Membranous Nephropathy and Receiving Social Security Disability
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Your kidneys are located in your abdomen toward the back. Normally, one is situated on each side of your spine.
Your kidneys have a critical part to play in your body functioning like it should. Your kidneys filter your blood and remove waste products. They also control your blood pressure, balance the levels of electrolytes in your body and stimulate the production of red blood cells.
Membranous nephropathy is a slowly progressive kidney disease. It is one of the more common types of nephrotic syndrome.
Membranous nephropathy is a kidney disorder that is characterized by inflammation and changes of the glomerulus and glomerular basement membrane inside your kidney that help filter fluids and waste. The glomeruli are the inner structures of your kidney that include small capillaries that are surrounded by membranes through which your blood is filtered to become urine. This inflammation results in difficulties with your kidneys working like they should.
Membranous nephropathy is most common in people between the ages of 30 and 50. It develops in approximately 2 out of every 10,000 people in the United States. About 40% of people with membranous nephropathy develop end-stage renal (kidney) failure after 10 years.
There are two kinds of membranous nephropathy. About 80 to 85% are considered to be primary membranous nephropathy. This means the cause of the disorder is not known (idiopathic). The other type is referred to as secondary membranous nephropathy.
Membranous nephropathy results from thickening of part of the glomerular basement membrane. As just mentioned, why this occurs is not known with the primary kind of this disorder. The secondary form of membranous nephropathy may result from:
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- Certain medications, such as captopril and NSAIDs
- Malignant tumors, especially carcinoma of the lung and colon and melanoma
- Autoimmune conditions like lupus
- Inorganic salts
- Infections like hepatitis B, syphilis and malaria.
- A foamy appearance to your urine
- Edema (swelling) in any part of your body
- Poor appetite
- Excessive urination, especially at night
- Unintended weight gain
- High blood pressure.
