What is focal segmental glomerular sclerosis?
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What is focal segmental glomerular sclerosis?
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a disease in which scar tissue develops on the glomeruli, the small parts of the kidneys that filter waste from the blood.
What is the treatment for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis?
Depending on the type of FSGS you have, your doctor may recommend: An angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) medication to lower blood pressure and reduce protein in the urine. Medication to lower cholesterol levels.
Can focal segmental glomerulosclerosis be cured?
FSGS has no cure. The prognosis varies depending on the person. For some people, FSGS goes away on its own without treatment. For others, the disease continues for many years but does not get worse.
What does focal segmental mean?
“Focal” means that some of the glomeruli become scarred. Others remain normal. “Segmental” means that only part of an individual glomerulus is damaged.
What happens if you get glomerular damage?
Glomerular diseases damage the glomeruli, letting protein and sometimes red blood cells leak into the urine. Sometimes a glomerular disease also interferes with the clearance of waste products by the kidney, so they begin to build up in the blood.
Is Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis an autoimmune disease?
FSGS can be a result of an autoimmune disease, in which the body attacks itself without cause, or the result of a pre-existing medical condition such as the following: Kidney defects from birth. Urine back-ups in the kidney.
How common is focal segmental glomerulosclerosis?
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis is estimated to affect about 7 people per million people in the general population, although specific incidence rates vary in different populations. FSGS accounts for about 40% of adults with nephrotic syndrome and about 20% of children with nephrotic syndrome.
Can you live a normal life with FSGS?
Can I lead a normal life with FSGS? The condition itself does not cause any specific symptoms or pain. Fluid retention or kidney failure may affect day-to-day life. Most patients with this disease, however, lead normal lives and go work, have children and so on.
Is FSGS a terminal illness?
It is a scarring disease of the kidney that generally causes excess protein in the urine, nephrotic syndrome, and progressive kidney failure. It is not fatal, as dialysis and transplant would be the treatment of choice for FSGS that progresses to kidney failure.
Can glomeruli heal?
Scarred glomeruli cannot be repaired. Treatment aims to prevent further damage and to avoid dialysis. The best treatment for glomerulosclerosis depends on what caused the scarring. The cause is determined by a kidney biopsy.
What is the most common glomerular disease?
Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of glomerular disease and of total kidney failure in the United States.
What causes glomerular damage?
Glomerular disease may be caused by an infection or a drug that is harmful to your kidneys. In other cases, it may be caused by a disease that affects the entire body, like diabetes or lupus. Many different diseases can cause swelling (inflammation) or scarring (sclerosis) of the glomerulus.
Is glomerular disease curable?
If the underlying cause of nephrosis is a kidney disease, it can’t be cured. The glomeruli in the kidneys can’t function properly, resulting in the buildup of wastes and water in the blood. Kidney failure occurs. Treatment, as failure worsens, is dialysis or kidney transplant.
How is glomerular disease treated?
Overall, there is no one specific treatment that works for all glomerular diseases, but your doctor may tell you to:
- Control your blood pressure and stop protein loss in the urine with drugs called ACE inhibitors or ARBs.
- Take diuretics (water pills) to treat swelling in ankles and feet.
