What is Glomerulonephritis?
Glomerulonephritis is damage to the glomeruli. Glomeruli are the tiny structures within the kidney that filter blood.
The kidneys are bean-shaped organs located in the back just below the rib cage. Each kidney is about the size of a fist. The two kidneys filter blood, catch needed substances and return them to the circulation, and dispose of wastes in the urine. If the kidneys don’t filter properly, wastes build up in the blood.
There are two types of glomerulonephritis:
Acute glomerulonephritis begins suddenly.
Chronic glomerulonephritis develops gradually over several years.
In some cases, glomerulonephritis leads to kidney failure. Kidney failure is a severe kidney disease that must be treated with dialysis or kidney transplant.