Nephrotic syndrome is a kidney disease caused by improper elimination of large amounts of protein in the urine.
Excessive protein loss through urine is called proteinuria and can be caused by a variety of diseases, including diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, syphilis, and viral hepatitis.
In this article we will address the following points about nephrotic syndrome:
· Meaning of proteinuria and nephrotic syndrome.
· What is a glomerular disease.
· Symptoms.
· Causes.
· Diagnosis.
· Why Homeopathy Treatment For Nephrotic Syndrome.
MEANING OF PROTEINURIA AND NEPHROTIC SYNDROME
The chief function of the kidneys is filteration of the blood. Anything that is toxic, useless or that is in excess in the bloodstream is usually eliminated in the urine. Proteins are essential substances for our body and therefore do not fit into this group and should not be found in relevant quantities in the urine of healthy people.
In people with healthy kidneys, the daily loss of protein in urine is minimal. We considered normal losses of maximum 150 mg in 24 hours. Any patient who eliminates more than this amount has proteinuria. The greater the proteinuria, the more serious the kidney damage and the greater the risk of the individual developing health problems.
In general, we have graded the urine protein loss as follows:
· Proteins in urine less than 150 mg per day = normal.
· Proteins in the urine between 150 mg and 500 mg per day = discrete proteinuria.
· Proteins in the urine between 500 mg and 1000 mg per day = mild proteinuria.
· Proteins in the urine between 1000 and 3500 mg per day = moderate proteinuria.
· Proteins in the urine above 3500 mg per day = severe proteinuria (nephrotic proteinuria).
Nephrotic syndrome occurs in patients with severe protein loss, above 3500 mg (3.5 grams) per day, and is a sign of kidney glomeruloneal disease.
WHAT IS A GLOMERULAR DISEASE
The glomerulus is a microscopic structure within the kidneys, which is responsible for the filtration of blood. Each glomerulus has a membrane that acts as a filter or a strainer, separating what will be eliminated by the urine and what will remain in the blood. Each kidney have more than one million glomeruli.
When the glomeruli are healthy, the proteins present in the blood are not filtered. The blood that enters the kidneys has the same amount of protein as the blood that comes out of the kidneys. This is normal, since proteins are important substances and should not be overlooked. However, several diseases, which will be mentioned later, can cause injury to the glomeruli, facilitating the onset of proteinuria. The best analogy we can do is with a flat colander. Size of protein substance is larger than glomerular membrane pores. Normally protein does not pass through this filter. But, if the membrane has a "hole", the proteins can "escape" it, being inappropriately eliminated by the kidneys.
Therefore, closing the concepts:
Nephrotic syndrome is a disease that occurs when we lose large amounts of protein in the urine (more than 3500 mg per day).
- The nephrotic syndrome is a glomerulopathy, that is, a problem that arises due to diseased glomeruli.
SYMPTOMS OF NEPHROTIC SYNDROME
Nephrotic syndrome is a set of signs, symptoms and laboratory abnormalities due to excessive loss of protein in the urine. To have nephrotic syndrome is not enough to have proteinuria above 3.5 grams, you must also have symptoms. Therefore, the patient may present nephrotic proteinuria (above 3.5 grams) without presenting nephrotic syndrome.
The most typical sign of proteinuria is an excess of foam in the urine. The foam is not only more intense than usual, as it takes longer to disappear in the toilet. Often, if the patient does not flush and return 10 minutes later to see the appearance of the urine, it may be almost the same, full of foam.
Foaming generally begins to increase when proteinuria is between 500 mg and 1000 mg per day. When the patient has proteinuria in the nephrotic band, the excess of foam becomes obvious, causing the patient to have little doubt that the characteristics of their urine have changed.
Excessive foam in the urine is a sign of proteinuria, not necessarily of nephrotic syndrome. The necessary changes to characterize the nephrotic syndrome are:
1) Edemas (bumps), which begin in the legs, but can evolve throughout the body, in a frame called anasarca.
2) Low blood levels of proteins, especially albumin, which is the main protein in the blood.
3) High cholesterol levels, which occur due to increased liver production of lipoproteins in response to falling blood protein levels.
These three changes described above are those that define the existence of the nephrotic syndrome in patients with excessive proteinuria. But the problems do not stop there. The lack of protein in the blood that occurs due to losses in the urine can also cause several other changes, such as:
- Increased incidence of infections, since antibodies are also a type of protein excreted inappropriately in the urine.
- Increased incidence of thromboses, as some proteins that act to prevent blood clotting are also lost in the urine.
