What should not be eaten with nephrotic syndrome?

Written by Zhu Wei
Nephrology
Updated on November 22, 2024
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Patients with nephrotic syndrome, if the patient has obvious edema, should limit salt intake to between two to three grams per day. It is suggested to consume foods rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as vegetable oils, as well as foods rich in soluble fiber, such as oats. They should also receive a normal amount of 0.8 to 1 gram of high-quality protein per kilogram of body weight per day, mainly from egg whites, milk, lean meat, and fish. Calorie intake should be sufficient, and patients with nephrotic syndrome should eat less salty and pickled foods and consume less animal fat.

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Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
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How to reduce swelling in the feet caused by nephrotic syndrome?

Swelling of the feet is a common phenomenon in nephrotic syndrome. Once swelling occurs, patients feel uncomfortable symptoms and a sensation of heaviness in their feet, so corresponding de-swelling treatment is necessary. How to reduce swelling? Firstly, a low-salt diet is essential to control salt intake, with daily salt consumption around 2 to 3 grams. In addition to this, small doses of diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide and spironolactone can be used. If the diuretic effect is not satisfactory, other more potent diuretics like furosemide may be added. Of course, the fundamental treatment for foot swelling in nephrotic syndrome involves the use of steroids and immunosuppressants. This treatment works by suppressing the permeability of the glomerular basement membrane and reducing protein leakage, thereby ultimately eliminating the foot swelling.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Causes of edema in nephrotic syndrome

Edema is a diagnostic criterion for nephrotic syndrome, as well as a major clinical symptom and characteristic of the syndrome. There are several reasons why patients develop edema. First, a large amount of protein leaks out from the kidneys, causing a decrease in the concentration of plasma albumin and a decrease in the colloid osmotic pressure in the plasma, which makes it easy for water to move from inside the blood vessels to outside, causing edema. Second, patients with nephrotic syndrome have increased vascular permeability, which also makes it easy for water to enter the interstitial tissues. Among patients with nephrotic syndrome, some are prone to acute renal failure, which further decreases the kidney's ability to excrete water, and these factors together lead to the common occurrence of edema in patients.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Is nephrotic syndrome hereditary?

Nephrotic syndrome is generally not hereditary. It refers to a group of clinical symptoms and manifestations. The fundamental issue in patients is the damage to the glomerular capillaries, which leads to significant proteinuria, subsequently causing edema, hyperlipidemia, and hypoalbuminemia in the plasma. The causes of this disease are classified into primary and secondary types. Primary nephrotic syndrome is related to immune system dysfunction and may involve multiple genes; therefore, the disease is not considered a clear hereditary disease, but the likelihood of offspring developing renal issues may be higher than in the general population. Secondary nephrotic syndrome is mostly related to factors such as hepatitis B infection, allergies, diabetes, etc., and these diseases are not hereditary either.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Nephrology
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Characteristics of Nephrotic Syndrome

The characteristics of nephrotic syndrome are defined by significant proteinuria, where significant proteinuria refers to urinary protein exceeding 3.5 grams in 24 hours; hypoproteinemia, which refers to blood albumin levels below 30 grams per liter; edema, which may present in facial and lower limbs, and even severe patients may exhibit generalized edema around both lower limbs; and hyperlipidemia, characterized by increased cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. These patients may exhibit reduced urine output, edema, and noticeably increased foam in the urine.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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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.