Glomerular disease (patient information)
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Glomerulonephritis |
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Glomerulonephritis On the Web |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aditya Govindavarjhulla, M.B.B.S. [2]
Overview
Glomerulonephritis is a type of kidney disease in which the part of your kidneys that helps filter waste and fluids from the blood is damaged.
What are the symptoms of Glomerulonephritis?
Common symptoms of glomerulonephritis are:
- Blood in the urine (dark, rust-colored, or brown urine)
- Foamy urine (due to excess protein in the urine)
- Swelling (edema) of the face, eyes, ankles, feet, legs, or abdomen
Symptoms may also include the following:
- Abdominal pain
- Blood in the vomit or stools
- Cough and shortness of breath
- Diarrhea
- Excessive urination
- Fever
- General ill feeling, fatigue, and loss of appetite
- Joint or muscle aches
- Nosebleed
What are the causes of Glomerulonephritis?
Glomerulonephritis may be caused by problems with the body's immune system. Often, the exact cause of glomerulonephritis is unknown. Damage to the glomeruli causes blood and protein to be lost in the urine. The condition may develop quickly and kidney function is lost within weeks or months (called rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis). A quarter of people with chronic glomerulonephritis have no history of kidney disease.
Who is at highest risk?
The following may increase your risk of this condition:
- Blood or lymphatic system disorders
- Exposure to hydrocarbon solvents
- History of cancer
- Infections such as strep infections, viruses, heart infections, or abscesses
Many conditions cause or increase the risk for glomerulonephritis, including:
- Amyloidosis
- Anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody disease
- Blood vessel diseases such as vasculitis or polyarteritis
- Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
- Goodpasture syndrome
- Heavy use of pain relievers, especially NSAIDs
- Henoch-Schonlein purpura
- IgA nephropathy
- Lupus nephritis
- Membranoproliferative GN