Nephrotic Syndrome is a kidney disorder that causes your body to excrete too much protein in the urine. People of any age can be affected by nephrotic syndrome. This kidney disorder is characterized by three symptoms swelling (edema), high levels of protein in the urine (proteinuria), and low levels of protein in the blood (hypoalbuminemia). Other symptoms include weight gain, fatigue, and foamy urine.
Nephrotic syndrome results from a problem with the glomeruli, which are tiny blood vessels in the kidneys that filter out the waste products and allow blood to retain protein your body needs. When glomeruli aren’t working well, they let albumin protein to get through their filters into your urine. When albumin is filtered out into the urine by your kidneys, the blood is not able to absorb extra fluid from the body, causing swelling in the legs, feet, or ankles. Long-term nephrotic syndrome can lead to kidney failure, necessitating treatment with dialysis or kidney transplant. Kidney failure due to nephrotic syndrome can also be treated with natural herbs for kidney problem.
Causes of Nephrotic Syndrome
There are many conditions that can cause damage to glomeruli and lead to nephrotic syndrome, including:
• Membranous nephropathy: This kidney disorder is caused by thickening of the glomerular basement membrane, which affects the kidney’s ability to filter waste and extra fluid from the blood.
• Systemic lupus erythematosus: It is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues.
• Diabetic kidney disease: This kidney disease is caused by diabetes.
• Amyloidosis: It is a group of diseases in which abnormal protein – amyloid fibrils – builds up in any tissue/organ and can get deposited in the kidneys.
• Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: Characterized by scarring of some of the glomeruli due to another disease or a genetic defect.
• Heart failure: Constrictive pericarditis and right heart failure can cause nephrotic syndrome.
Secondary causes of nephrotic syndrome include:
• Diabetes mellitus
• Viral infections (such as hepatitis B & C and HIV)
• Paraproteinemias
• Preeclampsia
• Allo-antibodies
How is Nephrotic Syndrome diagnosed?
Nephrotic syndrome can be detected by the presence of albumin in the urine with a dipstick test. Once nephrotic syndrome is diagnosed, blood test is usually done to determine the level of albumin and check for systemic diseases. A kidney biopsy is also required to diagnose the specific underlying cause of the nephrotic syndrome. In kidney biopsy, your lab technician will take a piece of kidney tissue for examination with a microscope. Kidney biopsy results help to determine the best treatment for this kidney disorder.
Nephrotic Syndrome Treatment: Natural Remedies
The main of aim of treating nephrotic syndrome through natural remedies is to address the underlying cause as well as reduce edema, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. People who are suffering from kidney failure or chronic kidney disease due to nephrotic syndrome should take natural herbs for this kidney problem. Herbal treatment directly targets the underlying cause of the syndrome and removes toxins from the glomeruli. Herbal supplements contain standardized extracts of natural herbs which improve the overall health of the kidney. Ayurvedic medicines are known to help patients with nephrotic syndrome by improving water retention ability of kidneys, preventing oxidative stress in renal cells, maintaining urea/creatinine levels in blood, and controlling blood sugar level. If you see any of the symptoms mentioned above, then talk to your health care specialist about having the tests for nephrotic syndrome. Take prescription medicines exactly as you are told to prevent further kidney damage. You can also take natural herbs for this kidney problem along with your prescription medicine.
