Nephrosis of the kidney - what is it? You can find the answer to this question in this article. We will also tell you why this disease occurs and how it should be treated correctly.
General information
Nephrosis of the kidney - what is it? In modern medicine, this term is used to refer to degenerative changes in the kidneys. With this disease, the renal tubules are primarily affected. As a result, paired organs cease to fulfill their main function, which is to remove the products of decay.
Such a disease can occur acutely and chronically. Acute diseases include necrotic and febrile nephrosis. As for the chronic lesion, then it includes lipoid and also lipoid-amyloid nephrosis.
The disease in question is dangerous, as it causes irreversible changes in the human body. However, his timely treatment can lead to a complete recovery of the patient and restore his quality of life.
The Institute of Urology, where such a pathology is treated, made observations, as a result of which it was found that kidney nephrosis occurs not only in the elderly and adults, but also in children 2-7 years old. This disease can also develop in adolescence and after a difficult birth.
The main reasons for the development
Nephrosis of the kidney - what is it? According to experts, this is a multifactorial disease. The most common causes of its development are the following:
- severe injuries, including kidney injury;
- bowel obstruction;
- poisoning the body with such heavy metals as chromium, lead, mercury, and so on;
- extensive burns on the body;
- infectious diseases in the form of dysentery, cholera, diphtheria, malaria;
- blood incompatibility after transfusion;
- chemical intoxication with methyl alcohol, brake fluid, antifreeze ;
- compression compression of internal tissues.
Another name for the disease
Damage to the kidneys, in which they change dystrophically, is sometimes called a toxic-infectious kidney. This term more fully reflects the causative essence of the disease. It is formed against a background of intoxication and various kinds of poisoning. In most patients, this pathology develops after ethylene glycol poisoning.
It should also be noted that 15-25 years ago, intoxication with sulfa drugs was widespread , when they were actively used to treat sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis and gonorrhea. However, some microorganisms are capable of causing such a lesion on their own. These include cholera, plague, malaria, diphtheria.
In some women, the cause of this disease is aseptic necrosis, which occurs after childbirth.
It is impossible not to say about the genetic predisposition of man. If both parents had primary nephrotic syndrome, then it is highly likely that this disease will appear in their children.
Classification
As mentioned above, the disease in question can be chronic and acute. Depending on this, it is divided into 4 types. Consider the features of all types of nephrosis right now.
Lipoid nephrosis
This form of the disease is the rarest. She is characterized by dystrophic lesions of the tubules of the kidneys. Most often, such a disease is acquired in nature. Usually it occurs against the background of the development of any infectious process.
The main cause of this lesion is a sharp breakdown of fat and protein metabolism, which cause changes in the permeability of the capillaries of the renal glomeruli. Getting through the walls of blood vessels, molecules of blood proteins poison the tissues of the renal tubules, thereby causing serious changes in them.
Many experts argue that lipoid nephrosis occurs as a result of autoimmune processes in the human body.
Necrotic nephrosis
What is this form of the disease? According to doctors, this is an infectious toxic disease of an acute nature. With this pathology, organ damage occurs against the background of a power failure and blood supply with further death of the tubules. This causes the development of acute failure, a decrease in the amount of urine, up to its complete disappearance, as well as a violation of fluid filtration.
Such a disorder is observed along with acute impaired blood flow in the kidneys. With the reverse absorption of fluid in the lumen of the tubules, the amount of toxic substances increases. Thus, the course of the disease is also complicated by damage to the renal tubules by harmful elements.
Symptoms of such pathological disorders depend on the effect of toxins on the cells and tissues of the kidneys. In this case, shock kidney syndrome may develop.
Amyloid lesion
The considered form of the disease develops against the background of amyloidosis, that is, a severe failure of protein metabolism, which is characterized by excessive accumulation of amyloid in the tissues.
Amyloid nephrosis may occur due to genetic malfunctions in protein synthesis. Acquired lesion usually occurs due to protein metabolism disorders during prolonged infectious diseases. Thus, the infection acts as a trigger for the production of altered proteins that cause the body's immune response. Proteins together with antibodies form an amyloid. The latter accumulates in the internal organs, including the urinary system. In this case, blood vessels are damaged in the kidneys and urine filtration is disturbed, which causes the development of amyloidosis.
Post-transfusion nephrosis
Such a disease is a variant of necrotic nephrosis. The latter appears as a complication in transfusion of inappropriate blood. This process contributes to the intravascular destruction of red blood cells. In this case, shock and acute renal failure develops .
One of the types of this lesion is febrile nephrosis. This disease occurs with various infections, but it does not have obvious manifestations. The only symptom of febrile nephrosis is an increased amount of protein in the urine. It does not require special therapy and disappears with the infection.
