A bit more about IgAN
How do you explain IgAN when you meet someone new? It can be hard to put it in a few words, especially when you live with unpredictable symptoms. Here’s a quick reminder of what’s happening in our bodies.
What is IgAN?
Essentially, IgAN is a kidney disease. What happens is an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) builds up in the filters of the kidneys, causing inflammation and damage.1 The filters are called glomeruli, and they’re responsible for filtering excess water and waste from your blood.1 But when your glomeruli are damaged, your kidneys leak blood cells and proteins into your urine.1
It’s a bit like having a colander which lets out lots of the good stuff you need – like proteins and red blood cells – when really you just need a sieve to filter out the bad stuff, like toxic waste and excess water.
Listen to Professor Jonathan Barratt explain what IgAN is. Professor Barratt is a Nephrologist from Leicester in the UK, and has been treating people with IgAN for 30 years.
Dr Jonathan Barratt
United Kingdom
What causes IgAN?
Doctors don’t know exactly yet.1 Some think it’s an autoimmune disease because it’s the body’s own immune system that causes harm to the kidneys.2
IgAN can run in families, but it is very rare.1 In fact, anyone can develop it at any age. Yet it’s more likely to be detected in men from their teens up to late 30s.2,3 It’s also most common among Asian and caucasian people.2,3
At this time, like many chronic diseases, there’s no cure for IgAN.1,4 However, you can live a rich and full life – and complete or partial remission is possible.1,4
The truth is, scientists need to know more about IgAN, and they are working on it. By sharing our experiences here on IgAN Friends, we can all help grow our understanding of the condition – what it’s really like to live with IgAN. So, let’s get involved and start sharing our stories. We can help each other.
