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Zhou Qi
Nephrology
About me
An associate chief physician in the Nephrology Department of the People's Hospital of Ma'anshan City, with a Master's degree from a key medical university. Participated or led multiple projects funded by the Natural Science Foundation, and published nearly ten papers in Chinese and core journals.
Proficient in diseases
Glomerular diseases, diabetic nephropathy, lupus nephritis, blood purification.
Voices
Is acute nephritis contagious?
Acute nephritis is not contagious. Although acute nephritis often follows a history of streptococcal infection, when such streptococci infect the human body, they can cause an immune complex reaction, which circulates through the bloodstream to the kidneys causing inflammation. Furthermore, these streptococci can have a cross-immune reaction with kidney tissue. These mechanisms together lead to diffuse proliferation of glomerular capillary cells, causing hematuria, proteinuria, and even renal failure. However, this condition generally is not contagious. Although this disease is related to streptococcal infection, these streptococci are mostly opportunistic pathogens and are unlikely to cause harm to people other than the patient, making it difficult to trigger a nephritis reaction again.
Causes of hematuria in IgA nephropathy
IGA nephropathy is a type of chronic glomerulonephritis. This disease often causes patients to have blood in their urine, and can also lead to visible blood in the urine. The glomerulus is a cluster of capillaries with semi-permeable functions, allowing water and metabolic waste to pass through while preventing proteins and red blood cells from passing. The waste and water pass through the glomerular filtration barrier and enter into the urine, which is the main component of urine. If some pathological cause damages the capillaries of the glomerulus, such as in the case of IGA nephropathy where there is an inflammatory response within the glomerulus, it can damage the glomerular filtration barrier. As a result, red blood cells may pass through the capillary walls of the glomerulus into the urine, causing blood in the urine.
Does acute nephritis easily lead to excessive internal heat?
What is referred to as "getting heated" generally refers to the appearance of herpes around the mouth. In fact, most people carry the herpes virus, which typically does not flare up under normal circumstances. However, when the body's immune system is weakened, the virus can become active. For example, factors like long-term fatigue, lack of sleep, or other illnesses can lead to the reemergence of these sores. They can also appear during acute nephritis, as this condition involves kidney abnormalities or possible symptoms like blood and protein in the urine. Some patients may also experience reduced urine output and acute kidney failure. During acute kidney failure, the immune system is often weakened, which can lead to the reappearance of herpes around the mouth, commonly known as "getting heated."
Is nephrotic syndrome contagious?
So, nephrotic syndrome is a general term for a group of clinical symptoms, a state of disease, and is not essentially an independent disease. Thus, this problem is not infectious. This disease describes the damage to the kidneys due to some reason, leading to the disruption of the integrity of the glomerular filtration barrier, resulting in the patient developing a significant amount of urinary protein. The disease itself is not contagious. However, there are very few cases of nephrotic syndrome that might be caused by hepatitis B virus infecting the kidneys. In such cases, the hepatitis B virus may have a certain level of contagiousness, but even so, it does not imply that nephrotic syndrome itself is contagious. In other words, even if such patients transmit hepatitis B to others, it does not necessarily mean those others will exhibit kidney damage.
How long does hematuria last in acute nephritis?
The condition of acute nephritis is generally quite severe. Patients may experience hematuria and proteinuria, with diffuse cellular proliferation in the glomeruli. However, this disease is self-limiting, and the condition can heal on its own. It is important to control the causes of acute nephritis and the complications it may cause to help patients overcome the difficulties. Afterward, the patients' hematuria and proteinuria could potentially disappear. Generally, it takes about 3 to 4 weeks for the urinalysis to turn negative, and some patients may even take up to six months to recover. If recovery takes more than six months, it is possible that the patient's acute nephritis has become chronic nephritis.
Symptoms of stage four diabetic nephropathy
Stage four of diabetic nephropathy indicates the presence of significant amounts of urinary protein. At this stage, patients may exhibit symptoms of nephrotic syndrome, which means the total urinary protein quantification over 24 hours may exceed 3.5 grams, and the plasma albumin level may be lower than 30 grams per liter. Due to the large amount of protein leakage, patients may experience edema, presenting as swelling of the lower limbs or eyelids, or even severe generalized swelling. In addition to edema, patients may also have pleural and abdominal effusion, leading to pulmonary edema. Excessive fluid can overburden the heart, causing heart failure, which manifests as chest tightness, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing, especially when the patient is active, these symptoms of chest tightness and shortness of breath become more pronounced.
symptoms of hydronephrosis infection
In cases of hydronephrosis, urinary tract infections are common, and these infections primarily manifest as pyelonephritis. The presence of fluid in the kidneys indicates that urine cannot be excreted smoothly, leading to an obstruction in the urinary tract. Therefore, bacteria can easily multiply in this area because normal urine, if it can be excreted smoothly, also serves to flush the urinary system, preventing the growth of bacteria. Thus, when fluid accumulates, pyelonephritis can easily occur, with the main symptoms being back pain and fever. If cystitis is also present, the patient will experience symptoms such as frequent urination, urgent urination, and painful urination. Hydronephrosis may be caused by issues such as urinary system stones or tumors, which can also lead to clinical symptoms like back pain and hematuria.
How to test for chronic renal failure?
The examinations for patients with chronic kidney failure are divided into several aspects: First, it is necessary to confirm the presence of chronic kidney failure and assess its severity. This requires blood tests for kidney function, observing levels of blood creatinine and urea nitrogen, and performing endogenous creatinine clearance tests to determine the degree of kidney failure; Second, it is important to determine whether there are complications associated with kidney failure. Therefore, routine blood tests are necessary to check for renal anemia, blood pressure measurements to observe if there is renal hypertension, and blood tests for electrolytes to check for any electrolyte disorders. These patients also need to have their parathyroid hormone levels checked and undergo iron metabolism tests to provide a basis for further treatment.
How to diagnose uremia
Uremia is the final state of chronic renal failure. This disease cannot be diagnosed through physical examination and medical history inquiry alone. Diagnosis requires testing, combined with the patient's physical examination and medical history, to comprehensively determine the diagnosis. Patients with uremia first need to have a blood test to check kidney function, with blood creatinine levels needing to exceed 707μmol/L. Secondly, they should undergo an ultrasound of the urinary system. Typically, the kidney size in such patients is reduced, which can be detected by the ultrasound. These two diagnostic methods used together can diagnose uremia. Patients also need to be checked for potential complications caused by uremia, such as measuring blood pressure and performing a complete blood count to check for renal anemia, among others.
Symptoms of acute nephritis recurrence
When acute nephritis recurs, patients may experience a series of symptoms similar to those at the onset of the disease. Patients may present with hematuria, including visible hematuria in some cases. Due to the presence of a significant amount of protein in the urine, patients may develop edema in parts like the lower limbs and eyelids, and in severe cases, edema can become generalized. The presence of protein in urine also leads to increased urine foam. Some patients may experience acute renal failure, a dramatic decrease in urine output, and gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea and vomiting. Patients may also develop hypertension and heart failure, among other conditions.