Does Hematuria Mean IgA Nephropathy

We know that IgA Nephropathy patients often have the symptom of hematuria or blood in urine. Hematuria is the most obvious symptom of IgA Nephropathy and often seen in IgA Nephropathy patients. However, if someone has hematuria, we can say he or she must have IgA Nephropathy. Or we can say hematuria is 100 percent of IgA Nephropathy. With regard to this question, we will give the answer in the following.

Hematuria caused by IgA Nephropathy

If one person is diagnosed with kidney disease, he or she may often have the symptom of hematuria or blood in urine.

That is because when you have kidney disease, damages in the glomerular filtration membrane and the red blood cells and other large-molecular substances like protein can pass through the membrane and be released into urine. For this reason, hematuria is caused by your injured kidney function, which we may say hematuria meas you have experienced kidney disease.

In addition, there are still other causes that lead to hematuria or blood in urine.

A number of conditions can cause hematuria, including:

1. Bladder infection, also called acute cystitis, which usually causes burning or pain with urination.

2. Tumour: renal carcinoma, wilms’ tumour, carcinoma of the bladder, prostate cancer or urethral cancer.

3. Vigorous exercise or injury

4. Surgery: invasive procedures to the bladder or prostate.

5. Haematological: sickle cell disease, coagulation disorders, anticoagulation therapy.

6. Toxins: sulphonamides, cyclophosphamide, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Other causes may also lead to blood in urine, like genital bleeding, including child abuse; menstruation; Münchhausen's syndrome.

From the above, we know that hematuria may be caused by IgA Nephropathy, the injured kidney function. But it does mean all hematuria is caused by kidney disease and other causes may also cause blood in urine, such as inflammatory conditions of the urethra and prostate, benign prostatic hypertrophy and stone in the renal pelvis or ureter. So do not be frightened once you have hematuria. The first thing you should do is to do tests to check whether you have IgA Nephropathy and hematuria is caused by kidney disease.