Alport's syndrome is a rare genetic disease that causes progressive damage to the small blood vessels that are in the kidney's glomeruli, preventing the organ from being able to filter the blood correctly and showing symptoms such as blood in the urine and increased amount of protein in the blood test. urine.
In addition to affecting the kidneys, this syndrome can also cause problems in hearing or seeing, as it prevents the production of a protein important for the functioning of the eyes and ears.
Alport's syndrome has no cure, but treatment helps to relieve symptoms and even delay the development of the disease, preventing kidney function from being affected.
Main symptoms
The most common symptoms of Alport's syndrome include:
- Blood in the urine; High blood pressure; Swelling of the legs, ankles, feet and face.
In addition, there are also cases in which hearing and vision are affected by the disease, causing difficulty in hearing and seeing.
If precautions are not taken, the disease can progress to chronic kidney failure and require dialysis or kidney transplantation.
What causes the syndrome
Alport's syndrome is caused by changes in the genes that contain instructions for the production of a protein known as type IV collagen. This type of collagen is part of the kidney glomeruli and, therefore, when it is not present, the blood vessels in these regions suffer injuries and heal, impairing kidney function.
Likewise, this collagen is also present in the ears and eyes and, therefore, changes in these organs may also appear over time.
How to confirm the diagnosis
There is no specific test to diagnose Alport's syndrome, so your doctor may order several tests, such as a urine test, blood tests or kidney biopsy to identify if there are any changes that may be causing the syndrome.
How the treatment is done
The treatment for Alport's syndrome is done with the aim of relieving symptoms, since there is no specific form of treatment. Thus, it is very common to use medicines for high blood pressure and diuretics, in order to control blood pressure and prevent the worsening of kidney injuries.
In addition, it is also recommended to maintain a low-salt diet to prevent excessive kidney function. Here's how to maintain a diet of this type.
In the most severe cases, in which the kidney is very affected and there is no improvement in symptoms, it may be necessary to start dialysis or have a kidney transplant.
