IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger’s disease, occurs when immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies accumulate in the kidneys and cause damage. IgA nephropathy may not cause any symptoms for years or even decades, but certain changes can indicate that the disease is getting worse.
When the body encounters something that could make it sick, it will produce disease-fighting proteins called antibodies. But for people with IgA nephropathy, their body makes more IgA antibodies than it should. These extra IgA antibodies gather and clump up in the kidneys, which ends up blocking and damaging the glomeruli, the kidneys’ filtration system.
This kidney damage can cause changes to a person’s urine. People with IgA nephropathy might experience:
For many people with IgA nephropathy, the amount of blood in the urine is minuscule at first and isn’t visible. Healthcare providers often detect these urine changes during further testing.
However, these symptoms usually appear or become more obvious as the disease progresses.
The kidneys are responsible for filtering out waste and extra fluid from the blood. When the kidneys cannot function properly due to damage, fluid can build up in the body, leading to swelling.
As IgA nephropathy progresses and kidney function worsens, people may notice swelling in the hands, legs, ankles, belly, or feet. You may also notice that your face looks puffy when you wake up in the morning.
A common sign of kidney damage is fatigue. When the kidneys are damaged, they cannot effectively remove waste products from the blood. These waste products can build up in the blood over time, making people feel very tired or struggle to concentrate. Anemia, a condition where the body doesn’t have enough red blood cells, is another complication of kidney damage that can make people fatigued.
Some research suggests about 45% of people with IgA nephropathy experience fatigue.
Unexplained exhaustion could be a sign of a serious illness, so it is important to discuss it with your healthcare provider.
People with IgA nephropathy are at risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension). Damaged kidneys struggle to filter waste and extra fluid out of the bloodstream, so that fluid builds up and increases pressure inside the blood vessels.
Hypertension is dangerous for your heart health, but it also leads to further kidney damage (and subsequently, even higher blood pressure).
Hypertension usually does not cause symptoms, so it is important to regularly check your blood pressure if you have kidney disease.
In some cases, IgA nephropathy can cause so much damage that it leads to chronic kidney disease, or a progressive loss of kidney function over time.
About 20% of people with IgA nephropathy will end up developing kidney failure within 10 years of being diagnosed. Kidney failure occurs when the kidneys can no longer keep up with the body’s needs. This is a serious condition, and kidney transplants or dialysis (blood-filtering treatments) may be needed to treat it.
In addition to urine changes, swelling, fatigue, and hypertension, kidney failure can cause the following symptoms:
- Low back pain
- Blood in the stools
- Decreased appetite
- Metallic taste
- Nausea and vomiting
- Bruising
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion
- Seizures
IgA nephropathy may not cause symptoms for years. But as the disease continues to damage the kidneys, you may start to notice changes in urine and swelling.
Contact your healthcare provider if you develop any signs of IgA nephropathy or kidney damage.
A doctor will likely perform lab tests and review your symptoms to determine if you have IgA nephropathy. There’s no cure for the disease—however, you can manage symptoms and slow kidney damage with medications and lifestyle changes, which can include:
