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Showing posts with the label IgA Nephropathy

Hypertension- the silent killer

Unfortunately, I have hypertension. It is a consequence of the kidney ailment which I found out I had in 2003 through a kidney biopsy . Find out more about hypertension . Hypertension is a condition where blood pressure is more than 110/80 which is what is considered as normal. Following dozens of medical and laboratory examinations I went through, my nephrologist diagnosed that I had IgA Nephropathy .

What is IgA Nephropathy?

According to my nephrologist, this is what I had initially IgA Nephropathy "IgA nephropathy is a kidney disorder caused by deposits of the protein immunoglobulin A (IgA) inside the glomeruli (filters) within the kidney. These glomeruli (the singular form is glomerulus) normally filter wastes and excess water from the blood and send them to the bladder as urine. The IgA protein prevents this filtering process, leading to blood and protein in the urine and swelling in the hands and feet. This chronic kidney disease may progress over a period of 10 to 20 years. If this disorder leads to end-stage renal disease, the patient must go on dialysis or receive a kidney transplant. The IgA protein, an antibody, is a normal part of the body's immune system, the system that protects against disease. It is not known what causes IgA deposits in the glomeruli. But, since IgA nephropathy may run in families, genetic factors probably contribute to the disease. Kidney disease usually is incurab