Sign: Pain when peeing
Because a kidney infection is a type of urinary tract infection, you’ll have inflammation all the way down your urethra. The bacteria don’t just invade the lining of your bladder and kidneys, explains Charles Modlin, MD, MBA, a urologist with Cleveland Clinic.
They also can infiltrate the tissue and nerve endings of your urinary tract, activating pain receptors in the area. And when nature calls—ouch.