Anyone can get nephrotic syndrome but it is slightly more common in men than in women. In children, it happens most often between the ages of 2 and 6. There are other factors that may increase your risk.
You are more likely to get nephrotic syndrome if you:
Have a disease that affects the kidneys such as FSGS, lupus, or diabetes
Take certain medicines like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) or antibiotics
Have an infection such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, or malaria
What are the symptoms of nephrotic syndrome?
You may not know that you have nephrotic syndrome until you have routine blood and urine tests at a doctor’s appointment. The results of your tests can show that you have too much protein in your urine, not enough protein in your blood, or too much fat or cholesterol in your blood.
Signs of nephrotic syndrome that you may notice are:
Swelling in your legs, feet, ankles, and sometimes face and hands,weight gain,feeling very tired,foamy or bubbly urine
not feeling hungry.
What causes nephrotic syndrome?
Nephrotic syndrome happens when there is a problem with your kidneys’ filters. When your kidneys’ filters are not working in the right way, this can lead to the symptoms of nephrotic syndrome.
This damage to the kidneys’ filters is caused by diseases that damage the kidneys. Some of these diseases affect only the kidneys, and these are called primary causes of nephrotic syndrome. Other diseases affect the whole body, including the kidneys, and these are called secondary causes of nephrotic syndrome. Most people who have nephrotic syndrome have secondary causes.
The most common primary cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults is a disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The most common secondary cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults is diabetes.
In children, the most common primary cause of nephrotic syndrome is minimal change disease. The most common secondary cause of nephrotic syndrome in children is diabetes.
When you have nephrotic syndrome, you lose protein through your urine. Proteins do many jobs in your body, and everyone needs protein to live. Your body uses protein to build bones, muscles, and other tissues, and fight infections.
When you have nephrotic syndrome, your kidneys may let a protein called albumin escape through your kidneys’ filters into your urine. Albumin helps your body get rid of extra fluid. When you do not have enough albumin in your blood, fluid can build up in your body, causing swelling in your legs, feet and ankles. You can also start to have other problems, such as blood clots and infections.
With nephrotic syndrome, your body may not get rid of cholesterol in the right way, allowing it to build up in your blood. When you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can stick together and form clumps inside your veins and arteries. This makes it harder for your heart to pump your blood, and can cause a heart attack or a stroke.
