Of course, clinical blood and urine tests today are the most common laboratory tests that patients take as prescribed by the doctor during the clinical examination or on their own initiative. Modern patients are overwhelmingly aware of the limits of the norm in the indicators defined in clinical analyzes. And if it comes to urine testing, then a person, first of all, looks in the form of analysis on the graphs of sugar (glucose) and protein in the urine. The norm adopted by the medical community is unambiguous - only trace (very small) concentrations of these substances can be detected during the study.
Detection of protein in the urine - beware
Of course, if any pathological impurities are found, it is necessary, if possible, to consult a doctor and retake the clinical analysis. The same rule applies to cases when protein is found in the urine. The norm (physiological value) is detected quite often - this can be due to excessive consumption of food products that are rich in protein, and with fairly intense physical exertion, and in violation of hygiene rules during the collection of biological material (urine) and its transportation.
It is worthwhile to beware and consult a doctor when the protein in the urine, the norm of which is indicated on the analysis form of any laboratory, is found in several analyzes performed in different institutions. The cause of the appearance of albumin in the urine may be the intake of certain medications, heart and vascular disease, diseases of any part of the urinary system - from the renal vessels and glomeruli of the kidneys to the urethra. In this case, you need to consult a qualified urologist or nephrologist, if not, a general practitioner or surgeon. Specialists will be able to prescribe a program of laboratory tests and instrumental examinations to clarify the diagnosis and selection of treatment.
Protein in the urine during pregnancy - a doctor's consultation is required
The exact opposite situation occurs if protein is found in the urine during pregnancy. The norm remains the same as in other periods of a woman’s life, but the gestational age when this indicator appears is of great importance.
Early detection of proteinuria is particularly noteworthy. If the protein in the urine during pregnancy is detected when a woman is registered in the antenatal clinic, then it is necessary to find out the reason. Most often, such changes are determined in cases where the patient had problems with the kidneys and urinary organs before pregnancy. In addition, protein in the urine can be detected in severe toxicosis of the first half of pregnancy - frequent vomiting leads to a violation of the acid-base state of the body, and protein in the urine may appear. The norm in the analysis appears when the condition of the woman is normalized, such proteinuria disappears by 12-14 weeks.
The appearance of proteinuria immediately after the 20th week of pregnancy should alert the doctor - this symptom may be the first sign of threatening toxicosis (gestosis) in the second half of pregnancy. It is for the early detection of this dangerous complication that the expectant mother must pass a clinical analysis of urine before each scheduled examination with an obstetrician-gynecologist.
In those cases when the protein in the urine appears only after 33 weeks of pregnancy, and there are no other signs of gestosis, the most likely cause of this condition is the mechanical squeezing of the ureters by the growing uterus. In this case, the analysis of urine is normalized after a successful delivery, and no medical measures, except wearing an antenatal bandage, are required.