Cloudy Urine? Has the appearance of your urine thrown a wrench in your normal bathroom trip? A simple bathroom trip means getting in and getting out. But, the appearance of murky liquid in the toilet will make you squint for a long time. Subsequently, it will put a seed of doubt in your mind. As a smart person, you need to take notice of the cloudy urine. Cloudy urine means you have some health issue.
Normal Trip To Bathroom
A normal person makes can go to the bathroom up to six to eight times. Yes! People have counted it. A healthy person produces up to 6.5 cups urine per day.
Have you paid attention to the urine appearance? No? Not just you, most of the people never give a second glance.
The urine appearance can convey a lot of information about your health. Shocked? It is the preferred diagnostic tool used by physicians for centuries. The reason is it filters the toxins from the body. So, the kidney filters the waste from the body into the urine. A normal composition of urine is:
- Water-95%
- Urea-2.5%
- Creatinine, nutrients, salts, etc. – 2.5%
Therefore, several factors affect the appearance of your urine including the food you eat, illness, or medications.
Reason For Cloudy Urine
If you are in sound health, then your urine is clear. It has a pale yellowish color. Cloudy urine with foamy appearance says trouble. It suggests conditions ranging from simple dehydration to urinary tract infection. Therefore, with the severity of the condition, you may require treatment.
Self-Diagnosis
Getting rid of urine from the body is important to maintain the water balance. Urine has the unwanted substances produced during metabolic processes. So, the color, amount of urine, and the odor can tell you if something is wrong. The normal, healthy urine is straw yellow in color.
A cloudy urine with darker or lighter color indicates that you have some health issue. The bacterial infections or sexually transmitted infections can lead to the problem. Therefore, you can take the necessary action to maintain your health.
Cloudy Urine Symptoms
So, how to identify the symptoms? For each disease, the symptom may vary. The issues may develop in different organs like:
- Reproductive system
- Endocrine System
- Cardiovascular System
- Urinary Tract
Let us look into the causes of the cloudy urine and the symptoms associated with it:
Urinary Tract Infection
- Foul smelling urine
- Abdominal Pain
- Bladder Spasm
- Abnormal Urine Color (dark, bloody, or pink)
- The decrease in urination/Frequent urination
- Burning sensation/Painful urination
Other issues that need immediate medical attention have symptoms like:
- Fever
- High blood pressure
- Hunger Pangs
- Stiffness in joints
- Vaginal discharge/Penile discharge
- Nausea/Vomiting
- Swelling in arms, legs, abdomen, and face
- Dehydration
- Swelling of lymph nodes
- Unexpected weight gain or weight loss
Cloudy Urine Associated Diseases/Conditions
So, you have detected cloud urine on you bathroom trip. What next? The next step is to find the root cause or disease associated with it. Each disease has its own set of symptoms. Therefore, you can easily detect the underlying issue. Contact your doctor immediately if you suspect something wrong.
Dehydration
A simple problem can cause havoc in your body. Not convinces? Dehydration can result in cloudy urine. When your body loses the water (more than what you take), it results in cloudy/dark urine. Young kids, older people, and people suffering from chronic illness have the problem.
You can lose water content from body after exercising. As the body loses water, the urine becomes concentrated. You can also experience other signs like:
The simple or mild case of dehydration is easy to handle at home. So, you can drink more water to replenish the fluid levels.
Urinary Tract Infection
It is the infection that affects the urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidney. It can anywhere along the urinary tract. Women are more prone to the UTIs. It is due to the fact that women have a shorter urethra. So, it is susceptible to infection by fecal and vaginal bacteria.
Once the bacteria grows, your body sends WBC (White Blood Cells) to fight it. Hence, your urine will contain WBC. It makes the urine look cloudy. You need to get treatment immediately. If you ignore, it may result in complicated conditions like:
- Pelvic Pain
- Kidney Damage
- Frequent Infections
- Sepsis
- Pregnancy Complications
Vaginitis
Another cause of cloudy urine is the vaginal infection.
It can cause issues like:
- Bacterial Vaginosis
- Trichomoniasis
A healthy vagina has a good balance of bacteria. Failure to maintain the balance results in infections.
So, if you suspect vaginitis, then look for other symptoms like:
- Itching/Pain/Burning around the vagina
- Foul smelling discharge
- Abnormal discharge
- Green, yellow, grey discharge
- Burning sensation while urinating
Hence, you need to get treatment depending on the type of problems. Failing to treat conditions like Trichomoniasis may result in contracting STIs.
Kidney Problems
Cloudy urine can also point to kidney problems. Kidney stones or chronic kidney diseases can show several symptoms. The unusual deposits in the urinary tract results in kidney stones. Subsequently, you can experience a great deal of pain.
Check out for other symptoms like:
- Pain below your ribs on the side/back
- Lower abdomen pain
- Pain while urinating
- Foul smelling urine
Are you diabetic? Or have high BP? Then, you are at risk for chronic kidney disease. It may result in kidney failure leading to severe distress. As the kidneys filter the waste from your body, the failure can cause havoc. The waste can accumulate leading to disruption in the minerals and salt in your blood.
So, you may experience several symptoms:
- Swelling
- A headache
- Itching
- Vomiting/Nausea
- Weight loss/Loss of appetite
- Exhaustion/Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Pain
- Cognitive Issues
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Are you sexually active? Then, you need to keep an eye out for the sexually transmitted disease. The infection that spreads with sexual contact can result in severe discomfort.
The common STIs in sexually active women are:
- Gonorrhea
- Chlamydia
The common symptom is the cloudy urine due to the presence of WBC (White Blood Cells) in urine. Therefore, it is necessary to seek the help of a doctor.
