Interstitial nephritis is a kidney disease that causes inflammation of the tubules, impairing kidney function. Symptoms include decreased urine output, fever, skin rashes, and mental changes. It can be acute or chronic, caused by medication reactions, infections, or other diseases. Chronic cases can lead to kidney failure and require dialysis or transplant.
Interstitial nephritis, also called tubulointerstitial nephritis, is a kidney disease. It affects the interstitial fluid of the kidneys that surrounds the tubules of the organ. It causes inflammation of the tubules and can severely impair kidney function.
The function of the kidneys is to process blood, sifting out waste and excess water, turning it into urine. Small components within the kidneys called nephrons are primarily responsible for this process. There are millions of these nephrons in each kidney. Inside each nephron are extremely small tubes called tubules. These collect urine in the kidneys, acting like a filter. When the kidneys contract interstitial nephritis, these tubules become inflamed. When this happens, function is severely limited, resulting in kidney impairment. When the kidneys can no longer function properly, the body is flooded with waste products and toxins that should have been removed.
The most common symptom of interstitial nephritis is decreased urine output. As it progresses, worse symptoms can become prevalent. These symptoms may include fever with nausea and vomiting, skin rashes and swelling of the body, weight gain due to fluid retention, blood in the urine, and a change in mental abilities. Many times people with kidney disease will become confused or sleepy, as the toxins can cause tiredness and fatigue.
Interstitial nephritis can be acute or chronic; either a one-time short-term event or a long-lasting disorder that gradually gets worse over time. There are many different causes for the disease and understanding the root of the cause is usually the first step to a full recovery. Reactions to certain medications can often cause nephritis either through an allergic reaction or from repeated use of medications such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs. Switching or stopping use of the drugs in question will usually restore kidney function. Other times, the disease may be caused by an infection or as a symptom of another disease such as lupus. It can also be a side effect of transplant rejection.
While most cases of interstitial nephritis are acute, one-time events that don’t cause long-lasting problems, chronic cases can cause debilitating disorders that eventually become life-threatening. It can eventually lead to chronic kidney failure and end-stage renal disease where the kidneys essentially stop working completely. In these cases dialysis and even a complete kidney transplant may be the only effective way of treatment.
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