Whether Salt Has to be Restricted in IgA Nephropathy

Whether salt has to be restricted in IgA Nephropathy depends on patient's illness condition. In general, if they have elevated blood pressure or swelling, salt intake will be limited.

Kidney disease patients, including IgA Nephropathy patients, reduce salt intake just because salt is high in sodium. And they are asked to restrict salt intake because they need to limit sodium intake. It is known to all that kidneys have function to filter blood. But side from this function, it also takes charge of keeping balance of electrolyte. In our daily life, sodium level is kept in a stable level, and when we ingest too much sodium, the excessive one will be expelled through kidney. However, for IgA Nephropathy patients, their kidneys can not bear too much burden, it is beneficial for them to reduce salt intake.

With impaired kidney function, excessive sodium build up in the blood, which will cause many harms:

1. High levels of sodium will cause retention of fluids in the body.

In many kidney disease cases, swelling or edema usually occurs as the result of retention of fluids in the body. Therefore, if IgA Nephropathy patients have swelling, they need to limit salt intake.

2. Too much salt intake will worsen high blood pressure.

We need to drink lots of water when we eat something salty. These fluids increase solute in the blood and increase impact to vascular wall. Therefore, for patients with high blood pressure, limiting salt intake is necessary.

3. High levels of sodium accelerate kidney disease.

Kidneys need to expel excessive sodium, which means there will be extra renal burden. Under such a condition, new kidney damages are caused more easily.

In many cases of IgA Nephropathy, they have no swelling and high blood pressure. In such a case, they need not to limit salt intake. But for these with edema and elevated blood pressure, keeping far away from foods like bacon, pickles and salted eggs is very necessary.