GLOMERULONEPHRITIS
What is Glomerulonephritis?
Glomerulonephritis (gloh-MAIR-yoo-loh-neh-FRY-tis) describes the inflammation of the membrane tissue in the kidney that serves as a filter, separating wastes and extra fluid from the blood.
Glomerular diseases damage the glomeruli, letting protein and
sometimes red blood cells leak into the urine. Sometimes a glomerular
disease also interferes with the clearance of waste products
by the kidney, so they begin to build up in the blood. Furthermore,
loss of blood proteins like albumin in the urine can result
in a fall in their level in the bloodstream. In normal blood,
albumin acts like a sponge, drawing extra fluid from the body
into the bloodstream, where it remains until the kidneys remove
it. But when albumin leaks into the urine, the blood loses its
capacity to absorb extra fluid from the body. Fluid can accumulate
outside the circulatory system in the face, hands, feet, or
ankles and cause swelling.
What are the Symptoms of Glomerulonephritis?
-
proteinuria: large amounts of protein in the urine
-
hematuria: blood in the urine
-
reduced glomerular filtration rate: inefficient filtering of wastes from the blood
-
hypoproteinemia: low blood protein
-
edema: swelling in parts of the body
One or more of these symptoms can be the first sign of kidney disease. But how would you know, for example, whether you have proteinuria? Before seeing a doctor, you may not.
But some of these symptoms have signs, or visible manifestations:
- Proteinuria may cause foamy urine.
- Blood may cause the urine to be pink or cola-colored.
- Edema may be obvious in hands and ankles, especially
at the end of the day, or around the eyes when awakening
in the morning, for example.
