Is There Any Alternative Treatment for FSGS Aside Dialysis?

FSGS (Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis) is diagnosed through renal biopsy and it refers to a kidney condition in which some glomeruli are damaged partly. Many FSGS patients regard dialysis as their only treatment because FSGS has a high reoccurrence rate after kidney transplant. Actually, aside from dialysis and kidney transplant, FSGS patients can choose Immunotherapy as their natural remedy.

Immunotherapy, as an alternative treatment for FSGS, has great differences from dialysis. Well then, how does Immunotherapy differs from dialysis at all?

We know dialysis is a replacement for kidney failure and it treats kidney problem, including FSGS, through replacing failed kidney to clean blood. Our kidneys take charge of excretion of harmful substances produced by our body. However, once kidney function decreases because of FSGS, these harmful substances pile up in the blood, which is extremely threatening for our other organs. Therefore, to protect our other organs, we must discharge these substances. Dialysis is just such a method which can replace damaged kidney to excrete these substances, but unfortunately, dialysis can not repair kidney damages as well as as recover kidney function.

We say Immunotherapy is different from dialysis just because it can do something that dialysis can not do. Immunotherapy treats FSGS by means of activating damaged glomeruli as well as protecting healthy renal tissues from inflammatory reaction which is the direct cause of damaged glomeruli in FSGS.

In Immunotherapy, western medicines are firstly adopted to control symptoms of FSGS, the purpose of which is to stop these symptoms from worsening kidney damages. After that, immunosuppresive agents are applied to stop inflammatory reaction, the direct cause of glomerular damages. As long as inflammatory reaction is blocked, further kidney damages are avoided effective. These immunosuppressive agents are used temporarily, that is because long-term usage of hormone medicine always cause serious side effects. Generally speaking, when inflammatory reaction is blocked by these hormone medicines, Chinese medicines will be adopted to activate damaged glomeruli. As long as damaged glomeruli are activated and begin to work again, kidney function increases and consequently, reoccurrence of inflammatory reaction is avoided owing to increased kidney function. No inflammatory reaction, no further kidney damages and also no progression of FSGS.

While receiving Immunotherapy, FSGS patients still need to follow some dietary principles so as to make sure the treatment effects. Therefore, Immunotherapy is not a perfect treatment, although it has so many advantageous compared with dialysis.