Body Ache After Holidays... Turns Out to Be Shinwooshinyeom?

A 65-year-old woman, Ms. A, experienced feverish sensations along with occasional chills and flank pain after the holiday season.

Pain. Photo by Clipart Korea

Although she had diabetes and hypertension, she was relatively healthy and thought it was just fatigue from the holidays. However, as her symptoms worsened and she experienced pain during urination along with reddish urine, she visited a hospital. Blood tests revealed very high inflammation markers, and bacteria were found in her urine test, leading to a diagnosis of pyelonephritis.

During the holiday break, she spent long hours sitting while preparing food and drank less water than usual, resulting in infrequent urination. Additionally, she consumed a lot of greasy food and drank alcohol frequently during family gatherings, disrupting her eating habits and sleep patterns. It was presumed that her immune system weakened due to these various factors, causing pyelonephritis.

Pyelonephritis is an infection of the upper urinary tract, including the kidneys and renal pelvis, primarily caused by Escherichia coli. Healthy individuals prevent kidney infections through urine flow and structural functions, but structural abnormalities, physical obstructions, or urine reflux can allow bacteria to ascend to the kidneys and cause infection.

People with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension or those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to pyelonephritis, and in rare cases, infection can occur through the bloodstream. Symptoms of pyelonephritis include fever, chills, back pain, vomiting, as well as dysuria, urgency, and hematuria.

To confirm kidney infection, urine tests, urine cultures, and blood tests are performed, and imaging studies may be conducted if necessary. Treatment with medication begins based on the diagnosis, and most cases improve within a few days. However, repeated or untreated pyelonephritis can progress to chronic pyelonephritis, so caution is required.

Dr. Minji Kim, Head of the Artificial Kidney Center at Daedong Hospital (specialist in nephrology), stated, “Physical and mental stress accumulated during the holidays weakens the immune system, and increased contact with many people raises the risk of exposure to bacteria or viruses. Especially for women, who are structurally more vulnerable to urinary tract infections, it is important to visit a hospital immediately if abnormal symptoms appear and to maintain healthy lifestyle habits to prevent infections.”

Since pyelonephritis usually starts from urinary tract infections, maintaining urinary tract health is key to prevention. Drinking about 6 to 8 glasses of water daily helps ensure smooth urination, flushing out bacteria. Delaying urination allows bacteria to remain longer in the urinary tract, leading to infection, so it is advisable not to hold in the urge to urinate and to go to the bathroom promptly.

After urination, wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria from the anal area spreading to the urethra, and practice thorough hand hygiene. It is also recommended to avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can irritate the bladder, and to wear cotton underwear.

For those with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, immune function may be weakened and kidney function impaired. Therefore, regular check-ups to monitor kidney function are important, and if abnormal symptoms occur, visiting a medical institution promptly to assess one’s condition is crucial.