Symptoms of Glomerular Disease

The symptoms of glomerular disease vary from person to person,² with some people having no symptoms at all in the early stages.^1,2

When symptoms do occur, they might include:

A graphic icon of a white droplet with a smaller red droplet inside it to represent blood in urine.

Blood in your urine (haematuria)

One of the most common symptoms of glomerular disease is urine that’s either pink, tea- or cola-coloured.^1,2 However, if there are only traces of blood, they might not be visible.^1,2 This is called microhaematuria and can be detected through urine testing.²

A graphic icon of a white droplet with red circles around it to represent bubbles in urine.

Foamy urine (proteinuria)

Damaged glomeruli can also cause foamy urine when proteins don’t get filtered properly and leak into your urine.^1,2

A graphic icon of a limb with swelling in the middle.

Swelling (oedema)

The leakage of blood and protein in the urine may in turn make the body retain more water, causing swelling, usually of the ankles and feet.^1,2 This can be painful if the swelling is severe.³

Pain

There may be pain in the sides of your back, where the kidneys are located.² This area is called the flank.⁴

A graphic icon of a heart with a pressure dial inside it to represent high blood pressure.

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Your blood pressure might increase if your glomeruli can’t do their job properly.^1,2

Other symptoms

Certain types of glomerular disease can also lead to high cholesterol, low levels of protein in the blood and sometimes, a serious condition known as nephrotic syndrome.²

What is nephrotic syndrome?

Nephrotic syndrome is a group of symptoms associated with kidney damage such as large amounts of protein in your urine, low levels of protein in your blood, and oedema.^1,2

How symptoms progress

In the early stages, symptoms may not be obvious.¹ They tend to get worse over time.¹ In some cases, glomerular disease can lead to a decline in kidney function and possibly kidney failure.⁵

Bear in mind that having any of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a glomerular disease. You should always check with your doctor if you suspect glomerular disease. You can find advice to help you get the most out of your interactions with your doctor here.