Chronic Glomerulonephritis

As you must be aware, the kidneys carry out the detoxification process in the body; filtering the blood, and helping to produce urine, thus, eliminating waste from the body. This filtering process is carried out with the help of about 1 million tiny filters called glomeruli, in each kidney. After the blood gets filtered, it returns to the blood stream. Due to certain factors, which may be numerous in number, the glomeruli may suffer inflammation. And when this condition occurs, it is known as glomerulonephritis. It is basically a slow, progressive destruction of the glomeruli. This causes the kidneys to falter in the filtration process. And eventually, this leads to an increasing accumulation of waste in the body. This deprives the blood of protein.

Symptoms

The symptoms of glomerulonephritis may vary according to the type of the condition (whether chronic or acute), and the cause. The common symptoms that are usually observed are as follows:

• Presence of blood in urine
• Urine that appears foamy
• Confusion
• Drowsiness
• Lack of concentration
• Lethargy or sleepiness
• The patient may start having lowered sensation in limbs and other areas
• Easy bleeding
• A general feeling of illness, or not keeping well
• High blood pressure
• Edema
• Less urination that normal
• Itching
• Muscle twitching
• Cramps
• Seizures
• Nausea or vomiting

Causes

In most cases, there are no specific causes, but those that have been identified are as follows:

• Strep throat
• Bacterial or viral infections
• Diseases of the immune system such as lupus, immune lung disorder, Goodpasture's syndrome
• Polyarteritis
• Diabetic kidney disease
• Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (causes scarring of the glomeruli)

Treatment

After determining the causes of the condition, and how severe and what type the symptoms are, doctors decide the right treatment for a particular case of chronic glomerulonephritis. The primary aim of the treatment is to improve and control the symptoms. According to what most doctors say, high blood pressure is one symptom that they have to concentrate on particularly, to keep it from degrading. Medications that may be prescribed for this purpose may include diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and angiotensin II receptor agonists.

Underlying causes are also treated accordingly, to deal with the condition. For instance, if the cause of the glomerulonephritis is a bacterial infection, then antibiotics would be recommended. And if the cause is lupus, then corticosteroids and drugs that work to suppress the immune system, are prescribed.

Under self-care measures, patients are advised to abstain from including salt in their diet. More importantly, it is also advised against the use of protein and potassium supplements. This is due to the fact that, such substances further add to the accumulation of waste that is forming in the body. For diabetics suffering from this condition, it is recommended to have a good control over their blood sugar, and maintain a healthy weight.

There is no specific way to prevent glomerulonephritis; whether chronic or acute. But to avoid complications, patients need to be diligent in recognizing their symptoms, and seeking prompt medical treatment, or at least some advice from a professional. This would help in dealing with the disease when it is still in its early stage thus, reducing the risk of complications such as kidney failure, hypertension, high protein levels in the urine, high blood cholesterol, and edema.