How does chronic glomerulonephritis appear?

Chronic glomerulonephritis is characterized by a sluggish course and a lack of vivid, pronounced symptoms. Many patients with an existing diagnosis do not turn in time to the doctor, because they are not disturbed by high fever, pain in the kidney area and overall health. But chronic damage to the glomerular apparatus of the kidneys often leads to the appearance of such complications as acute or chronic renal failure.

What you need to know about patients with the diagnosis of chronic glomerulonephritis

We are used to the fact that the disease must flow brightly, and the very concept of the disease is associated with bed rest and bad health. The chronic process in the glomerulus of the kidneys occurs, as a rule, after an incomplete acute process or with a decrease in immunity.

Normally, the glomeruli consist of a large number of small blood vessels intertwined, in which blood filtration occurs, and the formation of primary urine. From the blood, all poisons and toxins, metabolic waste products are removed, which are then removed, and the filtered blood returns back to the bloodstream.

If this process is disrupted, then back to the blood fall the very same products of cell decay and poisons that were supposed to be eliminated from the body. The gradual intake of poisons back into the blood causes poisoning of the body and various complications. The cause of this condition can be infections, hypothermia, allergies, stress, kidney trauma, but in most cases the cause of chronic glomerulonephritis remains unclear.

Symptoms of chronic glomerulonephritis are not immediately apparent, and differ in the severity of the clinical picture. Such an erased clinical picture is explained by the fact that in the chronic process, the glomerular tissue gradually changes to scar tissue, that is, tissue scarring and sclerosis occurs.

To date, medicine can not reverse this process, that is, it is irreversible. Scar tissue can not perform the natural functions of the organ and participate in the formation of urine. The main and common symptoms are:

• Swelling or pasty on the legs.
• Temporary or permanent increase in pressure.
• Protein in a small amount and traces of blood in the urine.

In addition, chronic glomerulonephritis can be of several types, which differ from each other by the manifestation of a symptom or several symptoms, and the remaining symptoms appear later.

Depending on the prevalence of one or more symptoms, the following forms of the disease are distinguished:

1. Latent form, which is the most frequent among all forms of the disease. It differs in that the symptoms change periodically, and in some cases they are not at all. But the disease still progresses, despite the absence of complaints from patients. In the urine there are small changes( protein and fresh red blood cells).
2. Chronic nephrotic glomerulonephritis is distinguished by the fact that the protein in the blood decreases in patients, and the amount of swelling on the body increases. If acid-base balance is disturbed, uremia arises - a dangerous complication leading to a fatal outcome.
3. Hypertensive form, which increases blood pressure and disrupts the cardiovascular system. In this case, patients have shortness of breath, nosebleeds, impaired vision, and urine tests do not change much.
4. Mixed form, in which some symptoms are replaced by others. This form of the disease is less common than the previous ones.
5. Malignant form, which is characterized by a progressive course and pronounced intoxication, as the decay products get through the blood to the brain. In this case, patients have marked and persistent edema, increased pressure, and cardiac and renal insufficiency.

Treatment of chronic glomerulonephritis

Therapy with this disease is necessarily comprehensive and includes the following activities:

• Compliance with the work and rest regime.
• Compliance with a special diet( table number 7).
• Treatment according to the symptoms.
• Treatment of the causes of the disease.
• Immunomodulatory therapy.

Treatment of chronic glomerulonephritis is performed only under the supervision of a physician, with the study of general urine and blood tests in the dynamics of the disease, as well as other research methods. If necessary, a kidney biopsy is performed( especially with a lightning-fast form of the disease).

Treatment is conducted over a long period of time and can range from 4 months to a year or more. Most of the time the patient spends at home, strictly observing the diet and prescription of the doctor.

The diet for chronic glomerulonephritis prohibits the consumption of alcohol, salty, smoked, pickled and spicy foods, as well as strong coffee, tea and carbonated drinks. Patients are not recommended to drink a lot of fluid, and swelling is removed with diuretics.

Even if after the spent therapy the patients get better, it is necessary to stay under the supervision of a nephrologist and periodically undergo a survey. This is due to the fact that the overall well-being of patients does not reflect the true picture of the disease. You can talk about the condition of patients only when the patient has undergone a complete clinical examination and will receive competent advice from a doctor.