FSGS cause and what are the basic symptoms

For those of you who are not familiar with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), it is a common cause of kidney failure found in both adults and children. During the earlier stages of this disease, FSGS is marked by proteinuria, and it has been discovered in both native and transplanted kidneys. Up until now, the cause of FSGS has not been fully understood, so the available treatments for FSGS have been limited. However with the support of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), a team of researchers has made a recent discovery which could yield brand new treatments and help assess risk during transplantation.

What is FSGS?
Each person has two kidneys in their lower back. Each kidney is made up of approximately one million tiny filters called “glomeruli.” Much as a coffee filter keeps coffee grounds in, glomeruli keep valuable cells and protein in the blood. When glomeruli become damaged, proteins begin leaking into the urine (proteinuria). Proteinuria causes fluid to accumulate in the body, and prolonged leakage can lea d to kidney damage and even failure. Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a rare disease that attacks the kidney’s filtering system (glomeruli) causing serious scarring. FSGS is one of the causes of a serious condition known as Nephrotic Syndrome.
What causes glomerulosclerosis?
Glomerulosclerosis is not caused by a single disease. It has several different causes. The scarring may be the result of an infection, or drug toxicity, or a disease that affects the entire body, like diabetes, HIV infection, sickle cell disease or lupus disease. Sometimes, there is no apparent associated disease or cause. There may be a genetic component in some people.
Symptoms:
Some people with FSGS develop swelling (edema) of the eyelids in the morning and edema of the legs and body late in the day due to retention of fluid and this is what leads them to seek medical attention. Some notice foamy or bubbly urine when they urinate (due to the protein in the urine). Because symptoms may develop gradually, the disorder may first be discovered when there is an abnormal urine test (with protein and blood) or blood test (abnormal kidney function) done for a routine physical exam or on exam for an unrelated disorder. Many patients will have high blood pressure at the time of diagnosis.
All about FSGS, you can get a good answer kidney-support@hotmail.com this mailbox, you can always leave a message here, we will be in within 24 hours to give you a satisfactory answer.