What does it mean - increased protein in the urine? This is a common question. We will understand it in more detail.
Urinalysis is considered a traditional research method, which is often prescribed even for a healthy person, for example, a woman during pregnancy. In some situations, the presence of protein in the urine is not a cause for concern, but a specialist should draw a similar conclusion. Below we will consider a situation in which an increased protein content in the urine is not considered normal. We will also find out when this is a cause for concern. Sometimes patients themselves can understand why an increased protein in the urine is detected and whether an alarm should be raised about this.
Protein in urine
In a reference analysis of urine, there should be no protein at all. Quite often, you can find such an indicator in the form of a urine test, as 0.033 g / l. This is called protein traces, and this figure represents the boundary between the deviation and the norm.
Most often, the appearance of traces of protein is due to physiological factors. This may be a violation of the regime and quality of nutrition, insufficient hygiene during the collection of urine, etc. In this case, as a rule, a second analysis is prescribed.
What is the name of this phenomenon?
If an increased protein is detected in the urine, then this phenomenon is called proteinuria in medical practice. It should also be borne in mind that simply a general urinalysis for accurate diagnosis is not enough, and additional research is necessary, for example, on the amount of protein in the fluid collected per day. A normal indicator of the daily protein level is considered to be 150 mg / day.
Often there is an increased protein in the urine of a child.
There are several stages in the development of proteinuria. They are determined by the amount of protein that is found in daily urine:
- An easy stage in which protein loss is less than 1 g / day.
- Moderate stage, protein indicators are in the range of 1-3 g / day.
- Severe stage, when more than 3 g / day is excreted in the urine.
Elevated protein in urine is less common in men than in women.
Direction for submission of analysis
The vast majority of people come to a specialist at a time when there are health problems. The standard directions issued by the doctor in this case are a general analysis of blood and urine. In addition, a referral for research is issued in the following cases:
- Women during pregnancy. At each visit to the gynecologist, the woman passes a general urine test. This measure allows you to analyze how the kidneys cope with the new load. Increased protein in the urine during pregnancy is very common.
- Preventive examination.
- Pathologies of the genitourinary system that require regular delivery of urine for analysis to monitor the patient's condition.
There are very few who go on their urine for research on their own. However, regular testing can prevent the development of many diseases and identify them at an early stage, which will facilitate further diagnosis and treatment. The causes of increased urinary protein are presented below.
Proper urine collection
Many believe that this is a normal process that does not require the implementation of any recommendations and rules. However, this is a fairly common misconception. Often, it is incorrect collection of urine that leads to the fact that the analysis shows an increased protein. To avoid this, the following rules must be observed:
- For collection for general analysis, only morning, concentrated urine is suitable.
- Pharmacies sell special sterile jars for collecting tests.
- Before collecting urine, the child should be washed well or thoroughly washed.
- The first few milliliters of urine do not need to be collected, they may contain discharge.
- The maximum analysis delivery time to the clinic is two hours. Otherwise, the results may be incorrect and false.
Each person at least once in his life passed urine for analysis, and this is recommended to be done regularly, without waiting for diseases. Decoding of the result should be done only by a doctor. Independent conclusions about the indications may be incorrect, in addition, in certain circumstances, increased protein in the urine is considered acceptable.
Causes of proteinuria
Factors that trigger proteinuria can be both harmless and hazardous to health. However, even regular detection of traces of protein indicates abnormalities that may be associated with kidney function. In a woman, such deviations in the analysis quite often can provoke various physiological causes.
These prerequisites may include:
- Improper nutrition.
- Intense physical activity.
- Stressful situations.
- Hypothermia.
- Long sunbathing, tanning.
- Late pregnancy.
- Failure to comply with personal hygiene during urine collection, or the presence of menstruation.
- Work requiring prolonged upright position, which provokes stagnation.
- Physiotherapy, contrast shower.
- Too active palpation of the kidneys upon examination by a specialist.
If an increased protein in the urine provoked one of the above factors, then the urine content normalizes immediately after eliminating the cause. However, a physiological effect, especially a long one, can lead to the appearance of pathological processes and a significant loss of proteins with the excreted fluid.
