Nepthritis refers to an inflammation of the kidneys. It is a serious condition and may be either
acute or chronic. A synonym for nephthritis is " Bright's disease, " for Bright (1789-1858)
described examples of many different diseases which can be included under the term.
This disease most often strikes during childhood or adolescence. It can become progressively
worse and result in death, if not treated properly in the initial stages. In the alternative , it may
subside into a chronic stage where the patient gets better but not too well.
Symptoms
The main
symptoms of acute
nepthritis are pain in the kidneys extending down to the
uterus,
fever, dull pain in the back and scanty and highly coloured urine. Often the urine may contain
blood, albumin and casts consisting of clumps of red and white cells, which come from damaged
kidneys. The patient suffers from puffiness in the face and swelling of the feet and ankles.
In the chronic stage of
nepthritis, which may drag on for many years, the patient passes large
amounts of albumin in the urine. Later there may be rise in blood pressure and the patient may
develop uraemia. There may be frequent urination, especially during night.
Causes
Nepthritis usually follows some streptococcus
infection of the throat or an attack of scarlet fever
or rheumatic fever. The underlying causes of
nepthritis are however, the same as for diseases of
the kidneys in general, namely wrong dietary habits, excessive drinking, the suppressive medical
treatment of former diseases, the habitual use of chemical agents of all kinds for the treatment of
indigestion and other stomach disorders and frequent use of aspirin and other painkillers.
Nutritional deficiencies can also lead to
nepthritis. The disease has been produced in many
species of animals by diets deficient in the B vitamin, choline. Animals lacking essential fatty
acids and magnesium also develop nephritis. When vitamin B6 and magnesium are under
supplied, the kidneys are further damaged by sharp crystals of oxalic acid combined with
calcium.
Nepthritis also occurs if vitamin E is deficient.
Treatment
The safest treatment for acute
nepthritis is fasting. By means of the fast, the toxins and systemic
impurities responsible for setting up of the inflammatory kidney conditions are removed rapidly.
The patient should resort to juice fasting for seven to ten days till the acute
symptoms subside.
Mostly vegetable juices such as carrot, celery and cucumber should be used during this period.
A warm water enema should be taken each day while fasting, to cleanse the bowels of the toxic
matter being thrown off by the self-cleansing process resulting from the fast.
After the juice fast, the patient may adopt an all-fruit diet for four to five days. Juicy fruits such as
apples, grapes, oranges, pears, peaches and pineapples should be taken during this period at
five-hourly intervals. After the all-fruit diet, the patient may adopt fruits and milk diet. In this
regimen, milk, preferably raw goat's milk , may be added to the fruit diet for further seven days.
The patient may thereafter gradually embark upon a well- balanced low protein vegetarian diet,
with emphasis on fresh fruits and raw and cooked vegetables.
In case of chronic
nepthritis a short juice fast for three days may be undertaken. Thereafter, a
week or 10 days may be spent on a restricted diet. In this regimen, oranges or orange juice may
be taken for breakfast. Lunch may consist of a salad of raw vegetables which are in season, and
dinner may consist of one or two vegetables, steamed in their own juices and a few nuts.
Thereafter, the patient may gradually adopt a well- balanced low protein vegetarian diet.
Further short juice fasts followed by a week on the restricted diet should be undertaken at
intervals of two or three months until such time as the kidney condition has shown signs of
normalisation.
The patient should avoid vegetables containing large quantities of oxalic acid such as spinach
and rhubarb. Chocolate and cocoa also contain oxalic acid and must not be used. Garlic,
asparagus, parsley, watercress, cucumber and celery are excellent vegetables. The best fruits
are papaya and bananas. Both have a healing effect on kidneys. A small amount of soured milk
and home- made cottage cheese can be included in the diet. All salt should be eliminated from
the diet. Five or six small meals should be taken in preference to a few large ones.
A glassful of carrot juice mixed with tablespoonful of honey and a teaspoonful of fresh lime juice
is a very effective home remedy for
nepthritis. It should be taken every day early in the morning
before breakfast.
Bananas are also valuable in
nepthritis because of their low protein and salt content and high
carbohydrates content. In this condition , a diet of bananas only should be taken for three or four
days, consuming eight to nine bananas a day.
Smoking and drinking ,where habitual, must be completely given up. Studies have shown that
smoking impairs kidney function. The patient should avoid white bread, sugar, cakes, pastries,
puddings, refined cereals, greasy, heavy or fried foods. He should also avoid tea, coffee, all
flesh foods, condiments, pickles, and sauces.
All measures should be adopted to relieve the kidneys of work by increasing elimination through
other channels. Hot Epsom salt bath should be taken every alternate day to induce elimination
through the skin as much as possible.
Fresh air and outdoor exercises will be of great benefit in all cases of
nepthritis and where
possible, the patient should have a walk for atleast three kilometers once or twice daily. The
sufferer from chronic
nepthritis should never exert himself when doing anything . He should
avoid all hurry and excitement. He should also avoid late hours.
If the above treatment is faithfully carried out, the patient of acute
nepthritis should soon be on
the way to recovery . Even in advanced cases of chronic
nepthritis, the sufferer's condition
should improve with this treatment.