The presence of excess protein in the urine is scientifically known for proteinuria and can be an indicator of several diseases, while low levels of protein in the urine are considered normal. In fact, protein molecules are large and therefore cannot pass through glomeruli or kidney filters and are not normally excreted in urine.
The kidneys filter the blood, eliminating what doesn’t matter and retaining what’s important to the body, however, in some situations, the kidneys let proteins pass through their filters, causing an increase in the protein content of urine.
- Increasing the amount of protein in the urine can occur due to several situations and.
- Depending on the cause and when the presence of protein in the urine can be detected.
- Proteinuria can be classified into:.
Situations that cause a temporary increase in proteins in the urine include:
These situations are not a cause for concern and are generally ephemeral.
In orthostatic proteinuria, the amount of protein in the urine increases when standing and is usually seen in tall, thin children and young people. Protein secretion in the urine occurs mainly during the day, when activity levels are high, so if urine is collected in the morning, it should not contain any protein.
Diseases and conditions that cause consistently high levels of protein in your urine may include:
High protein values in the urine can also occur during pregnancy and may be related to several factors, such as increased kidney work to filter out excess fluid, excessive stress, urinary tract infection or, in more severe cases, preeclampsia. Learn more about these proteinuria symptoms during pregnancy.
Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication, which should be detected as soon as possible, to avoid health problems in the pregnant woman, which may be associated with other factors such as increased blood pressure, headaches or swelling of the body. Learn more about preeclampsia.
Proteinuria can result from several situations, symptoms are not specifically related to the presence of protein in the urine, but to the causes.
However, if a proteinuria indicates kidney disease, other symptoms may occur, such as nausea and vomiting, decreased urinary flow, swelling of the ankles and around the eyes, unpleasant taste in the mouth, fatigue, shortness of breath and appetite, paleness, dryness. and widespread itching of the skin. In addition, urine can also be frothy and cause pain and burning sensation when urinating. Understand what kidney failure is, your symptoms, and how treatment is done.
Treatment depends a lot on the cause of proteinuria, so you have to look to the environment to make the correct diagnosis and determine what causes excess protein in your urine.
The protein can be easily detected in the urine by a type 1 urine test, also called SAA, in which a strip of paper containing chemical reagents is immersed in the urine sample, and if there is a large amount of protein in the sample, some of the band changes color. Learn how to understand the results of the SAA test.
If your urine contains large amounts of protein, a 24-hour urine test may also be done to measure protein and creatinine removal, which helps evaluate and monitor kidney function, helping to detect possible diseases. . Learn all about the 24-hour urine test.
Urine samples are collected in one or more containers over a 24-hour period and stored in a cool place. They are then sent to a lab for analysis. This test doesn’t show what types of proteins are present in your urine, so to determine the types of proteins present, your doctor may recommend that you perform other tests such as protein electrophoresis in your urine.
Before taking the test, you should talk to your doctor to prepare properly, so that the result is not incorrect. Therefore, it may be necessary to stop taking certain medications or supplements that may interfere with the test results.
Other factors may interfere with the test, such as dehydration or not drinking enough water, having undergone a radiological contrast test in which a certain type of dye has been used, having undergone extreme emotional stress, extreme physical exercise, if you have a urinary tract infection, or if your urine is mixed with vaginal secretions , blood or semen.
If the urine test is performed in women, it is very important to wait 5 to 10 days after the end of the menstrual cycle before performing the test, to avoid contaminating urine with traces of blood from the period.