Glomerulonephritis

Glomerulonephritis can be serious and may lead to long-term kidney damage if not treated promptly. Early evaluation and treatment are important to slow or prevent the progression of kidney disease.

In some mild cases, your kidneys may recover on their own.  

For many patients, the progression of glomerulonephritis can be slowed by lowering your blood pressure with medication and making changes to your diet.

Other treatments options may include:

• Steroids to decrease inflammation and scar tissue formation
• Diuretics (water pills) to help remove extra fluid from the body
• Immunosuppressive medications, including some chemotherapy drugs, to reduce immune system activity to prevent further kidney damage

Sometimes patients may need dialysis treatments to clean their blood while other therapies are being started. If kidney damage becomes severe and the kidneys can no longer perform their usual functions, long-term dialysis or kidney transplant may be needed. It’s crucial to establish care with a nephrologist promptly, as early intervention can improve kidney function and reduce the risk of disease progression.

For questions about your diagnosis, treatment options, or what these findings mean for your health, please speak with your nephrologist at your next visit or contact your kidney care team through MyChart. They can provide personalized guidance based on your specific condition.

U.S. News & World Reports has identified us as one of the top adult nephrology (kidney) care centers in the country.

Our collaborative approach brings a wide range of expertise and different perspectives to patient care, with specialists in cardiology, endocrinology, rheumatology, transplant surgery, and urology working together to develop the best treatments for each patient.

Because we’re an academic medical center, our physicians also lead important research studies, with significant grants from the National Institutes of Health and industry-sponsored clinical trials.