How to treat acute nephritis?

Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
Updated on September 20, 2024
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Acute nephritis is commonly seen in children and is a frequent type of glomerular disease in this group. Typically, one to three weeks prior to the onset, there often is a history of upper respiratory tract infection or skin infection. Subsequently, within one to three weeks, patients may experience gross hematuria and eyelid edema. In severe cases, elevated blood pressure and renal dysfunction may occur. Currently, there are no especially effective treatments for acute nephritis. However, if diagnosed properly and treated timely, the cure rate for acute nephritis is very high. Specifically, during the acute phase of acute nephritis, patients should rest in bed, follow a light diet, and adjust water intake based on urine output. Additionally, if patients with acute nephritis also have a respiratory infection, antibiotics should be administered, generally with penicillin as the first choice. Of course, if patients with acute nephritis have significant edema or markedly elevated blood pressure, it is appropriate to use diuretics and antihypertensive medications to avoid complications like hypertensive encephalopathy and heart failure. If some patients with acute nephritis also develop acute renal failure, timely dialysis treatment should be administered to improve the prognosis of acute nephritis and enhance the effectiveness of treatment.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Acute nephritis has the following characteristics:

Acute nephritis has the following characteristics: First, patients with acute nephritis often have a history of a precursor upper respiratory tract infection. After catching a cold, patients may develop hematuria, proteinuria, or anuria. Second, patients with acute nephritis will experience a decrease in complement C3 in the blood. After recovery from acute nephritis, complement C3 can restore itself. Third, acute nephritis is self-limiting; generally, the patient's condition will gradually improve over three to four weeks, and recovery can be complete after eight weeks. However, a very small number of patients might experience prolonged illness, evolving into chronic nephritis. Fourth, the pathological characteristic of acute nephritis is diffuse proliferation of capillary endothelial cells, which is a manifestation of pathological damage to the glomeruli.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Does acute nephritis easily lead to excessive internal heat?

What is referred to as "getting heated" generally refers to the appearance of herpes around the mouth. In fact, most people carry the herpes virus, which typically does not flare up under normal circumstances. However, when the body's immune system is weakened, the virus can become active. For example, factors like long-term fatigue, lack of sleep, or other illnesses can lead to the reemergence of these sores. They can also appear during acute nephritis, as this condition involves kidney abnormalities or possible symptoms like blood and protein in the urine. Some patients may also experience reduced urine output and acute kidney failure. During acute kidney failure, the immune system is often weakened, which can lead to the reappearance of herpes around the mouth, commonly known as "getting heated."

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Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
1min 26sec home-news-image

How to treat acute nephritis?

Acute nephritis is commonly seen in children and is a frequent type of glomerular disease in this group. Typically, one to three weeks prior to the onset, there often is a history of upper respiratory tract infection or skin infection. Subsequently, within one to three weeks, patients may experience gross hematuria and eyelid edema. In severe cases, elevated blood pressure and renal dysfunction may occur. Currently, there are no especially effective treatments for acute nephritis. However, if diagnosed properly and treated timely, the cure rate for acute nephritis is very high. Specifically, during the acute phase of acute nephritis, patients should rest in bed, follow a light diet, and adjust water intake based on urine output. Additionally, if patients with acute nephritis also have a respiratory infection, antibiotics should be administered, generally with penicillin as the first choice. Of course, if patients with acute nephritis have significant edema or markedly elevated blood pressure, it is appropriate to use diuretics and antihypertensive medications to avoid complications like hypertensive encephalopathy and heart failure. If some patients with acute nephritis also develop acute renal failure, timely dialysis treatment should be administered to improve the prognosis of acute nephritis and enhance the effectiveness of treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
55sec home-news-image

Symptoms of Acute Nephritis

Acute nephritis may present with some clinical symptoms. The main characteristics are that patients may have hematuria and proteinuria. When there is a significant amount of blood in the urine, it can be detected by the naked eye, known as gross hematuria. For instance, the color of the patient's urine could be dark like strong tea or bright red. Patients might also experience increased urine foam due to the presence of proteins in the urine, especially in cases where there is a significant presence of urinary proteins. A minority of patients may experience acute renal failure, often characterized by reduced urine output, or even anuria. Due to the reduced urine output, the water intake of patients cannot be fully excreted, leading to edema. Patients may experience swelling of the facial and bilateral lower limbs or even the whole body.

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Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
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How should acute nephritis be treated?

Patients with acute nephritis generally have a good prognosis after reasonable and standardized treatment, and rarely develop into chronic nephritis. The main means of treating acute nephritis is symptomatic supportive care, requiring patients to rest in bed during the acute phase. At the same time, spicy food should be avoided and salt intake should be appropriately controlled. If the patient has an infection, sensitive antibiotics should be actively selected for treatment. Additionally, diuretics can be appropriately used for patients with edema, and if the patient also has hypertension, antihypertensive drugs may be used to keep blood pressure within an appropriate range. Of course, some severe cases of acute nephritis may lead to heart failure or renal failure, in which case dialysis should be actively pursued. (Specific medication use should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor.)