What is nephrotic syndrome?
Our kidneys are made up of about a million of filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron consists of a filter, called the glomerulus and a tubule. The glomerulus filters our blood, and the tubule retains needed substances in the blood and removes wastes and extra water, which forms urine.
Symptoms of nephrotic syndrome
One may not know that they have their routine blood and urine tests checked. Signs of nephrotic syndrome that one may notice are -
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Foamy urine
- Not feeling hungry
- Swelling in face, hands, and feet
Causes of nephrotic syndrome
Nephrotic syndrome usually happens when the glomeruli get damaged and fail to properly filter a person’s blood. The damage to blood vessels allows protein to leak into the urine. Our body holds on to the extra fluid without albumin. This causes severe swelling in hands, feet, ankles, and face.
Primary causes
Primary causes of nephrotic syndrome are the ones that only affect the kidneys.
These include: Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: It is a condition in which the glomeruli get scarred from a disease, a genetic effect, or an unknown cause.
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Membranous nephropathy: There is a thickening of the membranes of the glomeruli in this disease. The cause of the thickening is unknown, but it may occur along with Hepatitis B, lupus, malaria, or cancer.
Minimal change disease: A person with this disease may have their kidney tissue look normal, when looked under a microscope. But it does not filter properly, for some unknown reasons.
Renal vein thrombosis: In this disorder, a vein gets blocked by a blood clot causing the blood to be drained out of the kidney.
Secondary causes
The secondary causes are the ones that cause nephrotic syndrome to affect the whole body. Such diseases may include -
Diabetes: This is a disease where uncontrolled blood sugar has the capacity to damage blood vessels all over the body, including the kidneys.
Amyloidosis: It is a rare disease caused by a buildup of the protein amyloid in our organs. It can build up in our kidneys, possibly leading to kidney damage.
Diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome
The patient will also be asked about the symptoms, previous medications, or any underlying health conditions.
Several tests may be used to help diagnose nephrotic syndrome. They include -
Urine tests: A sample of urine is to be provided by the patient. This may be used to determine the levels of protein in their urine.
Blood tests: In these tests, a sample of blood will be taken from a vein in the patient’s arm. This may be then used to understand the overall kidney function, blood levels of albumin, and cholesterol levels of the patient.
Ultrasound: An ultrasound makes use of sound waves to create an image of the kidneys.
Biopsy: A small sample of kidney tissue is collected in this procedure. This can then be sent to a lab for further testing to get a deeper knowledge of the problem.
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Complications of nephrotic syndrome
The loss of proteins from a person’s blood and further damage to their kidneys can lead to a variety of complications. They include -
- Blood clots
- High cholesterol
- Malnutrition
- Anemia
- High blood pressure
- Chronic key disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Acute kidney disease
Treatment for nephrotic syndrome
The treatment for nephrotic syndrome includes addressing the underlying cause and taking necessary steps to reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol, edema and the risks of infection. The medications that lower blood pressure also have the capacity to slow down the pace of a kidney disease called nephrotic syndrome.
Ayurveda treatment for nephrotic syndrome
The Ayurveda treatment is the best alternative as it has no side effects on the body and is also not complicated at all.
Ayurveda makes use of simple techniques that are easy to adapt, and recovered patients have not only praised the Ayurveda technique but have also recommended it to others who have faced similar problems.
Ayurveda treatment makes use of a healthy diet plan, a fitness plan that includes moderate exercising. The simple techniques used by Ayurveda helps in quick recovery and maintain cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Does Nephrotic Syndrome Cause Renal Failure?
Nephrotic Syndrome is a disorder associated with kidneys where you have high protein in urine instead of the blood, and also your may notice swelling in the body. Some more complications may appear if you are affected with Nephrotic Syndrome.
People of any age may develop this kidney disorder. Children aged between 2-4 years at more likely to get Nephrotic syndrome. An early diagnosis and taking the proper Nephrotic Syndrome treatment is a must. The reason is, if Nephrotic Syndrome leaves untreated for prolonged, it may lead to permanent damage and thus kidney failure.
Nephrotic Syndrome produces a group of symptoms that occurs when tiny blood vessels in your kidneys become damaged and thus lose their ability to function correctly.
Mainly, a high amount of protein loss may occur because these filters are too small to pass for your protein because they are comparatively larger. When these filters get damaged, proteins can escape from them easily and reach the bladder, where they leave the body during urination. That’s why the presence of high protein in the urine is the primary sign of Nephrotic Syndrome. Due to excess protein loss in urine, the albumin level decreases in the blood. This problem can often lead to fluid retention in the body tissue, causing swelling. High cholesterol levels and high blood pressure are also associated with it. With worsening, this kidney disorder may lead to renal failure, where your complete kidneys get damage.
