Symptoms Of Acute Nephritis

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a common symptomatic indication of an individual affected by acute nephritis. The nephrons respond to hormones when the blood pressure becomes too high or too low. The nephrons do this by transporting sodium, which induces the transportation of fluids. When the blood pressure becomes too elevated, healthy functional nephrons increase the output of sodium and fluids through the urine. When salt and fluids are removed from the blood, the extracellular fluid volume decreases.

With less fluid taking up space in the blood vessels, the pressure on the blood vessel walls is then reduced. However, acute nephritis patients have nephrons that do not function well in response to hormones. This malfunction results in the kidneys retaining too much fluid and salt, which increases the extracellular fluid volume. The increased fluid volume causes an increase in blood volume, which boosts the venous blood return to the heart. This mechanism increases cardiac output from the heart, effectively raising the patient's blood pressure.

High Fever

Acute nephritis can cause patients to present with a high fever. This condition has numerous causes, and elevated body temperature is typically precipitated by that underlying cause. These causes can include streptococcal infections, hepatitis B or C, endocarditis, measles, mumps, mononucleosis, and numerous others. These infections are the result of a viral, fungal, or bacterial invasion to which the patient's immune system responds to abnormally. However, the initial response to the pathogen is a natural elevation in body temperature in an attempt to make the body less hospitable for the pathogen. The fever worsens when the nephrons in the kidneys become inflamed.

Additionally, acute nephritis can be caused by an abnormal reaction to certain medications or substances. The affected individual's immune system produces the same initial response of elevating the body's internal thermostat. This may be due to the body recognizing the medication as a harmful toxin and trying to destroy it with high temperatures. Along with a fever, the abnormal response of the immune system includes inappropriately attacking the nephrons, resulting in nephritis.