Leg swelling is a common symptom in people with lupus nephritis, as it will bring much inconvenience to patients’ life, it is necessary to learn about the causes and treatments.

Causes of leg swelling in lupus nephritis

After years of research and experience accumulation, experts in this field of our Shijiazhuang Hetaiheng Hospital have concluded the following causes:

Water-fluid retention Normally, kidneys can help excrete excess fluid and sodium out of the body. However, in lupus nephritis, the diseased kidneys fail to do this job properly. As a consequence, extra fluid and sodium will build up in the body. Under the effect of gravity, leg swelling can be firstly seen.

Loss of protein In lupus nephritis, as the filtering units(glomeruli) become inflamed and thickened, useful substances like protein will leak into urine easily. Under the effect of low plasma osmotic pressure, excess fluid will flow into the interstitial spaces, and that’s another cause of swelling in the leg.

In addition to the legs, other organs of the body can also be affected. For instance, ankles, eyelid, arms. In serious cases, pulmonary edema can also be seen.

Treatment options for leg swelling in lupus nephritis

■ By limiting the intake of salt and protein, leg swelling can alleviated to a certain degree. However, as the condition varies, the specific quantity should be different.

■ In clinical, doctors will prescribe patients with diuretics to discharge extra fluid and sodium, however, if used improperly, there can be some adverse effects.

■ To treat leg swelling radically, the most important step is to increase kidney function and repair the injured renal structures. Here, the combination of Blood Purification Technique and Immunotherapy are highly recommended. If you want to know more about this, please leave us message to renal-disease@hotmail.com. Then we will reply you back as early as possible.