How serious is Nephrotic Syndrome

Let’s understand how severe nephrotic syndrome is?

Before knowing the severeness of Nephrotic syndrome first of all, you must understand what nephrotic syndrome is? It is not a kidney disease or disorder; it is a bunch of symptoms that show that your kidneys are not healthy and are not working properly. Symptoms include –

• The rise in cholesterol level
• Excess of protein in your urine
• Swelling in distinct parts of the body

These symptom are caused due to rare kidney disease in adults. However, this can affect both the children and adults of any age group.

The seriousness of Nephrotic syndrome

Due to nephrotic syndrome, your kidneys can stop working over a period of time. If you don’t take the proper treatment for this syndrome, it can be life-threatening for you. If your kidney loses its functions, you may need a kidney transplant or dialysis. Your risk of infections also increases, and serious nephrotic syndrome can also lead to kidney failure.

Nephrotic syndrome is always curable. It’s just the treatment depends from person to person. However, it is a serious condition, but usually, the patients respond well to the treatment and live a simple good life.

Principle reasons for Nephrotic Syndrome

There are primary and secondary causes for nephrotic syndrome. Primary causes are those disease that affects only the kidneys, and secondary causes are indirect disease. Primary causes include-

1. Membranous Nephropathy – In this disease, the protein starts to build up in the glomerular basement membrane, which is a part of the kidney. Generally, it’s the common cause of the nephrotic syndrome.
2. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis – It affects the glomeruli of the kidney. In black adults, it’s the common cause of the nephrotic syndrome. Minimal change disease-In children it’s the most ordinary cause.

Secondary reasons for Nephrotic Syndrome

• Various infections such as AIDS/HIV, Hepatitis A, B
• Anti-inflammatory drugs
• Lupus, Diabetes
• Distinct allergic reactions, etc.

Effect of nutrition and diet on nephrotic syndrome

It often happens that your dieticians and healthcare professionals suggest you or advise you to take proper diet and nutrition for controlling nephrotic syndrome. However, this doesn’t have any effect on the underlying cause. Changing your diet and nutrition will not gonna help you fight nephrotic syndrome. Neither can it cause nephrotic syndrome, nor can it prevent nephrotic syndrome; it can help you in just maintaining your health. It’s just the medicines or proper treatment that can cure your nephrotic syndrome. The most you can do is-

Control your cholesterol level by reducing the intake of fat.

And reducing the number of liquids and sodium to control swelling.

The right time to see a doctor

As mentioned above, nephrotic syndrome is a group of symptoms shown when your kidney stops functioning properly. It’s not a disorder, so when you have symptoms like-

• Swelling around your eyes, feet, and hands.
• Excessive protein in your urine and lesser protein in the blood.
• Blood clotting.
• Rise in blood pressure level.
• Unplanned weight gain.
• Sometimes, you may see changes in your urine, etc.

So if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms or new symptoms may appear like headache, cold, fever, etc., then it’s high time to consult a doctor regarding your problems. Because if not treated on time can lead to other severe disorders like chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.

Can you prevent nephrotic syndrome? If yes, then how?

Yes, Nephrotic syndrome can be prevented, but it has many distinct causes, and not every cause can be prevented. You can stop damage to glomeruli only through following ways-

1. You have to control your blood sugar levels if you have diabetes.
2. Take your antibiotics regularly.
3. Always control your blood pressure level.
4. Take your vaccines on time to prevent any type of infection.

Key facts regarding nephrotic syndrome –

• Dialysis can be required if the kidney fails due to nephrotic syndrome, which rarely happens in the utmost cases.
• A person gets nephrotic syndrome if there is an injury to the glomerulus, which helps infiltration.
• Medicines help you to remove extreme fluids from your body.
• Your blood presents in your blood vessels become thick leading to blood clotting.
• Loss of proteins from your blood can cause swelling.
• In trying to replace the proteins that are lost, our body increases the manufacture through the liver, which leads to a rise in cholesterol levels.

Conclusion –

Basically, nephrotic syndrome is some symptoms showing the improper working of kidneys. And if not treated on time, it can become a serious issue for adults as well as for children also. It can take maximum leads to kidney failure, which again can lead to loss of life. So always stay attentive and take care of your kidneys if needed, consult a doctor and start your treatment as soon as possible.