Understanding Glomerulonephritis (GN): Causes, Symptoms, and Management

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Glomerulonephritis (GN)

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

Additional names

This group contains additional names: - Nephritis with Lesion of Renal Cortical Necrosis - Nephritis with Lesion of Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis - Nephritis with Lesion of RPGN - Nephritis with Lesion of Proliferative Glomerulonephritis - Nephritis with Lesion of Membranous Glomerulonephritis - Nephritis with Lesion of Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis - Nephritis with Lesion of Renal Medullary Necrosis

General

Glomerulonephritis is an inflammation of a part of your kidney called nephron. The kidney’s job is to get rid of waist, toxins and excess water in your body and excrete them into the urine and out of your body. It does it by filtering your blood in tiny structures known as nephrons, and separating unnecessary substance from essentials such as salts, proteins and red blood cells. When your nephron gets inflamed, it cannot do its job properly, and red blood cells get secreted in the urine. In some cases, called nephritic-nephrotic syndrome, proteins get excreted as well. Glomerulonephritis can be acute, or sudden, and chronic, or long-term. The causes of glomerulonephritis are numerous. Some examples are immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy, Lupus (SLE), vasculitis and post infectious- meaning it appears a few weeks after a bacterial infection. Glomerulonephritis might appear as a mild disease and resolve on its own, or it can be severe and cause kidney failure.

15 people with Glomerulonephritis (GN)

Learn from others who are experiencing Glomerulonephritis (GN).

Signs & symptoms

In mild cases, glomerulonephritis can appear without any symptoms. In other, more severe cases, you can notice blood in your urine and signs of kidney failure such as puffy face, high blood pressure, decreased urine volume, and excess fluids in your lung causing you to cough.

Diagnosis

Glomerulonephritis is diagnosed based on blood and urine tests: -*Urine test*- to check for red blood cells, protein, and other unwanted substances in your urine -*Blood test*- to check your kidney function. -*Kidney biopsy* may be needed to complete the diagnosis. A small part of your kidney’s nephron will be taken out and examined under the microscope.

Treatment

The treatment varies according to your symptoms, kidney function, cause of the disease and if it is acute or chronic. If the disease is caused by the immune system attacking the kidney, *Corticosteroids* and other medication that *suppress your immune system* may be prescribed. If you suffer from high blood pressure, it is important to control it and prevent further damage to your kidneys. One or more medications may be needed.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

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