Causes of Nephritis and Its Symptoms

Nephritis refers to the inflammation of nephrons in the kidneys. Clinically, it can be divided into Acute Nephritis and Chronic Nephritis. Nephritis is mainly caused by autoimmune disorders such as Lupus Nephritis, Purpura Nephritis and so, but it can also be caused by infections and toxins such as Pyelonephritis caused by urinary tract infection.

Usually, the patients with Nephritis have the following symptoms.

1. Most of the patients with Nephritis usually have a prehistory of infection. In most cases, the onset of the disease is quick, but some may occur slowly and latently.

2. At Nephritis onset, the patients have reduced urine output volume or gradually reduced urine volume. As the proliferative inflammatory cells damage the glomeruli, the red blood cells will leak of glomeruli into urine causing red blood cells to appear in urine. Usually, the gross hematuria can last for a period and then develop into persistent microscopic hematuria.

3. About half of patients with Nephritis have edema, especially in the faces and lower limbs during oliguric phase.

4. As the glomerular structure is damaged, it can lead to reduced glomerular renal volume thus causing renal ischemia and anoxia. Then the renin-angiotensin- aldosterone system is activated thus causing mild high blood pressure. Once blood pressure rises, it is difficult to decline automatically.

5. The renal damage aggravates progressively. The glomerular filtration rate declines obviously and renal tubular function is damaged at the same time.

6. As kidney structures are damaged, they begin to secrete some needed protein from body into urine. Therefore, the patients with Nephritis may find some foam in their urine.


In most cases, Nephritis occurs latently so the patients do not know when the disease starts. Therefore, in daily life, you should avoid the inducements of Nephritis such as colds and also take more exercises and do examinations regularly.