Nephropathy is a kidney disease caused by various factors, including genetics, drugs, and diabetes. It can lead to serious health problems if left untreated. Treatment options include dialysis and kidney transplantation. Symptoms include difficulty urinating, blood in urine, and fatigue. Early intervention is crucial for a better prognosis.
Nephropathy is a medical term used to refer to disease or damage to the kidneys. A number of types of kidney disease can be seen in medical treatment and there are a number of causes and treatments for conditions involving the kidneys. Left untreated, nephropathy can become extremely serious, because functioning kidneys are critical to overall health.
The kidneys act as one of the body’s filtration systems, expressing undesirable substances and retaining useful ones as well as maintaining normal blood pressure levels. They also produce urine, a fluid that is used to express substances that are not needed by the body. When the kidneys are damaged, the lack of filtration can make people very ill. People can develop nephritis, an inflammation of the kidneys, and this can progress to full-blown nephropathy.
In some cases, nephropathy is congenital, caused by a genetic problem that interferes with kidney function. Many congenital forms of nephropathy involve enzyme deficiencies that make it difficult for the body to process certain compounds. People can also get sick or harm through the use of certain drugs or lead exposure. Nephropathy is a very common complication of diabetes, resulting from kidney damage caused by high blood sugar levels, and people with high blood pressure can also develop nephropathy.
A common form of nephropathy is Berger’s disease, also known as IgA nephropathy, in which an antibody known as IgA builds up in the kidneys, impairing kidney function and causing inflammation of some of the structures within the kidneys. Conditions involving the kidneys can be diagnosed through blood and urine samples, along with biopsies, ultrasounds, and other studies that are designed to open a window into the body’s functions.
Treatments focus on determining the cause of the nephropathy and treating it. If the kidneys are overloaded with something the body cannot process, dialysis can be used to replace the filtration normally done by the kidneys. In extreme cases, kidney transplantation is a treatment option for people with kidneys so damaged that independent recovery is unlikely.
Those with kidney problems may develop difficulty urinating, along with urinary incontinence, blood in the urine, edema, blood pressure changes, nausea, weakness, fatigue, and protein in the urine. It is important to seek treatment for symptoms, especially for people at risk of developing kidney disease, because the sooner medical intervention occurs, the better the prognosis.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
