Bright's Disease (Nephritis): Symptoms, Diagnosis & Detection

Bright's disease, or nephritis, an inflammation of the filtering units in the kidneys, can be so mild that it's virtually impossible to detect until you have routine labwork done. Other times, symptoms can be severe. To attempt detection:

Things You'll Need

• Blood Pressure Monitors

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Instructions

• 1

  Evaluate your urine: If you're urinating less often or pass less when you do, or if you notice bits of mucus, tissue, blood or a foul odor, this may indicate Bright's disease.

• 2

  Ask yourself if you've recently had strep throat, scarlet fever or impetigo. These diseases can precede an episode of Bright's disease.

• 3

  Check your blood pressure. Sudden hypertension can sometimes be an indication of kidney disease.

• 4

  Assess yourself for signs of swelling, especially of your face, hands, ankles and feet. This can be a sign of chronic Bright's disease.

• 5

  Have a routine urinalysis done. This simple test can detect the presence of sediment, red and white blood cells, protein, high levels of BUN and serum creatinine in your urine, all of which can suggest Bright's disease.

• 6

  Consent to a series of blood tests to detect subtle changes in your kidneys' metabolism and function.

• 7

  Be throughly examined by a board-certified physician. If you suspect you may have kidney disease, consider seeing a genitourinary specialist.