Kidney is the main organ to expel water from human body. Renal edema means that when kidney suffer from disease, water can not expel out but be retention in the body. Edema is the most common symptom of kidney disease, in mild cases edema will appear in eyelids and face, in severe cases anasarca, hydrothorax and ascites. The degree of edema is diverse, some patients don’t have visible edema, while some patients get anasarca, hydrothorax and ascites, which can increase the 10 kg of weight. Pitting edema is a common edema, which means you can see concave when use finger press the edema.
The causes of renal edema can be divided into two types: one is when glomerular filtration rate decline while renal tubular water-sodium retention is available, leading to water-sodium retention, at the moment, the capillary permeability of the whole body can be increased, leading to water retention in tissue space, which can be seen in nephritis. The other is low plasma protein due to proteinuria.
The characteristics of children's kidney disease are slow onset, languid, low spirits and anorexia. In general, the onset age of simple nephrotic syndrome tends to be younger, more in 2~7 years old, the onset age of nephritis is more than 7 years old, the rate of male and female getting nephritis is 4:1.
Edema is the most visible symptom in children's kidney disease, which originally appeared in face and eyelid, extending to whole body gradually, can lead to dyspnea, diarrhea and emesis.
Edema can be repeatedly attacked, may resolve spontaneously. The edema of nephritis is less obvious than simple nephrotic syndrome, even can not be perceived.
When parents suspect that their children have kidney disease, the examinations include blood routine, urine routine, renal B-ultrasonic, kidney function test should be taken for patient child, more details please refer to “Treatment for Kidney Disease Related Edema”
