Common Symptoms Of IgA Nephropathy

IgA nephropathy is a common autoimmune kidney disease which affects the small tubes in the kidneys called the glomeruli.

IgA nephropathy usually doesn't cause symptoms in the early stages. However, with the development of your illness condition, many symptoms will occur. Here we have put together a list of common signs and symptoms of IgA Nephropathy.
The most common symptoms of IgA Nephropathy include:
Fatigue
fatigue is one of the most common symptoms affecting patients with IgA nephropathy. The fatigue is described as overwhelming and sometimes is associated with a sore throat, headache or slight fever.
Hematuria
Hematuria is the presence of blood in the urine.The urine is darker than normal because of the red blood cells in the urine. A strong smell might accompany the dark urine. The hematuria is not constant and occurs only during an active episode of the disease.
Proteinuria
Proteinuria is the presence of large amounts of protein in the urine. According to IgA Nephropathy Support Network (IgASN), proteinura with accompanying hematuria are the two most common symptoms of IgA nephropathy. The proteinuria is caused by destruction of a part of the kidney.
The kidney usually filters out protein from the urine, but IgA Nephropathy damages the kidney and prevents it from performing this function. Proteinuria sometimes can be evident when a patient notices that his urine is more foamy than normal, due to the presence of protein in the urine. The amount of excess protein is measured during a urinalysis and is considered high if the protein level is more than 150 mg a day.
Flank Pain
Pain in the back or side regions also has been linked to IgA nephropathy. IgASN states that the pain can range from a mild backache to unbearable shooting pain that prevents the patient from walking.
Abdominal Pain
People with Berger's disease often experience bouts of excruciating abdominal pain that can mimic appendicitis. The pain can be in the middle of the abdomen or localize to the right lower quadrant.

The above are common symptoms of IgA Nephropathy. However, it does not mean all people with this disease will experience all these symptoms. These symptoms should be controlled timely, otherwise it will progress to end stage renal disease.