2Common Types of Kidney Disease
Glomerulonephritis
Glomerulonephritis happens when the glomeruli (tiny filters inside the kidney) get inflamed. It could be caused by infections such as post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, bacterial endocarditis, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, etc. In some cases, immune diseases like lupus, Goodpasture’s syndrome, and IgA nephropathy could also trigger glomerulonephritis. People with vasculitis (Polyarteritis, Wegener’s granulomatosis) are more susceptible to develop glomerulonephritis as well.
Fatigue, nausea, high blood pressure, edema (swollen face, hands, feet, legs, and abdomen), joints pain, foamy urine, hematuria, proteinuria, and rash are the common signs of glomerulonephritis. Since these symptoms are not distinctive enough, many people often mistake glomerulonephritis for other medical problems. Therefore, if you have the symptoms above, it is advisable to see a doctor immediately for an accurate diagnosis.
Usually, your healthcare provider will have a urine test on you to check for any abnormalities. The appearance of red blood cell casts is an indicator of having glomerulonephritis. And a high amount of white blood cells also shows possible inflammation in your kidney. After the urine test, a blood test will be followed to measure the level of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). For instance, it could be the supporting evidence of kidney dysfunction if a creatinine level is higher than 1.2 for women and 1.4 for men. Other frequently used diagnostic methods are kidney biopsy and imaging tests. [1]