You can also experience other symptoms like:
- Genital itching
- Genital Pain
- Pelvic Pain
- Rash/Blisters/Warts
- Burning Sensation (while urinating)
- Pain after/during sex
Bad Diet
Yes, your food habits can cause issues in your body. Milk is one of the main culprits in turning the appearance of your urine. Milk or milk products have calcium phosphate. So, when the kidney filters the excess phosphorous, it mixes with urine.
Phosphaturia is the process of excretion of phosphorous in the urine. Your urine can change its appearance with the presence of phosphorous. Therefore, in such cases, you need a professional medical assistance. It will delve deep to find signs of any other medical issues.
Prostrate Issues
Men can also experience cloudy urine. And the most common reason is the infection or inflammation of the prostate gland. So, the urine changes its appearance due to the presence of penile discharge or white blood cells. The severity may range from mild to chronic.
The infection in the gland that sits below the bladder can cause discomfort and pain. Therefore, the most common symptoms include:
- Urination urgency
- Frequent urination (mainly at night)
- Pain or burning sensation during urination
- Dribbling/Hesitation while urinating
- Semen/blood presence in urine
- Lower back/Groin/Abdominal Pain
- Pain in the genital area
- Flu-like symptoms
- Painful ejaculation
Pregnancy
Cloudy urine during pregnancy points to the presence of infection in the vagina. STI, UTI, or vaginitis can cause the urine to appear cloudy. The issue is also noted among non-pregnant women. But, the risk associated is higher with pregnant women. So, pregnant women need to consult their doctor immediately.
The untreated infection can result in several complications like preeclampsia, premature labor, low birth weight, etc. The urine looks cloudy due to the high protein level. It is a cause for concern as it suggests problems. Therefore, seeking medical attention immediately is ideal.
Treatment For Associated Conditions
Ok! Now, letâs get on to the important part. The Treatment! The simple cases of cloudy urine are easy to treat at home. But, the severe problems need professional medical assistance.
Home Remedies
The simple case of infection that causes cloudy urine is easy to treat at home. With simple techniques, you can ensure good health. So, you can try the following tricks at home before consulting your doctor
Hydrotherapy
Drinking plenty of water will flush out the toxins. It will also solve the issue caused due to dehydration. So, drinking water will ease your pain and cure the mild infections. You can also add baking soda to the water to reduce inflammation and infections.
Vitamin C
The antioxidant properties of Vitamin C will alleviate the infections from the body. Therefore, it prevents the growth of bacteria. You can maintain an infection-free body by consuming pineapples, oranges, papaya, etc.
Parsley
Parsley has anti-inflammatory properties. It is an effective natural detox remedy. It has diuretic properties (due to Apigenin). So, it can cure any infection.
Cranberry Juice
It is known as a natural diuretic. Therefore, it can prevent bacterial growth on the tract. It is effective in curing as well as preventing cloudy urine.
Garlic
Stunned? The common cooking item has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties. It is best to prevent/cure any urinary tract infection. Therefore, it alleviates the problems in the body.
Blueberry Juice
The blueberry has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory properties. Hence, it can eliminate the infections and prevent it from attacking again.
Professional Interference
To cure the underlying medical issues discussed in the article, you need medical assistance. A doctor can prescribe the right medication for the associated issue. Therefore, you can get on with your life without other complication.
Dehydration
If your dehydration escalates to vomiting or diarrhea, then it is better to get medical help.
- The close monitoring along with over-the-counter rehydration solution can alleviate the problem.
- So, products like Pedialyte (solution with electrolyte and water) is ideal in the scenario.
- Chronic cases require hospitalization.
Urinary tract Infection
Your doctor may recommend antibiotics to treat the condition. Your doctor may perform urinalysis. The results will determine the extent of infection. So, the doctor checks the urineâs color, clarity, concentration, and chemical composition. The apt treatment is decided after checking the results. The common antibiotics used to alleviate the condition are:
- Phenazopyridine antibiotic: The dye is an effective painkiller that soothes the urinary tract lining. By taking it three times a day alleviates the burning sensation.
- Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole: The combination of antibiotics is effective in preventing the bacterial growth. So, it eliminates the infection from the body.
- Nitrofurantoin: The antibiotic taken four times a day with milk can alleviate the infection from the body.
Vaginitis
The treatment depends on the type of infection. If you have trichomoniasis or vaginosis, then the treatment includes using antibiotics. Antifungal medications alleviate the vaginal yeast problems.
Kidney Problems
The big kidney stones are surgically extracted. So, doctors use sound waves to break big stones. It is surgically extracted. Chronic kidney problems need hemodialysis or transplant to eliminate the symptoms.
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Except for HIV (which has no treatment), doctors prescribe antibiotics to cure it. It will eliminate the symptoms from the body.
Prostrate Problems
Antibiotics, NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), alpha blockers, etc. treats prostatitis successfully.
Pregnancy
Pregnant women must contact their doctor immediately to eliminate further complications. The doctor may treat the infection with mild medications. It will not harm the baby or cause any complications.
Preventing Cloudy Urine
The most effective solution to eliminate the issue is to lead a healthy life. You can follow the following things in your life:
- Drink water frequently
- Maintain personal hygiene
- Practice Safe Sex
- Avoid problematic food
- Including probiotics in the diet
Conclusion
Donât panic if you see your urine is cloudy. The murky or cloudy appearance of the urine may not always point to a serious health condition. It may cause due to simple dehydration or other changes in the body. So, before you start hyperventilating, you can try some home remedies. The simple yet effective techniques can eradicate the issue.
If the issue persists, then take the phone to reach your doctor. The infections, kidney problems, etc. is easy to treat with professional medical expertise. So, your doctor can perform a lab test to come to an accurate diagnosis. Take appropriate action to avoid severe complications.