Something You Should Know About Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

We are often eager to know the things around us and if we have some confusions, we want to know them clearly. This also goes for diseases. Patients with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis which can be abbreviated FSGS, usually want to know more about it.

What is FSGS?

FSGS is named for the scarring, or sclerosis, that can be found in the kidney of people with this disease. When looked at under a microscope, everyone’s kidneys contain millions of tiny filters called glomeruli. Much as a coffee filter keeps coffee grounds in, glomeruli keep valuable cells and protein in the blood. When those filters are damaged, they become scarred, and they are no longer able to filter blood appropriately, this is called glomerulosclerosis.

The word “focal” is added because in FSGS, only some of the filters are damaged. “Segmental” is included because often only parts of the filters are scarred. So, it is a very descriptive name for the disease.

What are some symptoms of FSGS?

FSGS causes inefficient filtering of wasters from the blood which in return cause the following symptoms.

Proteinuria: large amounts of protein are leaked from damaged glomeruli into urine.

Edema: Swelling in parts of the body, most noticeable around the eyes, hands and feet, that can become painful.

Hypertension: high blood pressure.

Hypoproteinemia: low protein in blood due to the leaked protein into the urine.

Hypercholesterolemia: high level of cholesterol in blood

What should I notice if I have FSGS?

FSGS is not an easy disease to treat. Anyone with this disease should be seen regularly by a kidney specialist. If it is associated with some diseases, treating that particular illness becomes a priority. It is also important for someone with either primary or secondary FSGS to be on medication that reduces the mount of protein in urine. The less protein in urine, the better the patient will be. If urine protein levels are high, complications of Nephrotic Syndrome should also be considered. Patients should receive routine cholesterol screening/treatment.

Finally, every patient with FSGS should have their kidney function monitored regularly with both urine and blood test. As kidney functions declines, certain other interventions may become necessary. No one’s kidney disease is exactly the same, you should consult your doctor for some practical advice about your disease.

In addition to above, many different types of drugs that suppress the immune system are also being used in treating FSGS. The most common of these are steroids. Unfortunately, all of these western drugs have significant side effects. You should balance their advantages and disadvantages when use them.


Patients with this disease should hold an active attitude towards this disease and collect as much information as you can to deal with it. Besides, you can also communicate with your doctor or some experts to get some useful suggestions.

Also, you can try some other therapy, for example, Micro-Chinese Medicine, which usually has some effective results. No matter which way you choose, best wish to you.if you also have some questions, you can email me at kidney-treatment@hotmail.com.