Mucus in the urine

Mucus in urine is a pathology, especially in large quantities. A small amount of mucus in urine should not cause concern, but if the amount of mucus exceeds the minimum values, it may indicate inflammation in the kidneys or urinary tract.

The process of rejection of epithelial cells may begin on the inner part of the urinary tract, which may occur due to trauma during the passage of stones or sand from the kidneys or a bacterial infection. Also, chronic autoimmune inflammation of the kidneys may be the cause of mucus in the urine.

Causes mucus in the urine

Mucus in the urine is associated with inflammatory processes in the urinary system, which can disrupt the outflow of urine and provoke increased mucus production by epithelial cells.

Diseases of the urinary system can be general (infection penetrates the urinary system from a source of inflammation in another organ or system) or local (primary infection affects the urinary system, usually caused by sexually transmitted diseases).

Most often, high levels of mucus are associated with hygiene, when the rules for taking tests are violated (clean external genitalia, women need to insert a cotton swab into the vagina to avoid vaginal discharge getting into the vagina when urinating).

Often the cause of mucus in the urine is prolonged retention of urine, which provokes stagnation of urine and increased activity of the cells that secrete mucus.

The cause of mucus in urine in men is often inflammation of the prostate or urolithiasis.

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Pathogenesis

Along the entire length of the urinary tract there is an epithelium, which contains cells that secrete mucus.

First of all, mucus is designed to protect the inner layer of the urinary tract from irritation. Normally, cells secrete the amount of mucus that is necessary to reduce the aggressive action of urea. Mucus in urine in this case can only be determined after a laboratory analysis; it cannot be seen with the naked eye.

A large amount of mucus that can be seen after urination indicates a pathological process in the urinary system.

Mucus in urine analysis

A general urine test is prescribed to almost everyone. This test allows you to determine various parameters that may indicate an inflammatory process in the body.

Mucus in the urine of a healthy person is practically not detected in tests.

In modern diagnostics, a system of pluses is used - from one to four, which indicate the amount of mucus in the urine.

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Presence of mucus in urine

Mucus in the urine usually indicates a pathological process in the genitourinary system.

If the amount of mucus exceeds the minimum acceptable values, a repeat test is prescribed. If the test results match (or the amount of mucus has increased), diagnostic measures are prescribed to identify the underlying disease that caused the appearance of mucus.

Symptoms mucus in the urine

Mucus in urine usually does not cause any symptoms.

Depending on the underlying disease that caused increased mucus production (kidney stones, inflammation of internal organs, etc.), a person will experience certain symptoms (pain, cramps).

Mucus in urine in a child

Mucus in the urine of a child, as well as in an adult, should not be present (or should be in minimal quantities).

The appearance of mucus in urine can be associated with several reasons, for example, with phimosis. This pathology is typical only for boys, with phimosis the head of the penis is not fully or partially exposed, which leads to the accumulation of various contaminants in the foreskin, including mucus, which gets into the urine during urination.

Poor hygiene may also be the cause of mucus in a child's urine. Before collecting urine, it is recommended to thoroughly wash the external genitals (for boys, wash the head and the skin around it, for girls, wash from front to back so that bacteria from the anus does not get into the vagina).

It is also recommended to submit morning urine for analysis and use a sterile container. No more than three hours should pass from the moment of urine collection until the laboratory analysis itself; it is best to store the collected material in a cool and dark place.

Often the reason for the appearance of mucus is stagnation of urine. For example, if the child has been holding it for a long time, then a small amount of mucus may be present in the urine.

The most dangerous cause of mucus in the urine are infectious and inflammatory processes (inflammation of the ureters, kidneys, bladder).

Mucus in urine in a boy

Mucus in the urine of boys often appears due to phimosis (impaired opening of the head of the penis). With such an anomaly, various contaminants and mucus accumulate around the head, which can get into the urine during urination.

