Protein in Urine: Causes and Symptoms

What is proteinuria?

Protein in the urine is known as proteinuria, and can be an early indication of a kidney problem [1].

The purpose of our kidneys is to filter out the wasteful items from the blood while keeping healthy elements that are needed by the body, such as proteins. Protein exists in everyone’s blood, and the key protein in blood is known as albumin. There are many key roles of protein in a human body such as the formation of muscles and bones, prevention of diseases, and the control of fluid levels in the blood. Affected kidneys can allow albumin to pass through the filters, and the albumin then enters your urine. There can be a higher risk of having protein in your urine if you already have one of the risk factors that are associated with diseases of kidney, and these include family history of such diseases, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

If your kidneys are affected, they can allow proteins to escape your body, which leads to high levels of protein in the urine. Before becoming worried about your kidney health, it is important to note a number of reasons which can spike the level of proteins in urine, and these include:

• Tough exercise
• High fever
• Being exposed to extremely cold weather
• Emotional and psychological stress
• Severe dehydration

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If you have undergone one of the above, then it is normal for the protein levels in your urine to be elevated. However, it is important to note that elevated protein levels can signal a number of kidney diseases such as Amyloidosis (protein buildup in organs), Endocarditis (heart infection), and Glomerulonephritis (kidney cell inflammation) [2]. Apart from these three, there are many other conditions that can lead to higher levels of protein in your urine, and so it best to consult a doctor if your urine levels are unusually high without good reason.

Elevated levels of protein in urine can be indicative of serious health conditions, in particular kidney health.

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How will you know if there is protein in your urine?

As your kidneys start experiencing issues, and you don’t already have high levels of protein in urine, it will be difficult to notice symptoms. The best way to find out if there is high protein in urine is by conducting a urine dipstick test through a urine dipstick test such as Urinox-10 by Diagnox.

The protein test for your urine will identify if the protein levels in your urine are high, in which case you should refer to a doctor right away. Doctors will then conduct a deeper analysis of the urine to determine the ratio of albumin to creatinine. If this ratio exceeds 30mg per gram, then it can indicate a sign of a kidney disease [3].

As proteinuria is a general type of disease, there is no specific treatment for it, and the treatment mainly depends on the identified cause which has led to proteinuria. If the disease originates from the kidney, then the doctor will refer treatment to improve your kidney health to control proteinuria. In any case, it is best to consult with a doctor if you have found protein levels to be high in your urine.

Protein in urine is not normal. Consult a doctor if your urine tests positive for protein.