If you've searched online for health insurance that covers kidney infection then you are most likely for looking for trusted UK based health insurance companies that will cover kidney infection.
Our advice when looking for health insurance that covers kidney infection is to speak to a insurance broker. Health insurance is incredibly complex and if you want complete certainty that kidney infection is covered by your policy you should talk with a broker who can explain which policy providers will cover this medical condition and which will not.
There are many advantages to using a broker but the largest by far is that you're using their expertise at no cost. They are paid by the insurer (Aviva or Bupa etc) rather than you so it costs you no extra to use their brokering services.
- Do you live in many different areas? Some will give you a lower policy premium than offers. A broker will be able to advise whats best.
- Do you have a hobby that may invalidate your insurance claim? A broker will know this critical information.
- If you are a couple and one of you has claimed on your policy this year would it be cheaper to separate you both onto two different policies?
- You've developed a certain medical condition and want to know which insurer offers the biggest amount of cover for it. A broker will know this instantly saving you huge amounts of time and effort.
You can call around every health insurance provider you can find and ask if they cover kidney infection, however this will be a very time consuming process. Each insurer will ask for your medical history because its not normally a simple yes or not if a medical condition is covered or not.
Its much quicker to speak to one health insurance broker which will know which providers on the market cover kidney infection and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Kidney Infection Information
A kidney infection (pyelonephritis) is a painful and unpleasant illness caused by bacteria travelling from your bladder into one or both of your kidneys.
It's more serious than cystitis, a common infection of the bladder that makes urinating painful.
If treated promptly, a kidney infection doesn't cause serious harm, but will make you feel very unwell. If a kidney infection isn't treated, it can get worse and cause permanent kidney damage.
Symptoms of a kidney infection often come on within a few hours. You can feel feverish, shivery, sick and have a pain in your back or side.
Read more about the symptoms of a kidney infection
See your GP if you have a fever and persistent tummy, lower back or genital pain, or if you notice a change to your usual pattern of urination.
Most kidney infections need prompt treatment with antibiotics to stop the infection from damaging the kidneys or spreading to the bloodstream. You may also need painkillers.
If you're especially vulnerable to the effects of an infection – for example, if you have a pre-existing health condition or are pregnant, you may be admitted to hospital and treated with antibiotics through an intravenous drip.
After taking antibiotics, you should feel completely better after about two weeks.
In rare cases, a kidney infection can cause further problems. These include blood poisoning (sepsis) and a build-up of pus in the kidney called an abscess.
Read more about treating a kidney infection and the complications of a kidney infection
A kidney infection usually happens when bacteria – often a type called E. coli – gets into the urethra (the tube which carries urine out of the body) and travels up through the bladder and into the kidneys.
Read more about the causes of a kidney infection
Kidney infections are relatively rare. It's estimated that one in every 830 people develops a kidney infection each year in the UK.
They can happen at any age, but are much more common in women. In fact, women are six times more likely to get a kidney infection than men. This is because a woman's urethra is shorter, making it easier for bacteria to reach the kidneys.