Glycosuria is a medical term used to describe the presence of glucose in the urine, which may indicate the presence of certain health problems, from diabetes to kidney disease, for example.
In healthy adults, the kidney is able to reabsorb almost all glucose in the urine and therefore urine testing cannot detect the presence of glucose. When a certain amount of glucose is identified, it can mean two situations:
- Whenever a glycosuria is identified in the urine test.
- It is important to consult a family doctor to identify the cause and initiate the most appropriate treatment.
- If necessary.
The presence of glucose in the urine most often occurs due to
However, glycosuria can also occur due to kidney problems, such as Fanconi syndrome, cystinosis or chronic kidney failure.
The main difference between the most common causes and kidney problems is that, in the case of glucosuria caused by diabetes or alterations of the pancreas, it also increases the amount of glucose in the blood, while in the case of renal glucosuria, caused by kidney disorders problems. , the value of blood sugar tends to be normal.
In addition to the urine test, it’s also common for a doctor to order a blood test to evaluate your blood sugar. If your blood sugar levels also increase, your doctor often suspects diabetes and can therefore order a diabetes test. Find out which tests help confirm diabetes.
Already, when your blood glucose values are normal, this is usually a sign of kidney failure, and therefore your doctor may order more urine and blood tests and even an ultrasound or MRI to evaluate kidney function.
Treatment of glycosuria varies greatly depending on the cause of the problem, but since it is most often a change caused by diabetes, it is common for the person to have to change their diet, use antidiabetic medications or insulin. Learn more about diabetes treatment options.
When it comes to renal glucosuria, treatment should be guided by a nephrologist as it is necessary to detect if there are kidney problems that require specific treatment. In many cases, renal glucosuria does not require any treatment and only regular urine and blood tests are recommended to assess the course of the problem.