When there is swelling in between the kidney tubules, the condition is interstitial nephritis. Filtering your blood and helping your body to get rid of waste products are the main functions of your kidneys. There is the reabsorbing of water and important organic substances from the filtered blood by the kidney tubules. These also secrete substances that are not necessary for your urine for removal from your body. There can be mild to severe symptoms when there is the swelling of these tubules. There are two types of interstitial nephritis, which are acute (sudden) and chronic (long term).
Symptoms
The following are a few symptoms of interstitial nephritis:
- Decrease or increase in the amount a person urinates
- Blood in the urine
- Fever
- Confusion
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Rash
- Retention of water in the body
- Swelling and gaining weight due to water retention
- Increase in blood pressure
It is a wise decision to consult a nephrologist in Agartala if you have these symptoms.
Causes
An allergic reaction is often responsible for acute interstitial nephritis (AIN). Bad reactions to drugs cause AIN in many cases. The following are some of these drugs:
- Antibiotics
- Proton pump inhibitors, which help in treating excess stomach acid
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), often used to give relief from pain
In older adults, allergic drug reactions are more serious. There is also a chance of permanent kidney damage.
Nonallergic interstitial nephritis happens due to:
- Low levels of potassium in the blood
- High levels of calcium in the blood
- Autoimmune disorders
- Some infections
The cases of acute interstitial nephritis are more in older adults due to their consumption of various medicines.
The risk of interstitial nephritis is high in people who:
- Have autoimmune diseases
- Excessively use over-the-counter medicines for pain relief
- Are suffering from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease of the lungs
Diagnosis Of Interstitial Nephritis
A kidney doctor in Agartala will check your medical history if he/she suspects that your kidneys are malfunctioning. He/she will also enquire about the medical problems of your family members. You need to inform the doctor about the following:
- The medicines you take
- How frequent you take those
- For how many days you are taking the medicines
The doctor will properly examine the heart and lungs. A common sign of kidney failure is the presence of fluid in your lungs. The doctor can detect it with the help of changes in the sound of breathing. Changes in your body weight and having high blood pressure also indicate kidney problems. The following blood tests help the doctor to evaluate the functioning of your kidney.
- Blood creatinine test
- Complete blood count
- Blood urea nitrogen test
- Blood gas test
Some other tests are also able to detect kidney problems. These include:
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Urinalysis
- Kidney biopsy
Treatment For Interstitial Nephritis
The cause of interstitial nephritis is the deciding factor in choosing its treatment option. A kidney specialist in Agartala may ask you to stop some particular medicines if he/she finds that the cause of acute interstitial nephritis is because of allergy to those medicines. If it is not the cause, then the doctor can prescribe anti-inflammatory medicines. If your kidneys get permanently damaged due to interstitial nephritis, you need to take your food without salt. This helps in reducing water retention and high blood pressure. The kidney function improves if your diet is low in protein. Dialysis or kidney transplant may be necessary in severe cases.