Increased protein in the urine

In healthy people, the protein in the urine should be absent, or found in extremely small amounts. Elevated protein in the urine is diagnosed as proteinuria: it is a pathological phenomenon that requires consultation of a doctor and a number of additional examinations.

Normally, the daily protein in the urine should not exceed 150 mg. The severity of the development of proteinuria can be mild, moderate and severe.

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The causes of increased protein in the urine

Perhaps everyone knows that protein is the main building block in our body. It consists of muscles, bones, organs, it participates in many processes that occur inside the human body.

When the blood is filtered by the kidneys, then normally all substances that are unnecessary to the body (toxins, decay products) are excreted in the urine. If, for some reason, the filtration of the kidneys is disturbed, vital substances, such as protein, also enter the urine.

Sometimes a small amount of protein can be considered acceptable, however, its constant presence in the urine is not a good sign.

Among the causes that cause the temporary appearance of proteinuria, we can distinguish such:

• violation of water balance in the body (excessive fluid withdrawal, or lack of fluid from the outside);
• febrile conditions;
• sudden hypothermia or overheating of the body;
• vaginal discharge, non-observance of the rules of intimate hygiene;
• protein diet, excessive consumption of protein with food;
• stressful conditions;
• physical overload.

In addition, the presence of protein can be seen against the background of taking certain medicines. These include derivatives of salicylic acid, lithium preparations, penicillin, sulfonamides, aminoglycosides, cephalosporin antibiotics.

At the heart of persistent protein detection lie more serious pathologies requiring treatment and additional examinations:

• persistent hypertension;
• inflammatory diseases of the kidney and genitourinary system;
• tuberculosis;
• tumor processes of the urinary system;
• plasmacytoma (malignant blood disease);
• autoimmune diseases ( lupus nephritis );
• disorders of metabolic processes ( manifestations of diabetes mellitus );
• toxicinfections, poisoning;
• severe burns;
• injury to the kidney.

In addition, the protein can appear in the urine during the passage of chemotherapy, as well as in the presence of congenital anomalies of kidney development.

Symptoms of increased protein in the urine

A small amount of protein in the general analysis of urine may not be accompanied by any symptoms. Moreover, such a slight increase in the amount of protein can be temporary or accidental and eventually the tests will return to normal.

Only a pronounced and prolonged proteinuria can be represented by several symptoms:

• soreness and aches in the joints and bones;
• pallor of the skin, weakness, apathy (symptoms of anemia);
• disturbance of sleep, consciousness;
• puffiness, hypertension (signs of developing nephropathy);
• clouding of urine, detection of flocculation and white deposits in the urine;
• muscle soreness, convulsions (especially nocturnal);
• fever, lack of appetite.

If the total urine test shows an increased amount of protein, then a re-examination should be performed within one to two weeks. Repeated laboratory confirmation of proteinuria states the need for a thorough examination of the body and, in particular, the urinary system.

Increased protein in the urine during pregnancy

If a protein is found in the urine of a pregnant woman, it means that it is difficult for the kidneys to bear the increased load and their functions have begun to malfunction. During pregnancy, the volume of circulating blood increases, the normal excretion of urine is impaired due to the growth of uterine size, chronic diseases of the kidneys and urinary tracts become aggravated.

Inflammations and infectious processes are only part of the causes that cause proteinuria. If a protein is found, the pregnant woman should be carefully examined, without delaying the visit to the doctor, because proteinuria in pregnancy is one of the symptoms of the onset of nephropathy. This condition is a formidable complication of the course of pregnancy: if the time is not taken, the disease can trigger a spontaneous abortion and even death.

Puffiness, hypertension and protein detection in the urine of a future mother are three signs of developing nephropathy, or gestosis.

Do not complain that the doctor so often gives you directions for the analysis of urine. He is obliged to monitor the possible appearance in the urine of protein, in time to take action and save your life and the life of your unborn child.

Increased protein in baby urine

The presence of protein in children's urinalysis is a signal for a more thorough examination of the child's health. Proteinuria accompanies almost any inflammatory reaction in the body, so it is urgent to establish the reasons for this condition. Such reasons can be many, and most importantly, first and foremost eliminate diseases of the renal system.

Detection of protein in urine should in no case be ignored. To begin with, it is necessary to exclude the disease of the urinary system and the presence of infection in the body of the baby.

In infants, proteinuria can be functional. This contributes to the banal overfeeding of the child, a strong fright, a cold, diathesis. Such proteinuria should disappear on its own. Simply put, if the result of the amount of protein in the baby's urine is not higher than 0.036 g / l, then it's not worth worrying about. However, it will not be superfluous in such a situation to pass a repeat urinalysis of the child after 1.5-2 weeks.

If, in addition to proteinuria, the child has other alarming symptoms, or repeated urinalysis indicated a persistent increase in protein levels, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician without delay.

Sometimes a protein in the urine can be caused by an incorrect collection of material for analysis. Urine should be collected in the morning, while the child's genitals should be thoroughly washed and do not contain detergent traces. The analytical container must also be perfectly clean. The collected urine must be brought to the laboratory within three hours after collection.

Products that increase protein in the urine

Disturbances in nutrition are found in people, unfortunately, often enough. We consume an excessive amount of protein foods and alcoholic beverages, salty and too sweet foods, as well as not quite fresh and harmful food.

Kidneys do not tolerate excess of anything. Very fashionable protein diets today involve eating only protein foods, which increases the burden on the kidneys at times.

Protein has no property to accumulate in the human body. Where to go to the surpluses of protein and the products of decay? Naturally, they need to leave the body, and it happens through renal filtration. By the way, it is for the elimination of protein products and detoxification of the body that it is recommended during such diets, at least, to drink more pure water. If you do not do this and continue feeding exclusively with proteins, you can break the protein metabolism, get a kidney failure and form a kidney stone disease.

Aggressive kidneys are food that irritates the tissue of the kidney parenchyma. This is alcohol, including beer. Everyone knows the diuretic effect of such drinks. Removing fluid from the body leads to a thickening of the blood, which increases the burden on the kidneys. Filtering dense blood becomes difficult, so the kidneys can not cope and pass even necessary substances into the urine.

Strengthen the kidney and other surplus in nutrition: too salty, too sweet, too spicy food. All this, especially in combination with the disturbed drinking regimen, has a disastrous effect on the functionality of the urinary system and provokes the appearance in the urine of those components that should not normally be there. These include protein.

Treatment of high protein in the urine

The protein in the urine is not a disease, but only its sign. Therefore, before assigning certain therapeutic measures, the doctor must discover the original cause of the appearance of proteinuria. If the cause is diabetes mellitus - the doctor will treat diabetes. If the cause is in the kidney disease - the doctor concretizes the disease (glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis) and appoints the appropriate treatment.

The patient's task is to seek medical help in a timely manner and not allow the pathological process to aggravate its course.

An unequivocal positive addition to the successful treatment of proteinuria should be a balanced full-fledged diet, with the exception or restriction of consumption of salt, spicy seasonings, sugar, alcohol. The protein can not be completely excluded in any case: the main thing is not to abuse it.

Try to keep in the diet a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Only a balanced diet will ease the work of the kidneys and allow faster recovery of impaired functions.

Avoid hypothermia, trauma, stressful situations. Drink plenty of pure water, herbal teas. Especially good for the urinary system is cranberry tea or mors, which is consumed with honey throughout the day.

Teas are good on the basis of cowberry leaf, St. John's wort, chamomile.

Elevated protein in the urine will cease to be a problem if you take the matter seriously, follow the recommendations of a good doctor and lead a healthy lifestyle. Be attentive to your health!