How to Treat Edema (Swelling) in Acute Glomerulonephritis

Edema (Swelling) is a common symptom in Acute Glomerulonephritis. At first, it mainly appears around the eyelids, faces and ankles. If untreated in time, the patients may develop anasarca, which can cause much burden to kidney and heart. In severe case, it can affect the patients’ breath and even threaten their lives. Therefore, it is very important for the patients with Acute Glomerulonephritis to treat edema (swelling) as early as possible.

Firstly, it is essential for us to know the causes of edema (swelling) in Acute Glomerulonephritis.

On one hand, with the renal function declines, the glomerular filter area reduces. However, the renal tubule still keeps the normal reabsorption ability thus leading to retention of water and sodium. On the other hand, as the glomerular permeability increases, they can not prevent the protein leakage and cause the plasma protein level to decrease. Afterwards, the plasma osmotic pressure reduces. As a result, the fluid infiltrates tissue spaces leading to edema (swelling).

Secondly, how to treat edema (swelling) in Acute Glomerulonephritis?

1. Have enough rest: In the acute period, the patients should stay in bed for about 4~6 weeks. After the disease condition improves and the urine protein is less than 1 gram per day, they can take some activities indoor. If the hematuria and proteinuria do not aggravate after activity, they can take activity outdoor after 1~2 weeks.

2. Eliminate infection: In most cases of Acute Glomerulonephritis, they are caused by streptococcal infection. For the residual preceding streplococcal infection such as amygdalitis, tympanitis and so on in body, the patients should receive treatment as early as possible.

3. Block the immune inflammatory response: In Acute Glomerulonephritis, the patients’ immune system can not protect the patients’ body very well. When the foreign pathological substances invade into body, the antibodies can not defeat them. On the contrary, they deposit in glomeruli or bind with antigens forming immune complexes and then cause inflammatory response thus damaging the renal tissues and cells. As a result, the glomeruli are impaired and can not function normally resulting in edema (swelling). Therefore, clearing up the immune complexes is the premise of blocking the inflammatory response. Once the inflammatory response is inhibited, they will not cause damage to renal tissues and cells any longer.

Afterwards, you need to receive relative treatment to restore the impaired cells and tissues and replace the necrotic ones with new ones. If so, the glomerular function will improve dramatically and even recover normal. Also, it will prevent the protein leakage. Consequently, the edema (swelling) in Acute Glomerulonephritis will certainly disappear.


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