Causes, symptoms and treatment of interstitial nephritis

Cases of interstitial nephritis are considered very common in modern medical practice. A similar disease is accompanied by inflammation of the intermediate tissues of the kidney. But unlike other nephritis, the lesion of interstitial tissues is not directly related to the activity of pathogenic microorganisms.

The main causes of interstitial nephritis

As already mentioned, such a disease is rarely associated with infections. In this case, the inflammatory process is autoimmune and represents an allergic reaction caused by taking a number of medications.

As early as the beginning of the twentieth century, it was noted that the inflammation of the tubules and the intermediate tissues of the kidney most often occurs in patients taking painkillers. In particular, potentially parenteral drugs include paracetamol and phenacetin. Approximately to the same result leads and long use of aspirin.

In addition, taking certain antibiotics can cause interstitial nephritis. To a group of such drugs you can include medicines "Ampicillin", "Penicillin". In some cases, the symptoms of an allergic reaction are observed with the use of diuretics and sulfonamides.

Symptoms of interstitial nephritis

Unfortunately, no one can be completely immune from such a disease, as it is often diagnosed in children as well as in adults and elderly patients. The first signs, as a rule, arise 2-3 days after the start of taking these or other drugs.

Acute interstitial nephritis begins with weakness, headaches and unpleasant pains in the lumbar region. Later, fever, aches and pain in the body. Patients complain of persistent drowsiness, fatigue. Along with this, there is nausea and loss of appetite. In some cases, inflammation of the kidneys is accompanied by the appearance of skin rashes, as well as joint pain.

Because of the inflammatory process and the defeat of the renal tubules, the excretory system can no longer perform its basic functions. Therefore, the disease is characterized by pain during urination, as well as hematuria. In especially severe cases, the daily amount of urine released decreases significantly up to anuria.

Chronic interstitial nephritis, as a rule, occurs against the background of a constant, daily intake of small doses of analgesics. This form of the disease can have a blurred clinical picture, which makes the diagnosis process more difficult.

Treatment of interstitial nephritis

In fact, the therapy in this case directly depends on the cause of the disease. Of course, first and foremost you need to identify allergenic drugs and stop taking them. And if you cancel antibiotics quite easily, then giving up pain medication can be much harder, especially if the patient has become addicted to medication. In this case, a consultation of a psychiatrist is necessary.

At the time of treatment, the patient is prescribed a diet based on food rich in vitamins and minerals. This will help repair damaged tissue and normalize the balance of electrolytes. In some cases, the administration of hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs is indicated.

It is worth noting that such an inflammatory process, especially in the absence of timely treatment, can lead to the development of renal failure. In such cases, hemodialysis is indicated, and sometimes kidney transplantation.