Elevated protein in the urine during pregnancy often means normal. It is allowed to increase the level to 0.002 g / l. In the last stages of pregnancy, doctors may exceed 1033 g / l, since the load on the kidneys is extremely high. With 3g / l or more, it is most likely about serious pathologies.
Possible problems
There are a number of abnormalities in which there is an increase in the level of protein in the urine. These include:
- Various diseases of the urinary system. This can be prostatitis, cystitis, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, urolithiasis, kidney injury, kidney tuberculosis, etc.
- Infectious diseases associated with fever, such as flu and pneumonia.
- Allergic reactions occurring in severe form.
- High blood pressure.
- Overweight and diabetes.
- Intoxication of the body.
- Appendicitis. In this case, proteinuria is found in combination with blood leukocytosis.
- Adverse effects on the body when taking certain drugs. It occurs, for example, against the background of cancer therapy with drugs from the group of cytostatics.
- Such a systemic disease as lupus erythematosus.
- Malignant neoplasms such as myeloma, leukemia, tumors in the kidneys and bladder.
Increased protein in the urine of a child means the development of serious diseases such as:
- pyelonephritis;
- urolithiasis;
- glomerulonephritis;
- leukemia;
- diabetes mellitus;
- bone tissue pathologies;
- systemic diseases of the connective tissue (lupus erythematosus);
- malignant tumors of the lungs, kidneys, intestines.
With malnutrition
To find out the real reason for the development of proteinuria and the appointment of the correct treatment regimen, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of a false test result. In addition to following the rules of hygiene when collecting urine, you should also pay attention to nutrition a few days before collecting material for analysis. A number of foods can lead to an increase in protein in the urine. In particular, these products are:
- Overly salty food. Quite often, salted herring causes protein in the analysis of the urine of a pregnant woman.
- Eating plenty of sweets.
- Spicy foods that irritate the kidneys.
- Marinades and pickles with vinegar.
- A large amount of protein-rich foods, such as fish, meat, milk, eggs.
- Alcoholic beverages, including beer.
- A large amount of mineral water.
Fluid deficiency
Inadequate fluid intake can also lead to proteinuria, as well as abuse of vitamin C. Sometimes, regular intake of rose hips can irritate the kidney parenchyma, cause an exacerbation of kidney disease and affect urine tests.
Some drugs can also cause kidney irritation. Such drugs are Cephalosporin, Aspirin, Polymyxin, Oxacillin, Streptomycin, and drugs that include lithium. Such drugs should be discontinued before taking the test.
Symptoms of pathologies
As a rule, a slight increase in the protein content in the urine does not appear externally. Only if proteinuria is very pronounced and has a long course, can this affect the patient's state of health. Women in this case feel the following symptoms:
- Swelling, indicating a loss of protein.
- An increase in blood pressure, which indicates the development of a nephrological disease.
- Loss of appetite, general weakness.
- Painful muscles, regular cramps.
- Elevated body temperature.
Visually, you can also observe changes in the urine, for example:
- The cloudy color and the presence of a white precipitate indicates an increased protein and white blood cells.
- Shaking foam indicates the presence of protein.
- Darkening of the urine indicates the content of red blood cells.
- A pungent smell is a sign of diabetes.
If we are talking about a serious violation in the kidney tissue, which is characteristic of stone formation, both protein and red blood cells with white blood cells will be in the urine.
Increased protein in the urine: treatment
If proteinuria is physiological in nature, then special treatment is not carried out. In this situation, it is enough to get rid of the factors that provoke it. Correct food and sleep and rest, stop drinking alcohol, etc.
A significant increase in protein in the urine requires clarification of the diagnosis and determination of the cause of this deviation from the norm. In some cases, hospitalization may be required. When differential diagnosis is performed, treatment is prescribed. It could be:
- Taking antibiotics.
- Antihypertensive drugs.
- Corticosteroids.
- Detoxification drugs.
- Plasmapheresis, hemosorption and other physiotherapy.
In addition, as part of complex therapy, it is necessary to follow a special salt-free diet with the exception of tea and coffee, spicy dishes and smoked meats.
Now it is clear what this means - increased protein in the urine.