Mucus can also be caused by inflammation of the genitourinary system (bladder, external genitalia, etc.).

The most common cause of mucus in the urine is improper collection of samples.

Mucus in urine during pregnancy

Mucus in the urine of pregnant women can be caused by infectious diseases (urenoplasma, chlamydia, mycoplasma). Such diseases can negatively affect not only the health of the woman, but also the condition of the child.

Mucus in urine may also appear due to kidney dysfunction, as they begin to work harder in a pregnant woman's body. A woman's diet during this period may affect the urine test: eating fatty foods in large quantities leads to increased cholesterol, and the urine becomes cloudy, with a strong odor and mucous inclusions.

In healthy women, urine is pale yellow, odorless. White bread, sweets, pork, poultry make urine deep yellow, it acquires a characteristic odor, mucous formations may appear, which indicates an unbalanced diet. In this case, the test results do not indicate a specific disease or poor hygiene. A specialist may advise including more fermented milk products, milk, black bread, vegetables, and porridge in the diet.

Mucus in urine in men

Mucus in the urine in men primarily indicates inflammation of the prostate.

Also, the appearance of mucus can be caused by a non-sterile container for tests, in which bacteria, getting into a favorable environment, begin to actively multiply.

Another reason for the appearance of mucus may be a long abstinence from urination before taking tests.

Mucus in urine in women

In women, the vagina is located quite close to the urethra, from which pieces of epithelial tissue (mucous secretions) may get in when collecting the sample. In this case, a small amount of mucus is detected in the urine during analysis, which is not a pathology.

Non-sterile laboratory equipment or inadequate hygiene of external organs can become a source of bacterial growth that will cause mucus to appear.

Large amounts of mucus in the urine usually appear with infectious and inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system, kidney stones or bladder stones.

As a rule, a woman experiences pain in the lower abdomen, unpleasant or painful sensations when urinating, and an elevated temperature.

In infectious and inflammatory diseases, urine becomes cloudy and has a strong odor.

Normal mucus in urine

Mucus in urine is considered normal if its amount is insignificant.

The epithelium secretes mucus constantly, a small amount of which can get into the urine during urination.

Urine mucus index

Mucus in urine in a diagnostic laboratory is usually assessed using a plus system. Minimum mucus levels (within the normal range) are indicated by one plus (+), maximum – by four.

Normally, the color of urine should be light yellow, it should be transparent, not contain protein, the density of urine should be from 1010 to 1025.

Diagnostics mucus in the urine

Mucus in urine is diagnosed in a clinical laboratory. During the analysis, many parameters are taken into account. First of all, urine is assessed for color (transparency), odor, pH, density, amount of protein, ketone bodies, glucose, red blood cells, epithelial cells, salts, fungi, mucus, etc.

Modern diagnostic laboratories do not have specific standards for interpreting the results. If mucus is detected above the norm, a specialist consultation is required to help determine the cause of this pathology. It is worth noting that the result obtained in this case is not a preliminary conclusion, since to identify the cause of the appearance of mucus, it is necessary to conduct additional tests and examinations, determine existing complaints, and conduct an examination.

Mucus in urine sediment

Mucus in urine is present in a healthy person (within normal limits). If the permissible values of mucus in urine sediment are exceeded, it is possible that an inflammatory process will develop in the organs of the urinary system, various pathologies (urinary stagnation).

Mucus is often found in urine sediment in cases of sexually transmitted diseases, infections, poor personal hygiene, and prolonged urinary retention.

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Bacteria and mucus in urine

Mucus in urine in small quantities is a consequence of the work of the internal mucous membranes. During the collection of urine for analysis, mucus can get through the urinary tract into the urine collection container, however, along with mucus, bacteria can also be there (due to infections, inflammatory processes, insufficient hygiene of the genitals or a dirty container).

During inflammation, the amount of mucus and bacteria in the urine exceeds the permissible norm, which allows the doctor to suspect pathological processes, in particular, congestion in the kidneys, venereal diseases.

