LUPUS NEPHRITIS

Helping You Manage Your Autoimmune Disease

What Is Lupus Nephritis?

Lupus nephritis is a type of kidney disease caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus). Lupus is an autoimmune disease—a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the body’s own cells and organs. Kidney disease caused by lupus may get worse over time and lead to kidney failure. If your kidneys fail, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to maintain your health.

If you have lupus, it is essential that you have a kidney specialist, contact Richmond Nephrology Associates for treatment.

Lupus nephritis
Lupus nephritis

How Common Is Lupus Nephritis?

Kidney damage is one of the more common health problems caused by lupus. In adults who have lupus, as many as 5 out of 10 will have kidney disease. In children who have lupus, 8 of 10 will have kidney disease.

If you have lupus, it is essential that you have a kidney specialist, contact Richmond Nephrology Associates for treatment.

Who Is More Likely To Develop Lupus Nephritis?

African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and Asian Americans are more likely to develop lupus than Caucasians. Lupus is more common in men than in women.

Symptoms Of Lupus Nephritis

The symptoms of lupus may include foamy urine and edema—swelling that occurs when your body has too much fluid, usually in the legs, feet, or ankles, and less often in the hands or face. You may also develop high blood pressure.

Kidney problems often start at the same time or shortly after lupus symptoms appear and can include:

  • Joint pain or swelling

  • Muscle pain

  • Fever with no known cause

  • A red rash, often on the face, across the nose and cheeks, sometimes called a butterfly rash because of its shape

How Do Doctors Treat Lupus Nephritis?

Lupus nephritis is treated with medicines that suppress your immune system, so it stops attacking and damaging your kidneys. The goals of treatment are to:

  • Reduce inflammation in your kidneys

  • Decrease immune system activity

  • Block your body’s immune cells from attacking the kidneys directly or making antibodies that attack the kidneys