lupus and renal Disease - Lupus Nephritis

Lupus is one of skin problem.If you don't treat it timely.This skin problem may be lead to kidney problem .Do you want to know the relationship between lupus and Renal Disease ?The following content will tell you the answer for the questions.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect almost any part of your body, most often your joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood, or brain. Your two kidneys are part of your renal system, which also includes two ureters, the bladder, and the urethra. As the primary organs of the renal system, your kidneys are responsible for:
Maintaining the correct amount and type of body fluids
Removing waste products and toxic substances
Regulating the hormones (chemical messengers) that help control blood pressure and blood volume

Lupus Nephritis

Inflammation of the nephrons, the structures within the kidneys that filter the blood, is called glomerulonephritis, or nephritis. Lupus nephritis is the term used when lupus causes inflammation in your kidneys, making them unable to properly remove waste from your blood or control the amount of fluids in your body.
Abnormal levels of waste can build up in the blood, and edema (swelling) can develop. Left untreated, nephritis can lead to scarring and permanent damage to the kidneys and possibly end-stage renal disease (ESRD). People with ESRD need regular filtering of their body’s waste done by a machine (dialysis) or a kidney transplant so that at least one kidney is working properly.
Lupus nephritis most often develops within the first five years after the symptoms of lupus start. It usually affects people between 20 and 40. In the early stages of lupus nephritis, there are very few signs that anything is wrong. Often the first symptoms of lupus nephritis are weight gain and puffiness in your feet, ankles, legs, hands, and/or eyelids. This swelling often becomes worse throughout the day. Also, your urine may be foamy or frothy, or have a red color. The first signs of lupus nephritis often show up in clinical laboratory tests on the urine.
It’s estimated that as many as 40 percent of all people with lupus, and as many as two-thirds of all children with lupus, will develop kidney complications that require medical evaluation and treatment. Testing your urine is very important because there are so few symptoms of kidney disease. Significant damage to your kidneys can happen before you are diagnosed with lupus.
Nephrologists are the physicians who treat the renal system. The tests they will use to diagnose lupus nephritis are: Collection of urine, usually over a 24-hour period; blood tests; and often, a kidney biopsy.

Symptoms of Lupus Nephritis

Sudden and unexplained swelling, especially in the extremities (feet, ankles, legs, fingers, arms) or the eyes
Blood in the urine
Elevated blood pressure
Foamy appearance in urine
Increased urination, especially at night
Urinalysis
Kidneys process your body’s waste matter. Therefore, testing a sample of your urine can show any problems with the way your kidneys are functioning. The most common tests look for cell casts (fragments of cells normally found in the blood, or fragments of the tubules of the kidneys) and proteinuria (protein being spilled into your body because your kidneys are not filtering the waste properly).

Blood Tests

Certain blood tests can provide information about kidney damage and how well your body is filtering waste. The creatinine blood test is usually ordered along with a blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test to assess kidney function. A combination of blood and urine creatinine levels may be used to calculate a creatinine clearance. This measures how effectively your kidneys are filtering small molecules like creatinine out of your blood. Serum creatinine measurements (along with your age, weight, and gender) are used to calculate the estimated glomerular filtration rate (EGFR), which is used as a screening test for evidence of kidney damage.

Treatments

Micro-Chinese Medicine is a good choice for you to treat your kidney disease.This therapy based on Chinese Medicine and in other hand in virtual of a Western Machine.And in the whole treatment progress there are little pain than other treatment.

Have any question?consult me through kidney-treatment@hotmail.com .