However, the detection of mucus and bacteria in a urine test is not always associated with pathology, so a repeat test is usually prescribed. In this case, the doctor will recommend collecting urine, adhering to certain rules for collecting tests.

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Protein and mucus in urine

Mucus in the urine and high protein levels may be a consequence of the functional state of the body (after physical overexertion or hypothermia) or inflammatory processes.

An increase in the protein norm in urine may be associated with tuberculosis of the kidneys, inflammatory processes in the bladder, tumors and other kidney diseases. Also, protein in urine in high concentrations is observed in hypertension, diseases that occur with a significant increase in temperature, heart failure.

Leukocytes and mucus in urine

Leukocytes are necessary to neutralize the effects of toxic substances, destroy viruses and bacteria. These cells are also essential in the fight against malignant tumors.

Mucus in the urine and leukocytes above normal require additional diagnostics to establish the cause.

Normally, there should be a small amount of leukocytes in the urine (the norm is different for men, women and children).

An elevated level of leukocytes may be associated with problems in the genitourinary system (inflammation, malignant tumors, tuberculosis, kidney stones, infections).

Salt and mucus in urine

There are various salts in urine; in fact, it is a solution of different salts.

The greatest danger is posed by magnesium salts and calcium phosphate, which provoke the formation of phosphate stones. It is worth noting that potassium phosphate salts are more common in women than in men.

Often mucus in the urine and salts appear due to neurogenic disorders, unbalanced nutrition, genitourinary infections, and metabolic disorders.

Oxalates are almost always detected in urine tests. They can be caused by various diseases as well as diet.

High levels of oxalates in urine are a pathology. Oxalates are excreted by the body in a natural way, but conditions may arise in which the excretion of salts is difficult (in case of poisoning, diabetes).

Mucus and oxalates in urine

Oxalates are salts of oxalic acid that are formed in the body as a result of a biochemical reaction or are taken in with food. The human body is able to excrete up to 40 mg of oxalates in urine in 24 hours, which is normal.

Mucus in urine and oxalates in the norm indicate pathological processes, in particular, a specialist may suspect urological diseases.

There are several types of oxalates: sodium, calcium, potassium, ammonium.

Oxalates in urine may indicate a metabolic disorder or disease.

Oxalates may appear in urine due to excessive consumption of asparagus, cocoa, sorrel, beets, diabetes (improper treatment increases the risk of oxalates), urolithiasis, and metabolic disorders.

Blood and mucus in urine

Mucus in urine with blood impurities always indicates serious disturbances in the body.

In the case of such tests, the specialist immediately prescribes additional examination in order to identify the pathology as early as possible and begin treatment.

Urine may have a red color due to a variety of reasons; more than 100 diseases can lead to the appearance of blood impurities.

Blood impurities may be a signal that a person needs urgent surgical care or indicate chronic inflammatory processes.

Usually blood appears due to urolithiasis, inflammatory kidney diseases. With such disorders, a person may be bothered by fever, pain when urinating, etc.

Blood in the urine can also be associated with the development of a cancerous tumor in the tissues of the urinary tract (blood clots appear in the urine), trauma to the urinary organs, and inflammation of the bladder.

Rarely, blood in the urine may appear after taking certain medications or oral contraceptives.

Mucus and red blood cells in urine

Red blood cells are the main cells in the blood. Normally, urine may contain from 0 to 3 cells (depending on gender).

Mucus in the urine and increased levels of red blood cells may be associated with diseases of the kidneys, prostate, bladder, ureters, urethra and other disorders.

In women, high levels of red blood cells can be due to menstruation or adenomyosis, so the specialist always prescribes a repeat analysis using a catheter. If in this case the level of red blood cells remains the same, diagnostics of the urinary system is carried out. If the urine analysis taken using a catheter does not show any deviations from the norm of red blood cells, then specialists can assume diseases of the genital organs.

