Patient's question:
Check which department to visit for nephritis? My mother-in-law hasn't been feeling well in her kidneys recently. She keeps saying she has nephritis and plans to go for a thorough check-up next week.Doctor's answer:
Kidney disease is a condition related to nephrology, which is triggered by issues with the immune system. Due to the immune system producing antibodies and antibody complexes, antibodies directly cause damage to the kidneys, while antibody complexes can deposit on the glomerular basement membrane, leading to recurrent episodes of the disease. In cases of acute nephritis, which is caused by bacterial infections, patients can gradually recover normal health through the use of antibiotics, immunotherapy, or dialysis. However, chronic nephritis generally cannot be cured, and treatment is primarily focused on alleviating symptoms. Ultimately, it can progress to kidney failure.