nephritis

Meaning

1. 1noununcountablemedical

   Inflammation of the kidneys, which can reduce how well they filter waste from the blood.

   Grammar: Usually no article: he was diagnosed with nephritis.

   Patterns

   • suffer from nephritis
   • nephritis caused by something

   The doctor suspected nephritis after the blood test showed kidney damage.

   Nephritis can follow an infection and needs prompt treatment.

   She was admitted to hospital with acute nephritis.

Common combinations

acute nephritis

Acute nephritis can develop suddenly after an infection.

chronic nephritis

Chronic nephritis may damage the kidneys over many years.

lupus nephritis

Lupus nephritis affects some people with lupus.

diagnosed with nephritis

The boy was diagnosed with nephritis at age ten.

treat nephritis

Doctors treat nephritis with medication and diet changes.

Synonyms and how they differ

kidney inflammation

This is the plain-language description, while nephritis is the formal medical name.

glomerulonephritis

Glomerulonephritis is a specific kind of nephritis affecting the kidney's filters, so it is narrower.

Bright's disease

Bright's disease is an old-fashioned name for kidney diseases like nephritis and is rarely used today.

Word family

nephritic adjective

relating to or affected by nephritis

nephrology noun

the medical study of kidneys

nephrologist noun

a doctor who specializes in kidney disease

pyelonephritis noun

a kidney infection affecting the pelvis of the kidney

Commonly confused: nephritis or neuritis?

Practice

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