Common signs of the disease
The Institute of Urology, which has been treating this disease for many years, has identified common symptoms that are common to all types of nephrosis.
According to experts, any type of kidney damage is accompanied by dystrophic disorders in its tubules. At the same time, their permeability to proteins is significantly enhanced, which causes serious metabolic failures in the body. The protein content in the blood in this condition drops to 3.2%. Normally, they provide plasma pressure (oncotic) and prevent liquid from the vessels from entering the intercellular space. In the absence of such a process, the patient develops persistent edema. Also, with the development of the disease, a decrease in the volume of urine is observed, which acquires a dark color. This symptom is important for the timely detection of a violation.
How to treat?
Now you know what kidney nephrosis is manifesting. What is it, we also said above. An experienced doctor should tell you how to treat this disease.
Very often, the treatment of such a lesion is associated with some difficulties. It is determined by the form of the existing disorder and the prevailing symptoms.
The main focus in the treatment of renal nephrosis is:
- neutralization of the main cause of the disorder;
- reduction of edema;
- normalization of the amount of protein in the blood.
In order to achieve a positive therapeutic result, it is necessary to carry out treatment, which will be aimed at eliminating the root cause that caused the disease. For example, with nephronecrosis, special attention should be paid to removing toxins from the body, as well as combating shock.
With the lipoid form of the disease, it is very important to detect the focus of an existing infection. Only after this should be carried out antimicrobial treatment, which will be aimed at neutralizing the pathogen.
Therapy of amyloid damage is carried out over a long period. The supportive treatment for this disease is to prescribe a strict diet. The nutrition of the patient should include a high content of vitamins.
To cure an acute stage disorder, a blood and plasma transfusion is performed. Also, patients are prescribed diuretics and are prescribed "Albumin."
Disease Prevention and Therapy
Bruised kidneys and other injuries very often cause the development of nephrosis. Therefore, you should be extremely careful during dangerous work and playing sports.
To prevent kidney diseases and diseases of the urinary system, experts recommend a salt-free diet, as well as limit fluid intake. This will significantly reduce swelling. For the same purpose, diuretics such as Lasix, Novazurol and Novurit may be used. They help remove salts and excess fluid.
In patients with lipoid disorder, positive changes are observed after the appointment of immunosuppressants and corticosteroids. This is due to the restoration of the structure of the glomeruli of the kidneys. The use of such medications eliminates swelling and promotes the onset of remission.
As you know, nephrotic syndrome is accompanied by a significant loss of protein. In this regard, the treatment of such a disease should be aimed at compensating for this loss. In acute conditions with severe edema, a similar effect is achieved by blood transfusion and diuretics. To restore protein reserves, special nutrition is prescribed. Protein products should be present in the patient’s diet.
If a protein diet is contraindicated for the patient, then he is prescribed a high-calorie diet with the optimal amount of carbohydrates and fats. However, the amount of protein in food should be several times higher than its loss with urine.
Thus, there are several approaches to the treatment of kidney interstitial lesions. Powerful drug therapy during periods of exacerbation should reduce swelling and normalize the patient's condition. As for remission, in this case, a diet should be used as a supportive treatment, which consists in the following:
- reduced salt intake;
- reduced fluid intake;
- consuming enough protein;
- intake of enough vitamins.
It should also be noted that in the chronic form of the disease, the diet should not be followed constantly, but at certain intervals, so that other complications do not arise.
Nephrosis treatment prognosis, operation
How much is a kidney? Only specialists can answer this question. As a rule, they are asked only those people who develop a serious pathology that causes a complete failure of the kidney system. In this case, surgery is performed, during which the diseased organ is replaced by a donor. Unfortunately, the survival rate of a transplanted kidney in this case is not more than 75%.
According to doctors, the prognosis for recovery from nephrosis is questionable. It depends on the specific clinical form of the disease. Timely initiated and correctly selected treatment of necrotic nephrosis usually leads to a complete recovery of the patient. It should be noted that with the amyloid form of the disease, the prognosis of its therapy remains unfavorable.
In order not to be interested in how much a kidney costs, people with chronic types of nephrosis should regularly receive spa treatment. At the same time, one can talk about a person’s ability to work only in the period of remission.
According to experts, any renal nephrosis requires immediate consultation with a doctor. Diagnosis of this disease does not present any difficulties. But for his successful therapy, this is not enough.
To summarize
Due to the fundamental differences between the different forms of the pathology in question, it is very important to establish the true cause that caused the development of nephrosis. At the same time, it is equally important to choose and timely prescribe the necessary treatment. A positive therapeutic result can be achieved only with an adequate approach and responsible fulfillment of all the requirements of the treating doctor.