How it presents

The Foundation for IgA Nephropathy

How it presents

For some patients, IgAN first appears as an acute glomerulonephritis with macroscopic hematuria (visible blood in the urine). In this case patients are visibly sick enough to seek medical attention, and may exhibit any or all the symptoms of acute glomerulonephritis.

For others, especially adults, blood is first detected in the urine on a routine medical examination (often work or insurance-related). There are usually no visible symptoms, and the patient is totally unaware that anything is wrong. The blood in the urine is in the form of microscopic hematuria, which means that it isn't visible in the urine to the naked eye.

In both cases, protein in the urine may be discovered at the same time as the blood is found, or it may gradually appear as time goes by. The acute form is often accompanied by heavy proteinuria which may be treated with oral steroids. Protein in the urine is not visible as such, but unusually foamy urine is often a clue to its presence.

Although other kidney diseases may have similar symptoms, it is common to at least suspect IgAN when protein and blood are found in the urine (especially when occurring in conjunction with an upper respiratory infection.

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