What Are The Symptoms Of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)?

FSGS produces scars within the kidneys, causing them to lose the ability to work. The symptoms are variable from case to case. Many patients have no symptoms. If you are a patient of FSGS, do you want to know the answer? Don’t worry, the following may help you greatly.

The main symptoms of FSGS generally include the following:

1. Foamy urine (from excess protein in the urine)

Under normal cases, there has no or just a little protein in the urine, which is because the filtration function of glomeruli can prevent the macromolecular proteins and proteins with negative charge getting through the filtration membrane. This filtration membrane of glomeruli just likes a griddle. For FSGS patients, the glomeruli has been damaged, the filtration function declines. Proteins that can not get through the filtration membrane previously can drip through now. however, if there is something wrong with kidney tubules or too much proteins exceed the reabsorption ability of kidney tubules, the protein will be excreted out of body with urine.

2. Edema

Because of loss of much proteins, people will have hypoalbuminemia. Swelling is associated with plasma osmotic pressure and the decreased kidney function. Swelling in parts of the body, most noticeable around the eyes, hands and feet.  According to statistics, about two-thirds of patients have serious swelling.

3. Blood urine

Blood urine appears when extra red blood cells leak into the urine from kidney. In normal case, wastes and nutritions are separated by blood flowing through kidney. However, for FSGS patients, due to damaged glomerular filtration membrane, their kidneys can not work normally, as a result, blood urine occurs when a lot of red blood cells appear in urine. According to statistics, nearly 50% patients show hematuresis and in general, microscopic hematuresis is more common.

4. Poor appetite

With the kidney function becoming lower and lower, more and more waste and toxins accumulate in the body, which will affect all kinds of systems of body. If the digestive absorption system is affected, people may have poor appetite.

The decreased kidney function is failed to produce enough EPO, and the toxins also can shorten the survival of red blood cells. So people may suffer from anemia, which can cause people feel fatigue and weak and do not feel liking eating anything.

5. Dizziness

This symptom occurs mainly due to the increased blood pressure, which can be caused by various reasons, including FSGS directly. If continuous rise of blood pressure fails to control properly, kidney failure occurs easily.

In all, symptoms of FSGS are usually attributed to urinary tract infections, but repeated infections are signs of FSGS and reflux nephropathy. Since FSGS is a genetic condition, there is a greater possibility of developing FSGS if parents have a history of reflux nephropathy.

Finally, the above are some typical symptoms of FSGS. Of course, if you have doubt that whether you are suffering from FSGS with a certain symptom, please contact us as soon as possible, we will reply you within 24 hours.