- Malnutrition, due to loss of essential proteins in the urine.
- Reduction of the volume of water in the bloodstream, because the lack of protein causes the water present in the blood to migrate out of the vessels towards the tissues and skin. This reduction in blood volume is called hypovolemia.
- Acute kidney failure, which may occur due to hypovolemia, or direct injury of the kidney by the disease that is causing the nephrotic syndrome.
It is good to note that the nephrotic syndrome is not a disease in itself, but rather the result of a disease that causes injury to the kidneys. This means that in addition to all of these changes caused directly by proteinuria, the patient may still have symptoms of his underlying disease.
CAUSES OF NEPHROTIC SYNDROME
The causes of nephrotic syndrome are divided into two groups: primary or secondary. Let's start by addressing the secondary causes that are easier to explain.
A. Secondary nephrotic syndrome
The secondary nephrotic syndrome is one that occurs due to a systemic disease that also attacks the kidneys. The easiest example to understand is diabetes mellitus. Diabetes is a disease that attacks various organs of the body, including the kidneys. One of the first lesions that diabetes causes in the kidneys is the slow and progressive aggression of the glomerular membrane. The patient develops proteinuria, which is getting worse over the years, and can reach up to the nephrotic proteinuria range.
Ailments cause renal damage and nephrotic syndrome are:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Hepatitis B.
- Hepatitis C.
- Syphilis.
- HIV.
Amyloidosis.
B. Primary nephrotic syndrome
The primary nephrotic syndrome is one that occurs from an exclusive kidney disease, called primary glomerulopathy.
Primary glomerulopathies that may occur with relevant proteinuria and nephrotic syndrome are:
- Minimal lesion disease, which is the main cause of nephrotic syndrome in children.
- IgA Nephropathy.
- Membranous nephropathy.
- Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.
- Segmental and focal glomerulosclerosis (GESF).
Post streptococcal glomerulonephritis.
The renal diseases mentioned above usually cause proteinuria, but not always it exceeds the range of 3.5 grams per day, leading to the nephrotic syndrome. The presence of significant proteinuria is usually a sign of renal injury severity. Other signs of severity that may be present but not part of the nephrotic syndrome itself are renal insufficiency and hematuria (blood in the urine).
DIAGNOSIS OF NEPHROTIC SYNDROME
The diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome is made in two stages. The first part is the identification of excessive proteinuria. Urine tests such as EAS (urine type 1) and 24-hour urine are the most commonly used tests to identify and quantify protein loss in urine.
Once nephrotic proteinuria is identified, the next step is to diagnose the cause. In patients with diabetes for many years, the cause is obvious and a more complex investigation is rarely required. In previously healthy patients, without known diseases, the elucidation of the origin of the proteinuria usually gives more work. Blood tests, such as serology for hepatitis, HIV and syphilis, and autoantibody screening, such as the FAN help to direct the investigation. In general, however, renal biopsy is necessary for the final diagnosis, especially if the cause is primary glomerulopathy.
Nephrotic Syndrome Homeopathic Treatment
As per Dr.Abhishek Aura Homeopathy treatment is recommended for better management of Nephrotic Syndrome.
Aura Homeopathy treatment Nephrotic Syndrome:
It is a chronic and recurring kidney disease. The duration of treatment vary form case to case, depending on underlying cause, extent of kidney damage, patient general health and patient immunological status. Aura Homeopathic treatment for Nephrotic Syndrome is very effective. Dr Abhishek Kasana, M.D. follow classical homeopathy treatment protocol for Nephrotic Syndrome patients for over 15 years.
What to expect after Aura Homeopathic Treatment?
a. Reduce frequency of attacks
b. Reduce Severity and duration of attacks
c. Reduce steroid and immunosuppressive drugs, such as glucocorticoids, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil, dependency
Why Homeopathic Medicine For Nephrotic Syndrome?
- Homeopathic medicine helps to regulating autoimmune processes
- It control protein leakage, by correcting the glomerular role of the kidney
- It helps to correct the genetic tendencies
- Homeopathic medicine enhance immunity, which there by reduce the frequent infections such as colds, throat infections, etc. and hence reduce the attacks of Nephrotic Syndrome.
- At Aura Homeopathic Clinic, we uses best quality natural homeopathic medicinal in ultra-dilute quantity.
- Homeopathy treatment very effective and 100% free from any side-effects.
Best Homeopathic Medicine for Nephrotic Syndrome
Apis mellifica
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