Is IgA nephropathy a terminal illness?
Some people leak blood in their urine without developing problems, some eventually achieve complete remission and others develop end-stage kidney failure. No cure exists for IgA nephropathy, but certain medications can slow its course.
How serious is IgA nephropathy?
IgA nephropathy is a chronic kidney disease. It progresses over 10 to 20 years, and it can lead to end-stage renal disease.
How can I slow down my IgA nephropathy?
Eat less protein. Reducing the amount of protein you eat and taking steps to decrease your cholesterol levels may help slow the progression of IgA nephropathy and protect your kidneys.
How do I get rid of IgA nephropathy?
There’s no cure for IgA nephropathy and no sure way of knowing what course your disease will take. Some people need only monitoring to determine whether the disease is getting worse. For others, a number of medications can slow disease progress and help manage symptoms.
What is IgA nephropathy (Bergers disease)?
IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger’s disease, is a kidney disease that occurs when IgA deposits build up in the kidneys, causing inflammation that damages kidney tissues.
How does IgA nephropathy lead to end stage kidney disease?
Eventually, IgA nephropathy can lead to end-stage kidney disease, sometimes called ESRD, which means the kidneys no longer work well enough to keep a person healthy. When a person’s kidneys fail, he or she needs a transplant or blood-filtering treatments called dialysis.
What dietary changes are recommended for people with IgA nephropathy?
Health care providers may recommend that people with kidney disease, such as IgA nephropathy, make dietary changes such as limiting dietary sodium, often from salt, to help reduce edema and lower blood pressure decreasing liquid intake to help reduce edema and lower blood pressure
Can IgA nephropathy be diagnosed with a blood test?
Currently, health care providers do not use blood or urine tests as reliable ways to diagnose IgA nephropathy; therefore, the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy requires a kidney biopsy. A kidney biopsy is a procedure that involves taking a small piece of kidney tissue for examination with a microscope.