Several health conditions damage your kidneys by attacking the glomeruli, what’s referred to as a glomerular disease. Glomeruli are tiny blood vessel filters that clean your blood.
Glomerulosclerosis and glomerulonephritis are the two major forms of glomerular kidney disease. Glomerulosclerosis means your glomeruli have been scarred or hardened. Glomerulonephritis indicates your kidney’s filtering vessels are inflamed. Both of which can lead to kidney failure.
Glomeruli inflammation can cause kidney damage to such an extent that they lose their ability to filter. So when this happens, red blood cells and protein can leak into your urine causing proteinuria and hematuria symptoms.
And because filtering problems are associated with this glomerular disease, removal of waste and excess fluid becomes an accumulation issue as well. Therefore, some of the other symptoms you may experience with glomerulonephritis are:
Additional symptoms that can be caused by glomerulonephritis include:
- fever
- pallor
- cough
- diarrhea
- nosebleeds
- bloody stools
- hematemesis
- abdominal pain
- nausea & vomiting
- excessive urination
- anemia causing fatigue
Several of these symptoms only appear after this glomerular disease has severely damaged your kidneys.
Your symptoms may cause or be accompanied by other health complications not already mentioned, like:
- heart failure
- hyperkalemia
- recurrent UTIs
- pulmonary edema
- nephrotic syndrome
- increased susceptibility to infections
Whenever glomerulonephritis is caused by another health condition, the typical fundamental cause is an inappropriate immune response resulting in inflammation. Health conditions often involved are particular types of infections, autoimmune diseases and vasculitis.
Infections that may cause glomerulonephritis glomerular disease are:
- malaria
- tonsillitis
- scarlet fever
- upper respiratory infection
- virus infection ~ HIV, hepatitis B & C viruses
- after a streptococcal infection ~ strep throat, impetigo
- bacterial endocarditis ~ greatest risk with heart defect, particularly heart valve damage
Cause of glomerulonephritis can be associated with an immune disorder, such as:
Vasculitis caused glomerulonephritis may result from:
- polyarteritis
- Wegener’s granulomatosis
Further health conditions that may cause or increase your risk for glomeruli damage involve:
- amyloidosis
- cancer history
- Alport syndrome
- high blood pressure
- diabetic nephropathy
- Henoch-Schonlein purpura
- focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
- blood disease, lymphatic system disorder
And certain environmental toxins that are filtered out through your kidneys may be a causative agent for glomerulonephritis.
Treatment will focus on the cause of your glomerular disease, coupled with proteinuria, hematuria and other symptoms. These drugs and treatments may be employed:
- diuretics
- corticosteroids
- immunosuppressants
- antibiotic for bacteria infection
- plasmapheresis to remove antibodies
- dietary restrictions ~ salt, fluids, protein, potassium
- ACE inhibitor, angiotensin receptor blockers to bring down blood pressure
While some cases of acute glomerulonephritis will improve without treatment.
Dialysis or a kidney transplant could eventually be required should your proteinuria and hematuria causing glomerulonephritis progress into kidney failure.