Easily recognizable symptoms of acute glomerulonephritis

Edema, high blood pressure, little urine, blood in urine, shortness of breath and cough, mild fever... are warning symptoms of acute glomerulonephritis.

Acute glomerulonephritis is a condition in which the glomeruli and blood vessels in the kidneys become inflamed. Dr. Mai Thi Hien, Department of Urology - Andrology and Nephrology, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi , said that the disease can occur at many ages with many causes. People with sore throat, ear infection or pyoderma caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus infection are at high risk of complications of acute glomerulonephritis. The disease can also occur after pneumococcal pneumonia, endocarditis, bacteremia, mumps, chickenpox, fungal infections, hepatitis B, HIV infection... Cases of the disease caused by parasitic infections are rare.

Acute glomerulonephritis often progresses silently. Many cases are discovered by chance when going to see another doctor, or through blood and urine tests that show microscopic hematuria and proteinuria. The signs of this disease are quite diverse, and the symptoms vary from person to person.

Below are some easily recognizable symptoms of acute glomerulonephritis.

Edema

The first sign is swelling of both legs, especially around the ankles, as well as swollen eyelids and a feeling of heaviness in the face. The swelling usually appears more in the morning and gradually decreases in the evening. However, this condition only lasts for the first 10 days and then decreases when the patient urinates more.

In addition to seeing swollen legs with the naked eye, patients can check for edema by pressing their thumb firmly on the tibia running around the ankle, to see a clear indentation that takes a long time to return to elasticity.

Little urine, urine changes

Patients often urinate less than 500ml per day in the first week of illness, lasting about 3-4 days and may relapse in the following 2-3 weeks; urine is yellow and foamy. Blood tests do not increase urea and creatinine or increase insignificantly. Urine tests show protein in the urine (proteinuria). In cases of prolonged oliguria and anuria, blood urea and creatinine increase, increasing the risk of acute glomerulonephritis progressing rapidly to chronic glomerulonephritis.

Blood in urine

This is an important sign in diagnosing acute glomerulonephritis. The patient may urinate blood 1-2 times in the first week, then it may reappear in the next 2-3 weeks. The number of times urinating blood gradually decreases, about 3-4 times a day, then stops completely.

Hypertension

According to Dr. Hien, this symptom accounts for about 60% of cases of acute glomerulonephritis. In children, blood pressure fluctuates around 140/90mmHg, in adults 160/90mmHg. In some cases, blood pressure increases dramatically and remains relatively constant for many days around 180/100mmHg, causing the patient to have severe headaches, dizziness, convulsions, coma due to cerebral edema, and even death.

Shortness of breath and cough

When the kidneys are damaged, excess fluid that is not excreted accumulates in the lungs, causing fluid retention, making the patient have difficulty breathing, coughing, and fatigue. This condition is common in people with acute glomerulonephritis with edema, usually improving after 4 weeks if treated promptly and appropriately, but can last for many months and become chronic if left untreated.

When suffering from acute glomerulonephritis, the patient may cough and have difficulty breathing. Photo: Freepik — When suffering from acute glomerulonephritis, the patient may cough and have difficulty breathing. Photo: *Freepik*

Sudden increase in circulating volume can lead to sudden hypertension and acute heart failure. At this time, the patient has symptoms of pulmonary edema such as difficulty breathing, rapid and shallow breathing; retraction of the supraclavicular fossa, supraclavicular fossa, and intercostal space; coughing up pink fluid. If not treated promptly, the patient is at high risk of death.

In addition, people with acute glomerulonephritis may experience other symptoms such as mild fever of 38 - 38.5 degrees, back or rib pain, night cramps, nausea or vomiting...

Dr. Hien said that with acute glomerulonephritis, patients can fully recover after 4-6 weeks of treatment. However, if not detected and treated promptly, after the progression of each acute episode, the disease can progress to chronic renal failure and cannot be recovered. Patients with long-term chronic renal failure can develop renal fibrosis. Therefore, timely detection to prevent the development of the disease from the early stages is important.

To prevent acute glomerulonephritis, people should maintain a healthy and scientific lifestyle and diet: maintain good hygiene to reduce the risk of infections; have safe sex; exercise regularly; have regular health check-ups; control blood pressure and metabolic diseases; drink enough water; limit processed foods; avoid salty foods. When there are infectious diseases such as pharyngitis, pyoderma... you need to see a doctor for timely treatment to avoid complications such as acute glomerulonephritis. When suspecting acute glomerulonephritis, you need to go to a specialized medical facility specializing in Nephrology - Urology for treatment and advice on an appropriate diet.

Trinh Mai

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