Answer:
IgA nephropathy often presents with gross hematuria (visible blood in the urine), usually accompanying or following an upper respiratory or gastrointestinal infection. This can be seen as red or brown urine. Other patients may present with microscopic hematuria (blood in urine that's only visible under a microscope) or proteinuria (excess protein in urine) that is incidentally discovered on urine testing.
Initially, many individuals with IgA nephropathy may show no obvious symptoms (asymptomatic). As the disease progresses, signs of chronic kidney disease may develop, which include high blood pressure, swelling in the hands and feet (edema), and fatigue.
Without treatment, in some cases, IgA nephropathy can progress over many years to end-stage renal disease, which involves loss of kidney function requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant.