Glomerulonephritis (GN) is inflammation of the glomeruli, which are structures in your kidneys that are made up of tiny blood vessels. These knots of vessels help filter your blood and remove excess fluids. If your glomeruli are damaged, your kidneys will stop working properly, and you can go into kidney failure.
For chronic GN, you’ll need to reduce the amount of protein, salt, and potassium in your diet. Additionally, you must watch how much liquid you drink. Calcium supplements may be recommended, and you may need to take diuretics to reduce swelling. Check with your general practitioner or kidney specialist for guidelines about diet restrictions or supplements. They can set you up with a medical dietician to advise you on your choices.
Acute GN
Early symptoms of acute GN include:
- puffiness in your face
- urinating less often
- blood in your urine, which turns your urine a dark rust color
- extra fluid in your lungs, causing coughing
- high blood pressure
Chronic GN
The chronic form of GN can creep up without any symptoms. There may be slow development of symptoms similar to the acute form. Some symptoms include:
- blood or excess protein in your urine, which may be microscopic and show up in urine tests
- high blood pressure
- swelling in your ankles and face
- frequent nighttime urination
- bubbly or foamy urine, from excess protein
- abdominal pain
- frequent nosebleeds
Kidney failure
Your GN may be so advanced that you develop kidney failure. Some of the symptoms of this include:
- fatigue
- lack of appetite
- nausea and vomiting
- insomnia
- dry, itchy skin
- muscle cramps at night
The following are positive steps to recover from GN and prevent future episodes:
Maintain a healthy weight.
Restrict salt in your diet.
Restrict protein in your diet.
Restrict potassium in your diet.
Quit smoking.
https://www.healthline.com/health/glomerulonephritis#treatments
https://www.healthline.com/health/membranous-nephropathy#symptoms
swelling of the hands, feet, or face
fatigue
foamy urine
an excessive need to urinate at night
weight gain
poor appetite
blood in the urine
https://www.healthline.com/health/membranoproliferative-gn#symptoms
blood in your urine
changes in your mental status, such as confusion or lethargy
cloudy urine
dark urine
a decrease in urine volume
swelling, or edema, in your hands, feet, or face
