Glomerulonephritis (say: gluh-MARE-you-low-ne-FRY-tis) is an
inflammation of the glomeruli, the parts of the filtering units
(nephrons) of the kidney that contain a network of capillaries
(tiny blood vessels). More to Know Kidneys filter the blood. The
main functional units of the kidney, where the filtering takes
place, are called nephrons. Each kidney has about a million
nephrons, and each nephron has one glomerulus (singular of
glomeruli). Glomerulonephritis damages the glomeruli, causing
symptoms such as blood in the urine, foamy urine, and swelling
(edema) around the face, eyes, ankles, legs, and abdomen. Keep
in Mind Some cases of glomerulonephritis get better on their
own. Others respond well to treatment, and most of the time, any
damage done to the kidneys heals completely. Only in rare cases
does glomerulonephritis cause long-term kidney problems. All A
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