Protein in urine– referred to as proteinuria (pro-tee-NU-ree-uh)– is any excess quantity of protein found in a urine sample. Protein is among the substances recognized during urinalysis, a test to examine the content of your urine.
Urine Protein and Urine Protein to Creatinine Ratio Test also known as: 24-Hour Urine Protein; Urine Total Protein; Urine Protein to Creatinine Ratio; UPCR.
What Does Protein in Urine Mean?
Low levels of protein in urine are normal. Briefly high levels of protein in urine aren’t uncommon either, especially in more youthful people after workout or during a health problem. If a urinalysis reveals you have protein in your urine, you may have a follow-up test that determines how much protein exists and whether it’s a cause for issue.
If you have diabetes, your doctor may check for percentages of protein in urine– likewise known as microalbuminuria (my-kroh-al-byoo-min-U-ree-uh)– once or twice each year. Newly developing or increasing quantities of protein in your urine might be the earliest sign of diabetic kidney damage.
Your kidneys filter waste products from your blood while retaining components your body needs– consisting of proteins. Nevertheless, some diseases and conditions can enable proteins to go through the filters of your kidneys, triggering protein in urine.
Conditions that can cause a temporary rise in the levels of protein in urine, but don’t necessarily indicate kidney damage, include:
- Cold direct exposure
- Emotional stress
- Fever
- Heat exposure
- Difficult workout
Diseases and conditions that can cause constantly elevated levels of protein in urine, which may show kidney disease, include:
- Amyloidosis (accumulation of irregular proteins in your organs).
- Particular drugs.
- Chronic kidney disease.
- Diabetes.
- Glomerulonephritis (inflammation in the kidney cells that filter waste from the blood).
- Goodpasture’s syndrome (disease involving the kidneys and lungs).
- Heart disease.
- Heart failure.
- High blood pressure (hypertension).
- Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Hodgkin’s disease).
- IgA nephropathy (Berger’s disease) (kidney inflammation resulting from an accumulation of the antibody immunoglobulin A).
- Kidney infection.
- Leukemia.
- Lupus.
- Malaria.
- Numerous myeloma.
- Orthostatic proteinuria (urine protein level increases when in an upright position).
- Pericarditis (inflammation of the sac that surrounds the heart).
- Preeclampsia.
- Pregnancy.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Sarcoidosis (development and growth of clumps of inflammatory cells in your organs).
- Urinary tract infection (UTI).
Causes shown here are frequently associated with this symptom. Deal with your doctor or other healthcare expert for a precise diagnosis.
How Will I Know if I Have Protein in My Urine?
When your kidneys are first beginning to have problems, and you do not have a great deal of protein in your urine, you will not notice any symptoms. The only method to understand if you have protein in your urine is to have a urine test. The test for protein in the urine measures the amount of albumin in your urine, compared with the amount of creatinine in your urine. This is called the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR). A UACR more than 30 mg/g can be a sign of kidney disease.
When your kidney damage gets worse and big amounts of protein escape through your urine, you may see the following symptoms:.
- Foamy, frothy or bubbly-looking urine when you use the toilet.
- Swelling in your hands, feet, abdomen or face.
If you are having these symptoms, your kidney damage might already be severe. Talk to your health care supplier instantly about what might be causing your symptoms and what treatment is best for you.
How Is Proteinuria Treated?
If you have diabetes or hypertension, the first and 2nd most common causes of kidney disease, it is very important to make sure these conditions are under control.
If you have diabetes, managing it will suggest inspecting your blood sugar typically, taking medications as your doctor informs you to, and following a healthy eating and workout strategy. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may tell you to take a medication to help lower your high blood pressure and protect your kidneys from more damage. The types of medicine that can aid with blood pressure and proteinuria are called angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs).
If you have protein in your urine, but you do not have diabetes or high blood pressure, an ACE inhibitor or an ARB may still assist to secure your kidneys from further damage. If you have protein in your urine, speak with your doctor about selecting the best treatment alternative for you.
