VUR symptoms and complications

VUR does not cause any symptoms itself but occurs after a urinary tract infection (UTI) where symptoms can include:

• fever
• vomiting
• pain on passing urine
• abdominal or back pain
• needing to pass urine more frequently
• bloody or cloudy urine
• feeling like the bladder is never empty, even after passing urine

Some children with VUR are at higher risk of developing other problems such as:

Kidney infections. In more severe VUR, urine passes back into the kidneys. This makes it possible for bacteria to get into the kidney, causing an infection called pyelonephritis. This can lead to more serious illness.

More about kidney infections

Bladder problems. Some children have bladder problems, especially if they have severe VUR. The bladder may not empty properly or hold urine for as long as it should. These issues may be associated with more UTIs.

Reflux nephropathy. One or both kidneys are damaged. The damage can occur before or after birth. The damage does not cause any pain but may affect how well the kidneys work. They can also cause complications such as:

• High blood pressure (hypertension). This can cause headaches, vomiting or blurred (fuzzy) vision. Hypertension that lasts a long time can also increase the risk of getting heart disease and stroke in adulthood.
• Proteinuria. In reflux nephropathy, some of the tiny kidney filters are damaged. This means that the rest of the kidney filters have to filter more blood than usual. This is called hyperfiltration. Over time, the kidney filters that have to work harder may get damaged and may leak protein into the urine – this is called proteinuria. You cannot usually see the protein but it can be found on a urine test.
• Kidney problems. Reflux nephropathy in both kidneys (bilateral reflux nephropathy), increases the chance of developing chronic kidney disease. Your child will have regular blood tests to check how well their kidneys are working.

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