Mucus and crystals in urine

Mucus in the urine and salt crystals appear due to kidney diseases (including genetic predisposition), unbalanced diet (excessive consumption of protein foods), metabolic disorders (including hereditary diseases), changes in the acid-base balance of urine.

The precipitation of salt crystals may indicate possible diseases of the urinary system or be one of the first stages of stone formation.

Brown mucus in urine

Brown mucus in the urine may appear as a result of damage to the renal parenchyma (due to poisoning, infectious diseases, circulatory disorders, etc.).

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White mucus in urine

White mucus in urine may be associated with inflammatory processes of the urinary system, stagnation of urine. The appearance of mucus can be provoked by general or local causes. In case of local infection, bacteria penetrate through the urethra and affect any organ of the urinary system, in case of general infection, secondary damage to the organs of the urinary system occurs.

Lots of mucus in urine

If the urine test shows mucus in the urine in large quantities, then a repeat test is prescribed. If the presence of mucus is not associated with poor hygiene of the genitals, failure to comply with the rules for collecting samples (dirty container, mucus from the vagina, etc.), then the patient is prescribed an additional examination that will help establish the cause of the disorder.

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Treatment mucus in the urine

Once mucus in the urine is detected and the cause of its appearance is identified, the doctor prescribes appropriate treatment.

Antibacterial drugs (Augmentin, Nolitsin, etc.) are prescribed for cystitis. Also, for cystitis, it is recommended to drink a large amount of liquid (about 2.5 liters per day). You can drink rosehip and oat decoctions, herbal teas.

Inflammatory processes in the kidneys require caution and compliance with all recommendations, since improper treatment can lead to the development of a chronic form of the disease.

Uroantiseptics, nitrofuran, antibacterial drugs, nalidoxic acid, Biseptol are usually prescribed. A herbal preparation (Kanefron) can be used in combination.

When stones form, surgical treatment is usually prescribed. During attacks of urolithiasis, antispasmodic and pain-relieving drugs are prescribed. Drugs that promote the dissolution of salts can also be used, however, in some cases, the effectiveness of such drugs is extremely low.

In case of prostate inflammation, drugs are used that relax the prostate muscles, reducing the volume of the inflamed organ. If drug treatment is ineffective, surgical intervention is prescribed.

Mucus in urine is not a disease, it only indicates possible pathologies in the functioning of organs. If mucus is detected in urine, the test is retaken to exclude a possible error (for example, the appearance of mucus due to a non-sterile container, poor hygiene, vaginal discharge, prolonged retention of urine, improper preparation for the test, etc.).

Treatment can only be prescribed after the underlying disease that caused the excessive mucus secretion has been identified.

Prevention

Mucus in urine can be caused by various factors.

Before taking the test, some preparation is required to avoid possible errors. Before collecting the samples, it is not recommended to forcibly hold urine for a long time, as this causes stagnation and increased work of the epithelium. Also, having sex before collecting urine will lead to the appearance of a large amount of mucus.

Before collecting urine, it is necessary to wash the genitals well; women should cover the entrance to the vagina with a cotton swab.

Urine should be collected in a sterile container (it is best to purchase a special container at a pharmacy); during urine collection, you should not touch the walls of the container.

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Forecast

Mucus in urine, as has been said, is not a disease, so the prognosis depends on the underlying disease that provoked the increased production of mucus.

In case of vaginal discharge, non-sterile sample collection vessels, or prolonged stagnation of urine, the prognosis will be favorable.

When diseases of the urinary system are detected, the prognosis will depend on the stage at which the disease is detected, the general condition of the patient and other factors.

The presence of mucus in urine is not always associated with pathological processes of the urinary system. Sometimes, it is a consequence of poor hygiene or rules for collecting samples.

If mucus in the urine is detected above the permissible limit, a repeat analysis is prescribed, based on the results of which the specialist can already assume the presence of pathologies.

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