Will IgA Nephropathy Cause Breathlessness

Will IgA Nephropathy cause breathlessness? If no, then why some patients complain this problem? Read on to find the answer.

The typical and the most commonly seen symptom of IgA Nephropathy is repeated hematuria which is diagnosed when there are excess red blood cell. In some cases, it also can accompanied with back pain, stomachache, muscle pain or low-grade fever. Seldom IgA Nephropathy patients have breahthlessness when illness stays in early stage. However, this does not mean there is no relationship between IgA kidney problem and breathlessness.

In early stage of IgA Nephropathy, only a small group of kidney tissues are injured. At that time, the residual kidney function is strong enough to maintain the normal life, so other internal organs are not affected easily. However, with the decline of kidney function, more and more toxins which should have been excreted build up in the blood and meanwhile, the secretion of EPO, an important substance for the production of red blood cell, decreases as well. All these factors can cause reduce of red blood cell and thus cause anemia. With renal anemia, IgA Nephropathy patients have breathlessness easily.

Additional, when IgA Nephropathy develops to kidney failure stage, fluid retention appears easily. Kidney has function of regulating fluid balance in body. When kidney failure is caused, lots of fluid accumulate in the body, thus leading to swelling. In early stage, swelling only appears in body parts with loose tissues. When it develops to a severe condition, fluid retention will spread to the whole body, including lung and heart. Breathlessness occurs when there is pulmonary edema or hydropericardium.

Lastly, for IgA Nephropathy patients who have breathlessness, they need to find out if it is related with their kidney problem. If yes, a comprehensive treatment for kidney is needed to alleviate breathlessness, and if no, a further test is needed to find out the real cause.