can sometimes develop into a life-threatening disease. This then leads to so-called urosepsis – blood poisoning, the origin of which is an inflammation of the urinary tract.
For this reason, doctors use a so-called broad-spectrum antibiotic at an early stage in many cases of ureteritis. This is an antibiotic that acts against very many different bacteria at the same time.
Once the pathogen has been identified by a specific urine examination (urine culture), doctors usually switch the therapy to a more specifically acting antibiotic. This allows the drug to target the bacteria. Bacteria-specific therapy (“test-targeted antibiotic therapy”) is very important to reduce the risk of the bacteria developing resistance.
Home remedies have their limits. If the symptoms persist for a long time, do not improve or even get worse, you should always consult a doctor.
In some sufferers, the infection progresses very quickly. As soon as blood is seen in the urine or fever appears, it is imperative that you see a doctor immediately. In some cases, and especially if left untreated, ureteritis can lead to a severe and sometimes life-threatening course.
What is the course of ureteritis?
The prognosis and course of ureteritis can vary greatly. In an uncomplicated course and early treatment, the symptoms usually subside within a week under antibiotic therapy.
However, the further an inflammation of the urinary tract progresses, the more dangerous it is. In some cases, ureteritis develops into life-threatening urosepsis – blood poisoning (sepsis) caused by pathogens from the urinary tract. Since the kidneys are organs with a very good blood supply, the pathogen transition is easy.
Is it possible to prevent ureteritis?
In some cases it is possible to prevent ureteritis, because it is usually caused by an ascending infection of the urinary bladder. Therefore, the best prevention is to avoid it. The following measures help to keep the urinary tract healthy and strengthen the immune system:
- Pay attention to hygiene in the intimate area: wipe from front to back to avoid an infection caused by germs from the anal region. Practice regular but not excessive intimate cleansing preferably with water. Wear breathable underwear that can be washed at 60 °C.
- Sexual intercourse: Try to urinate shortly after sexual intercourse in order to immediately “flush out” any germs that may rise. Cleaning the intimate area also helps to prevent infections in some cases. Certain contraceptives such as condoms further reduce the risk of urinary tract infections.
In addition, the above-mentioned basic recommendations and tips also count, such as drinking enough fluids every day and avoiding hypothermia, especially cold feet.
