Symptoms of acute nephritis include back pain.

Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
Updated on March 09, 2025
00:00
00:00

Patients with acute nephritis usually have hematuria as their main symptom. Initially, the condition presents as gross hematuria, but within 1-2 days, the patient transitions to microscopic hematuria, and the gross hematuria disappears. Patients may also experience edema, particularly noticeable in the eyelids and facial area upon waking up in the morning, along with varying degrees of increased urine protein. Typically, acute nephritis patients may also experience nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, and discomfort in the lower back, but not back pain per se, as back pain is not a symptom of acute nephritis. However, if a patient with acute nephritis does develop back pain, it is crucial to rule out other diseases, such as kidney stones, ureteral stones, acute pyelonephritis, and acute renal infarction, all of which can cause sudden back pain in patients with acute nephritis. Back pain should be taken seriously, and appropriate exams, such as an immediate ultrasound, should be conducted.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
56sec home-news-image

Early symptoms of acute nephritis

The occurrence of acute nephritis is related to streptococcal infections and is commonly seen in children. Typically, 1-3 weeks before the onset of acute nephritis, patients often have a history of infections in the throat, upper respiratory tract, or skin. Once acute nephritis occurs, the initial symptoms include hematuria, which can manifest as either gross or microscopic hematuria. There is also the appearance of edema, especially noticeable swelling of the eyelids and facial area upon waking up in the morning, and even a decrease in urine output. Additionally, patients with acute nephritis often experience increased foam in the urine, indicating the presence of proteinuria, as well as general weakness, back pain, nausea, and vomiting. After the onset of acute nephritis, some patients may experience elevated blood pressure and even transient renal failure.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
41sec home-news-image

post-acute nephritis sequelae

Acute nephritis is a self-limiting disease, and most patients can fully recover, so the vast majority of patients generally start to show improvement in routine urine tests three to four weeks after onset, with normal kidney function and resolution of edema, resulting in few, if any, sequelae. Of course, a small number of patients may experience prolonged unhealed conditions that can progress to chronic nephritis. These patients may then develop complications, including hypertension and renal anemia, which are long-term potential issues. However, the vast majority of patients with acute nephritis do not experience complications or sequelae.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
1min 20sec home-news-image

Causes of Anemia in Acute Nephritis

Patients with acute nephritis often do not experience anemia. If a patient with acute nephritis develops anemia, further examination is necessary to determine whether rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis is present. The mechanisms of anemia include hemorrhagic anemia, anemia due to the destruction and dissolution of red blood cells, and anemia due to decreased bone marrow hematopoietic capacity. Hemorrhagic anemia is commonly seen in cases of excessive menstrual flow or chronic blood in stools, which can occur in conditions such as liver cirrhosis, gastric ulcer, enteritis, and intestinal cancer. Anemia resulting from the breakdown of red blood cells often occurs in cases of splenomegaly or when the body produces antibodies against red blood cells, leading to autoimmune hemolysis. A decrease in bone marrow hematopoietic capacity is typically seen in related diseases such as leukemia, myeloma, or renal anemia, or when the patient's dietary intake of nutrients is insufficient, leading to reduced bone marrow hematopoietic capacity. Overall, for acute nephritis, if anemia occurs, it is important to identify the cause, which may not be closely related to acute nephritis itself.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
54sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of acute nephritis?

Acute nephritis is commonly seen in children, and in cases of acute nephritis in children, it is often preceded by an upper respiratory tract infection or skin infection one to three weeks prior to the onset. Once acute nephritis occurs, the most prominent clinical symptom in patients is gross hematuria, though some individuals only show microscopic hematuria, accompanied by an increase in urinary proteins. Additionally, patients with acute nephritis may experience swelling of the eyelids and lower limbs, especially noticeable swelling of the eyelids and facial area upon waking in the morning. Some patients may also experience elevated blood pressure, leading to symptoms such as dizziness and headache. A few may suffer from nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, reduced urine output, or even symptoms of acute renal failure.

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.