Blood in urine

One of the first signs of GN in adults and children can be blood in your urine (pee). This is called hematuria. Hematuria can be:

• Microscopic: You cannot see the blood, and only a urine test can find it.
• Macroscopic: You can see the blood. In GN, urine may look red or tea-coloured.

Although hematuria can happen when you have GN, it can also be related to exercise, infection, problems with your urinary tract (the part of your body that makes urine and carries it out), or passing a kidney stone. Reddish or pink-coloured urine can also be caused by something you ate (like beets or food colouring), some medicines (like rifampicin or nitrofurantoin), or having your menstrual period. Your healthcare provider will do tests to find out if the blood in your urine is related to GN.

Sometimes hematuria is a sign of a more serious kidney problem called nephritic syndrome, which is explained below.

Protein in urine

Another sign of GN for adults and children is having more protein than normal in urine (normally there’s very little). This is called proteinuria. Most people don’t have symptoms of proteinuria, but it could make your urine look frothy.

Although proteinuria can happen when you have GN, it can also be related to exercise or infection. Your healthcare provider will do tests to find out if the extra protein in your urine is related to GN.

If the kidneys leak a lot of protein, it can cause other serious problems like nephrotic syndrome, which is explained below.

Nephritic syndrome

Nephritic syndrome is a group of symptoms that can happen when kidney filters leak lots of blood (and often excess protein) into urine. You or your child might need a medical test to find some of these symptoms, including:

• blood in the urine (hematuria)
• more protein in the urine than normal (proteinuria)
• higher creatinine in the blood (shows the kidneys aren’t working well)
• high blood pressure (hypertension) Usually there are no symptoms, but in severe cases hypertension can cause headaches, chest pain, shortness of breath, or vision problems. Children may have other symptoms. These may include not feeling hungry (poor appetite), feeling cranky and tired, or peeing less than usual. Talk to your healthcare provider about how your child is feeling to help you determine if other symptoms are related to GN.

Nephrotic syndrome

Nephrotic syndrome is a group of symptoms that can happen when kidney filters leak lots of protein into urine. You or your child might need a medical test to find some of these symptoms, including:

• a lot of protein in the urine (proteinuria) This can make urine look frothy.
• low levels of blood protein (hypoalbuminemia)
• swelling (edema) This happens when your body holds on to extra salt and water. You may notice swelling in the face, eyes, belly, hands, and feet, and it can cause weight gain.
• high cholesterol

It’s less common for children to have these symptoms and children may have other symptoms. These may include not feeling hungry (poor appetite), feeling cranky and tired, or peeing less than usual. Talk to your healthcare provider about how your child is feeling to help you determine if other symptoms are related to GN.