7 Types of Nephrotic Syndrome Complications
Nephrotic Syndrome is a chronic disease affecting the vital organ such as the kidney, it can have long term complications, which can briefly be described as:
01 Less proteins in the blood (hypoproteinemia): Constant and prolonged loss of proteins leads to low levels of proteins in the blood, which in turn lead to lowered resistance, making one prone to not only various infections but also many metabolic complications.
02 Infections: Recurrent infections occur in the case of Nephrotic syndrome due to protein and immunoglobulin loss. One becomes prone to various bacterial and viral infections, which include streptococcal, and staphylococcal infections. Retention of fluid becomes a growth medium for various organisms. White blood cells have a reduced capacity to fight against bacteria.
03 High blood pressure (hypertension): Due to the loss of low levels of proteins, there is fluid retention in the body; which leads to high blood pressure. High blood pressure can hamper kidney functions.
04 Steroid (cortisone) dependency: Dependency on and resistance to cortisone, which occurs in many cases, should be considered a complication of the disease/treatment. Some complications arise due to the use of immunosuppressive medicines, which are a. adverse effects of cortisone or cyclosporine b. infections due to suppressed immunity c. dependency on immunosuppressive medicines.
05 Hyperlipidemia: Low levels of proteins (hypoproteinemia) lead to low serum oncotic pressure, which in turn leads to increased lipids in the blood, called Hyperlipidemia, which is a part of Nephrotic Syndrome; sometimes appears as a complication. Increased levels of lipids (fats) get deposited on the blood vessels leading to the condition called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis, in turn, leads to high blood pressure.
06 Hypocalcemia: Low levels of calcium in the blood called Hypocalcemia, occurs due to low proteins in the blood. Low calcium, in turn, leads to weak bones and bony abnormalities. The use of cortisone (steroid) again adds to the loss of calcium and more hypocalcemia.
07 Hypercoagulability or hyper-clotting: Due to the loss of anti-clotting factors such as antithrombin III and plasminogen, blood loses its capacity to remain fluid. This can lead to the formation of abnormal clots in the blood and in different organs such as veins. Such clots may migrate to other parts such as the lungs and may lead to what is called pulmonary embolism, which is a serious condition.
It must be noted that all of the above complications may not occur in all the patents.