Glomeruli mainly act as filters as they help remove wastes from the blood that are excreted from the body in the urine. While these filters also allow necessary substances to return to the bloodstream. They return protein to your bloodstream during the filtration process. In case of damage, glomeruli start spilling too much protein from the blood into the urine, which causes many complications. Therefore, some natural functioning of the body gets disturbed and cause many complications.
Protein is an essential compound present in your blood mainly it prevents water from leaking into the body’s cells. So, reduced protein levels in the blood can cause fluid leakage into the body’s tissue, leading to body swelling.
Causes of Nephrotic Syndrome
Any factor or condition damaging kidney filters can be responsible for Nephrotic Syndrome. The most common cause of Nephrotic Syndrome is Glomerulonephritis, a group of kidney problems in which the glomeruli get inflamed. An immune system problem is mainly found to be an underlying cause for Glomerulonephritis.
The three main forms of Glomerulonephritis leading to Nephrotic Syndrome are;
- Minimal change nephropathy
- Focal Segmental Glomerulonephritis
- Membranous Glomerulonephritis
A few types of heart failure can also be responsible for Nephrotic Syndrome. Apart from that, a broad range of medical conditions or disorders may cause Nephrotic Syndrome to appear; amyloidosis, diabetes, and systematic lupus erythematosus, exposure to toxins are to name a few.
In children, Nephrotic Syndrome is detected between 3 to 4 years of age. Most children develop Nephrotic Syndrome due to minimal change disease/nephropathy, a form of Glomerulonephritis.
Signs & Symptoms of Nephrotic Syndrome
Nephrotic Syndrome may cause many signs to appear in your body. Those symptoms include
- Foamy or bubbly urine
- Fatigue or extreme weakness
- Poor appetite
- Abnormal weight gain due to fluid retention
- Increased protein levels in urine and reduced protein in the blood
- Swelling in the body, especially in hands, feet or ankles and around the eyes
When the problem progresses, you may have several other symptoms, which include;
- More susceptibility to infectious problems due to malfunction immune system
- Higher risk of blood clots
- Muscle wasting due to excess protein loss
- Bones weakness
- Fluctuating blood pressure
- Increased cholesterol levels
- Kidney failure
Take medical help immediately when you notice any of these symptoms in your body.
If you experience these symptoms, you may be referred to a nephrologist. A nephrologist will ask you to follow some tests to understand your kidney problem.
Your blood and urine samples are taken and sent to a lab to examine.
Blood sample analysis helps check the level of substances present in your blood. It mainly includes determining albumin, creatinine, blood urea, sodium, other substances levels, etc.
Imaging tests are also tests that help take a detailed look at the kidneys with some pictures. Renal Ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI are tests that help see if your kidneys are damaged or have any structural problem.
Renal Biopsy is another test where tiny kidney tissue is taken and studied with the help of a microscope. It’s a complicated procedure where one needs to stay in the hospital for a day.
Treatment for Nephrotic Syndrome
In modern treatment, medications that help reduce inflammation of the immune system on the glomeruli are mainly used in Nephrotic Syndrome. When the disease progresses, it may utilize dialysis to manage complications and reduce the kidneys' workload. Ultimately, when it is found that your complete kidneys have been damaged, it suggests a patient find a donor to conduct a kidney transplant process. This modern treatment can’t provide a permanent cure as it doesn’t stimulate or support the natural rejuvenation of the kidneys. So, it can help in the management of the disease, not in the cure.
On the other hand, choosing the best Ayurvedic treatment for Nephrotic Syndrome can provide a better cure.
Ayurveda is an ancient treatment that targets the core of the disease with other existing aspects to provide a permanent cure.
In Nephrotic Syndrome, Ayurvedic treatment works on the roots of a disease with its complications and symptoms to provide permanent relief to the patients. This holistic treatment aims to eliminate existing complications of Nephrotic Syndrome and also the symptoms. And the best part is Ayurveda can repair and heal the damaged glomeruli or kidney filter with herbal medications. Natural herbs have the power to stimulate the body’s natural healing process to heal its damaged portion naturally. In Nephrotic Syndrome, herbal medications work wonders as they revive each body functionality and ensure a smooth overall body functioning. Consequently, Ayurvedic treatment makes your kidneys healthy and capable of doing their natural functions efficiently.
Ayurvedic treatment also suggests a personalized diet that supports treatment and helps a patient keep his kidneys healthy even after treatment. Ayurveda also teaches a patient to live a balanced and healthy life by making some alternations in day-to-day routine and following a healthy lifestyle mentioned in the ancient scriptures. As a result, a Nephrotic syndrome patient can lead a normal life after taking the Ayurvedic treatment package. Yoga is also an integral part of Nephrotic Syndrome Ayurvedic treatment.
In a single sentence, if we say, Ayurvedic treatment offers a permanent cure to Nephrotic syndrome and put no any negative impact on your health.
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