If you’ve been diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, you may feel many different emotions. It is a chronic disease that occurs when kidney glomeruli get damaged and aren’t able to filter the blood, which leads to too much protein leaking into the urine. However, you can manage this condition with treatment and lifestyle changes. Learn urologist-recommended support tips to manage nephrotic syndrome in this article. If you want to know more about urological health, visit us at Doral Health and Wellness Urology Center and consult with the best nephrologists and urologists in East New York.

How do I deal with a diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome?

If you are diagnosed with moderate or severe nephrotic syndrome, then it makes a big impact on your life, and you may feel your choices and freedom are limited. On the other hand, you may be relieved that you have a diagnosis that allows you to find out why you are feeling unwell and can discuss treatment options with your doctor. You may feel overwhelmed with all the information you will get, especially when the diagnosis is unexpected. You need to understand your feelings to take care of yourself and identify what type of support you need. There’s no set time frame for this, so you can take as much time as you need to process everything. You may not need to make any big changes right away. Not everyone who is diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome needs to get many medicines or develop severe kidney disease. Your kidney team will talk with you about your treatment options and give time to think about what the diagnosis means for you, your family, and your lifestyle.

The emotional journey

When you come to terms with your diagnosis you feel like you’re on an emotional roller coaster, which contains ups and downs and someday you may feel like you’re going backwards. Everyone’s journey is different, but you may reach a state of full acceptance of your diagnosis once you overcome your different emotions, which is natural. You can take as much time as you need in each stage.

The physical journey

When you come to terms with a nephrotic syndrome diagnosis, you may experience physical side effects as well. It may include:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Appetite loss
• Lack of energy
• Low mood
• Anxiety

It is essential to talk with your doctor if you’re affected by any of these issues. Feeling stressed after receiving a life-changing diagnosis is normal. You need to learn how you can cope with stress that will make a big impact on all areas of your life.

How does nephrotic syndrome affect my body?

Nephrotic syndrome occurs when glomeruli (small blood vessels of the kidney that filter blood) get damaged, and your kidneys start leaking too much protein into the urine, which causes many effects on your body, including:

• Proteinuria (this means too much protein in your urine).
• Hypoalbuminemia (low levels of protein in the blood).
• Edema (swelling in certain body parts, especially in the hands, feet, and around the eyes).
• Hyperlipidemia (increased cholesterol levels in the blood).
• Increased risk of infection (nephrotic syndrome makes the body leak antibodies that can fight infections in the urine, which makes people with nephrotic syndrome more prone to getting infections).
• Thrombosis (a severe condition occurring when blood clots happen, especially in the veins that drain blood from the kidneys).
• Nutritional deficiencies (Loss of nutrients from the body through urine).
• Bone loss (Calcium is lost from bones which leads to osteoporosis).
• Brittle nails and hair (Hair and nails may become brittle and even some hair may fall out).

Complications

Nephrotic syndrome can lead to many complications if not managed properly, including:

• Acute kidney injury: Your kidney suddenly stops functioning properly.
• Anemia: Your body doesn’t have enough healthy blood cells to carry oxygen to your body’s organs.
• Coronary artery disease: This occurs when plaque buildup takes place in the arteries that supply blood to your heart.
• High blood pressure (hypertension): The blood flow pressure increases and travels through blood vessels with greater force than usual.
• Hypothyroidism: Your thyroid gland is not able to produce enough thyroid hormone into your bloodstream.

Support strategies

When you’re living with nephrotic syndrome, several methods can support your treatment and improve your health, including:

1. Rehabilitation:

Living with nephrotic syndrome can be exhausting, which makes you feel weak or tired all the time. To overcome this, rehabilitation is a good way to recover and restore your body’s functions. You can get a referral for a physiatrist, who specializes in rehabilitation medicine and creates a suitable rehabilitation plan for you. You can also hire a dietitian to address chronic conditions such as diabetes or decrease the risk of kidney disease. If you have neuropathy, you may prescribe medication to relieve pain. Mainly it focuses on improving your strength and endurance and relieving symptoms.

2. Blood testing:

Your doctor may also recommend checking your kidney function by testing the blood for waste product levels. The doctor wants to determine the glomerular filtration rate, which helps to ensure how well the kidneys are filtering blood. The doctor also tests blood for anemia, a common deficiency of red blood cells during nephrotic syndrome.

3. Managing heart health:

Heart disease is a common complication in nephrotic syndrome patients. That’s why doctors may recommend taking certain steps to improve your heart health.

For instance, if your blood test shows high levels of cholesterol in the blood, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes or prescribe medication to improve your cholesterol levels to lower the risk of coronary artery disease.

Lifestyle changes may include eating a heart-healthy diet with low saturated fats or high fiber by adding many fresh fruits and vegetables. Your doctor may also recommend regular exercise to stay healthy.

4. Psychological support:

Living with a chronic illness may lead to depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties that may take a major toll on your mental well-being. You can ask your doctor for a referral to psychologists for counseling.

5. Integrative therapies:

These therapies include massage or acupuncture, which can be helpful to lower your stress levels when you live with nephrotic syndrome.

Managing nephrotic syndrome is not difficult but it can take a toll on your body. You can overcome those emotional and physical symptoms with the above-mentioned support tips with your treatment and lifestyle changes to improve your life quality.

If you need help with nephrotic syndrome, visit our urology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!!!!

At Doral Health and Wellness Urology Center, our team of urologists will work with you in managing your disease and your quality of life. We also offer services, such as renal and bladder ultrasound. To schedule an appointment, please visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at https://www.urologistbrooklyn.com/.