|
‘Orthostatic Proteinuria’ means ‘Proteinuria due to upright position’. It
usually occurs in older children and teenagers and occurs because some proteins
get into the urine of the child when he or she is standing up or is in the
upright position and is quite active. These children generally have no kidney
damage but doctor can assess whether the condition is the harmless one by
checking 2 urine samples in separate containers - one collected in the morning
just after the child gets up (which should have no proteins) and the second
collected throughout the day (which can have small amount of proteins).
In case of orthostatic proteinuria, no treatment is needed and though, exercise
can let little protein in the urine, it won't hurt child's kidneys and you do
not need to restrict his or her activities. The doctor may confirm once again by
checking child's urine again after a few months to see whether the amount of
protein in the urine has gone down. If the amount remains the same or increases,
your child may be referred to a nephrologist or a kidney specialist who may
perform a kidney biopsy and treat the problem according to the results.
In case, the child has some kidney problem or swelling in the kidneys, it is
advisable to give less salt to the child to reduce the swelling. Proteins
passing into the urine cause inflammation in kidneys that can be controlled by
giving prescribed medicines to the child. The medicine is generally prescribed
at higher dose in the beginning and the dose reduces with time along with the
swelling in kidneys. However, the low dose for the child may have to be
continued for months or even years, according to the severity of the condition.
It is very important to follow doctor's instructions carefully and get regular
checkups done to treat this medical condition.
|