Glomerulonephritis: symptoms, causes, to treatment

Definition

What is glomerulonephritis?

Glomerulonephritis is a disease of the glomerulus, when there is inflammation of one part of your kidney. The kidneys have a small filter or filter consisting of tiny blood vessels that will filter the blood in case of excess fluid, electrolytes, and waste. Then, the excess will be excreted through urine.

Glomeruli are the parts in the kidney that are spherical and consist of capillary blood vessels. In large numbers, these tiny structures are called the glomerulus. The glomerulus functions to filter blood that forms urine and one of the organs that makes up the nephrons.

If the glomeruli are destroyed, kidney function can no longer work properly. As a result, you are at risk of developing kidney failure. The disease that attacks the glomerulus can occur suddenly (acute) or gradually (chronic).

How common is glomerulonephritis?

Generally, glomerulonephritis occurs in developing countries. Reporting from the American Kidney Fund, one in four patients with this disease have never suffered from any kidney disease.

This condition can be experienced by patients at any age. However, you can control this one kidney disease by reducing risk factors.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of glomerulonephritis?

In general, the symptoms of glomerulonephritis occur quite slowly. In fact, some people do not even realize that they are experiencing this disease.

Here are the signs and symptoms of glomerulonephritis based on the type that you need to be aware of.

Acute glomerulonephritis

Acute glomerulonephritis usually occurs suddenly. In some cases, this disease occurs and will develop symptoms after an infection in the skin or throat.

At certain times, the symptoms of glomerular disease in the kidney will improve on their own. However, it is not uncommon for this disease to cause kidney function to stop because it is not treated early. Early symptoms of acute glomerulonephritis are:

• swollen face in the morning,
• blood in the urine (hematuria),
• shortness of breath and coughing due to fluid filled lungs, and
• high blood pressure (hypertension).

Chronic glomerulonephritis

In contrast to acute glomerulonephritis, chronic glomerulonephritis can develop without showing symptoms for years. Invisible symptoms of kidney disease often lead to total kidney failure because you don't get proper treatment.

Here are some signs and symptoms of glomerular disease, including chronic.

• Blood or protein in the urine (proteinuria).
• High blood pressure and cholesterol.
• Swelling of the face, arms, and legs (edema).
• Frequent urination at night.
• Urine looks cloudy and frothy.
• Stomach ache.
• Tired easily due to anemia.
• Frequent nosebleeds.

There may be a number of symptoms that may not be listed above. If you have concerns about certain symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.

When should I see a doctor?

If you experience any of the signs or symptoms listed, or have specific questions, please discuss them with your doctor. This is because everyone's body reacts differently. Consulting a doctor will make it easier for you to get the right treatment.

Cause

What causes glomerulonephritis?

Most cases of glomerulonephritis are caused by certain medical conditions. In fact, kidney disease is also sometimes spread in the family or the cause is unknown.

Here are some medical conditions that can cause inflammation of the glomerulus in the kidneys, both in chronic and acute glomerulonephritis.

1. Strep throat infection (strep throat)

It is not uncommon for this disease that attacks the glomerulus to occur a week or two after you recover from a strep throat infection. Sometimes a skin infection (impetigo) can also produce extra antibodies that can settle in the glomerulus and cause inflammation.

This condition is more common in children than adults. However, they are said to be able to recover quickly.

2. Viral infection

Viral infections, such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, can also trigger glomerulonephritis. However, further research is still needed as to why this can happen.

3. Immune disease

Immune diseases such as lupus, immune disorders in the lungs (goodpasture's syndrome), and IgA nephropathy can cause inflammation of the glomerulus. This is because a problematic immune system can actually turn to attack important organs, such as the glomerulus.

For example, good pasture's syndrome can mimic pneumonia. As a result, this disease causes bleeding in the lungs and problems with the glomerulus.

4. Other causes of glomerulonephritis

Apart from the three health problems above, there are several other medical conditions that can cause inflammation in the glomerulus of the kidney, namely:

• Vasculitis, namely polyarteritis and Wegener's granulomatosis.
• High blood pressure which causes damage to the kidneys.
• Diabetic kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy).
• Polyarteritis nodosa, when cells invade the arteries.

Risk factors

What increases the risk of developing glomerulonephritis?

If you experience any of the health problems below, you are most likely at risk for glomerulonephritis, both chronic and acute.

• Blood disorders.
• Being exposed to chemicals or drugs that damage the kidneys.
• Excessive use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen.
• History of cancer.
• Have a heart infection.
• Amyloidosis, a buildup of amyloid substances in body tissues.
• GN membraneoproliferative.
• Henoch-Schönlein purpura.
• Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, injury to kidney tissue.

Diagnosis and treatment

How is this disease diagnosed?

Basically, the main clues of this disease are signs and symptoms. However, the doctor will usually recommend that you undergo a kidney examination. This aims to determine what type of disease you have and how serious it is.

• Urine test to show red blood cells in the urine that are an indicator of glomerular damage.
• Blood test to measure the buildup of waste in the kidneys, such as creatinine and blood urea levels.
• Ultrasound and CT-scan to see the shape and size of the kidney.
• Kidney biopsy by taking a sample of kidney tissue to determine the cause of glomerular inflammation.

How to treat glomerulonephritis?

Treatment options for treating this condition depend on the cause, type, and severity of symptoms. One of the most important treatments is controlling blood pressure which is a common cause of damage to the glomerulus.

Unfortunately, this disease cannot be completely cured. However, the treatment carried out aims to relieve symptoms of kidney disease and prevent complications.

• Blood pressure control medications, such as ACE Inhibitors.
• Administration of antibiotics to treat strep infections or other bacteria.
• Corticosteroid and immunosuppressive drugs to reduce the immune system response that attacks the kidneys.
• Plasmapheresis, which is removing the fluid part of the blood (plasma) by intravenous (IV) or donated plasma.
• Diuretics (water pills) to remove excess fluid from the body.
• Follow a low salt, low protein diet.
• Dialysis and kidney transplant if you have entered the stage of kidney failure.

Home remedies

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be used to treat glomerulonephritis?

Apart from getting treatment from a doctor, you also need to change your lifestyle to be healthier. It is intended that the treatment of this kidney disease can be more effective and maintain kidney function in order to work better.

• Maintain ideal body weight.
• Limit foods high in salt and high in protein.
• Maintain fluid and electrolyte balance.
• Cut back on foods high in potassium.
• Control blood sugar (glucose) levels if you have diabetes.
• Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.

If you have questions, discuss with your doctor to find the best solution.

Complications

What happens if this disease is not treated promptly?

If glomerulonephritis is not treated properly, the risk of complications increases so that it can completely eliminate kidney function. This is because the glomerulus in the kidneys can no longer filter out excess fluid and waste. As a result, the buildup of fluids, electrolytes, and waste occurs.

Some of the complications that can occur are:

• acute kidney injury,
• chronic kidney failure,
• high blood pressure,
• nephrotic syndrome,
• kidney infections, and
• hyperkalemia.

If you get treatment from a doctor as early as possible, some of the complications above can be avoided. Therefore, if you have questions or experience certain symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.

The sooner you get treatment, the more kidney damage can be prevented.