Glomerular Diseases: Glomerulosclerosis and Glomerulonephritis

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Glomerular Diseases
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Glomerular Diseases

• Diseases that injure the glomeruli, the tiny
  filtering units within the kidney where blood is
  cleaned, are called Glomerular diseases. Glomeru
  lar disease reduces the kidneys ability to
  maintain a balance of specific substances in the
  blood stream. The kidneys job is to filter the
  bad toxins in the blood from the good proteins
  and red blood cells. Glomerular disease causes
  the kidney to begin to retain the bad toxins and
  release the proteins and red blood cells from the
  body. Laboratory analysis of the urine from
  people who have glomerular disease often shows
  protein in the urine (proteinuria) and sometimes
  blood in the urine (hematuria). Glomerular
  diseases include many conditions with a variety
  of genetic and environmental causes. Most
  Glomerular diseases have specific names but might
  also be referred to as either Glomerulonephriti
  s It describes the inflammation of the membrane
  tissue in the glomerulus of the kidney that
  serves as a filter, separating wastes and extra
  fluid from the blood. Glomerulosclerosis It
  describes the scarring or permanent damage to the
  tiny blood vessels within the kidney.

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Causes of glomerular disease

• Glomerular disease can be caused by numerous
  conditions and diseases including infection of
  the kidneys due to an infection that occurs
  throughout the body such as streptococcus
  bacteria that can cause the overproduction of
  antibodies that circulate through the blood and
  invade the glomeruli causing damage. Other
  causes of glomerular disease include taking a
  drug that is toxic to the kidneys, and chronic
  medical conditions including diabetes and lupus.
  While the progression of certain types of kidney
  disease can be slowed down, when damage occurs to
  the glomeruli it is irreversible.

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Symptoms

• The symptoms of glomerular disease include the
  primary symptom of high levels of protein present
  in the urine or "proteinuria". Other symptoms of
  glomerular disease consist of blood in the urine
  or "hematuria" that may visible to the naked eye
  ("gross hematuria") or may only be visible under
  a microscope during laboratory testing of the
  urine ("microscopic hematuria"),
  "hypoproteinemia" which is a low level of protein
  in the blood, "reduced glomerular filtration
  rate" which is an insufficient amount of waste
  products being removed from the blood., and
  "edema" which is swelling that occurs in
  different parts of the body - typically the
  hands, legs, and feet.

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Symptoms
Continue

• In many cases an individual may not be aware
  that they have this condition due to the fact
  that many of these symptoms cannot be detected
  unless laboratory tests are done however, in some
  cases there are visible signs that may be present
  which include urine that appears to be foamy
  which can be caused by proteinuria, blood may
  give the urine a pinkish colour and edema may
  occur which is swelling typically of the hands,
  feet, or ankles and generally occurs near the end
  of the day and may also be noticeable upon
  wakening in the morning with swelling around the
  area of the eyes.

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Diagnosis of glomerular disease

• Patients with glomerular disease have
  significant amounts of protein in the urine,
  which may be referred to as "nephrotic range" if
  levels are very high. Red blood cells in the
  urine are a frequent finding as well,
  particularly in some forms of glomerular disease.
  Urinalysis provides information about kidney
  damage by indicating levels of protein and red
  blood cells in the urine. Blood tests measure the
  levels of waste products such as creatinine and
  urea nitrogen to determine whether the filtering
  capacity of the kidneys is impaired. If these lab
  tests indicate kidney damage, the doctor may
  recommend ultrasound or an X ray to see whether
  the shape or size of the kidneys is abnormal.
  These tests are called renal imaging. But since
  glomerular disease causes problems at the
  cellular level, the doctor will probably also
  recommend a kidney biopsy - a procedure in which
  a needle is used to extract small pieces of
  tissue for examination with different types of
  microscopes, each of which shows a different
  aspect of the tissue. A biopsy may be helpful in
  confirming glomerular disease and identifying the
  cause.

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Treatments

• There are many forms of treatment that can be
  given when an individual is in the early stages
  of chronic kidney disease or CKD and varies
  widely based upon the specific disease that is
  causing the kidneys to fail.It is essential if
  you are experiencing any of the symptoms or signs
  that may indicate a problem with the urinary
  tract or kidneys that you schedule an appointment
  as soon as possible with your primary care
  physician so that you can be evaluated and
  potentially avoid CKD or its further progression
  that can lead to kidney failure.

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