Causes of cloudy urine in women: why the urine is cloudy with sediment and flakes, treatment

To determine the patient’s health and identify certain pathologies, a general urine test is first prescribed. There are standards for its indicators, deviation from which helps determine the source of the problem. One of the important indicators is urine turbidity.

In healthy people, urine contains special pigments - uroerythrin and urochrome, which are responsible for the normal yellowish color, which may vary in intensity depending on nutrition and other individual reasons. But turbidity always serves as a signal that a person should pay attention to even before conducting a clinical study.

Causes of cloudy urine in women

The causes of cloudy urine in a woman can be varied and this phenomenon is not always associated with pathological processes. Urine can become cloudy if stored in air for a long time. Prolonged exposure of urine to oxygen or low ambient temperatures provokes crystallization and sedimentation of salts. Long-term storage of urine leads to disruption of its composition and incorrect results. Therefore, the biomaterial is collected in the morning and immediately submitted for examination. Another common cause of cloudy urine in a woman is dehydration, which occurs due to prolonged vomiting, diarrhea, prolonged exposure to the sun or in a sauna, and drinking insufficient amounts of water.

Cloudy urine can be due to several reasons

It is possible to identify some other factors that provoke cloudy urine, which are not pathological conditions:

incorrectly collected urine for analysis;
pregnancy;
failure to maintain intimate hygiene;
food abuse: beets, carrots, nuts, legumes, and fatty foods;
use of medications.

Diagnostic tests

Interesting Facts. In ancient times, doctors used a very interesting diagnostic method to determine the patient's condition. They tasted his urine. If it had a sweet taste, this indicated the presence of a disorder. The most surprising thing is that modern doctors claim that the method was quite effective. The presence of sugar in the urine indicated the development of diabetes mellitus.

Modern doctors use other diagnostic methods that allow them to more effectively identify pathologies. So, the patient will have to undergo a general urine test. The research method is universal. It makes it possible to identify the slightest pathological changes in the human body at an early stage.

Additionally, urine analysis according to Nechiporenko can be used. This method is believed to be more accurate. It makes it possible to identify the causes of a specific disease if a general analysis shows an increased rate of any substance in the urine.

Additionally, the Kakovsky-Addis test is used. The method involves collecting urine hourly throughout the day. It allows you to detect the presence of urolithiasis, glomerulonephritis or pyelonephritis.

If there is a suspicion of the development of a disease of any organ, an ultrasound may be prescribed. Additionally, a smear of vaginal flora, lymphography and chest radiography are used.

Therapeutic measures

If cloudy urine in a woman occurs as a result of eating too many foods, dehydration or other physiological reasons, no special treatment is carried out. In order for the composition of urine to return to normal, it is necessary to eliminate the provoking factors.

If during therapy it turns out that the symptom is provoked by any pathology, an appropriate course of treatment is prescribed. It depends on the root cause. So, if a woman develops cystitis, antibiotic therapy is prescribed. For this, the drug Monural is often used. Additionally, a diet is prescribed. Products that can irritate the mucous membrane of the bladder are excluded from the daily menu.

For urolithiasis, the list of medications directly depends on the chemical structure of the stones. The most common drug is Canephron. The diet changes for each type of stone. So, if phosphate stones are present, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of protein foods. You also need to monitor the amount of liquid you drink. In some situations, surgery may be prescribed. Usually they resort to its help if other treatment methods do not give the desired effect.

In case of infection of the genitourinary system, treatment is prescribed by a therapist and a urologist. If glomerulonephritis is detected, the disease will be treated in a hospital setting. The patient will be prescribed antibiotics, antihypertensives and other drugs. If necessary, hormonal therapy is carried out.

Symptoms of gynecological diseases

The urinary and genital organs are in very close interaction, which is why gynecological diseases often affect the condition of the urinary system. It was found that every fifth woman faced with a gynecological problem experiences urinary problems. Some gynecological diseases accompanied by heavy vaginal discharge can cause cloudy urine. Such diseases include:

vaginitis;
vulvitis;
vulvovaginitis;
candidiasis.

But cloudy urine in these pathological conditions is not the only sign. Along with it, symptoms of gynecological diseases are often observed:

vaginal discharge of different colors, smells and consistency;
urinary disturbance;
pain, burning during urination;
pain in the lower abdomen, groin or perineum;
itching in the perineal area;
pain, discomfort during sexual intercourse;
the presence of erosions, ulcers on the genitals;
vaginal bleeding;
infertility.

In addition to characteristic symptoms, the presence of a gynecological disease may be indicated by increased body temperature, weakness, fatigue, and general malaise. At the initial stages of development of the pathology, symptoms do not appear, but turbidity, change in color or odor of urine may be present.

As soon as you notice such changes in urine, you need to get tested and seek help from a specialist.

Factors influencing the color of urine

A healthy person's urine should be clear. It has a yellow or straw tint. It does not have a pungent odor of ammonia. The color of the liquid is influenced by the presence in it of the pigments urochrome, uroerythrin, urozein and stercobilin. A little cloudiness is acceptable in the morning. It occurs due to the peculiarities of the functioning of the human body at night. However, the liquid should become clear within a day. If the urine remains cloudy, this may indicate inflammation and other pathological changes in the organs of the genitourinary system.

The color of the liquid depends on the consumption of certain foods. So, beets and carrots can provoke a color change. A change in the transparency of a liquid can result from:

movement of solid salt deposits from the kidneys to the urinary organs;
changes in water-salt balance in the body;
exposure to bacteria or viruses;
thickening of the intercellular matrix, leading to the release of highly concentrated urine with increased salt content.

Cloudy urine during pregnancy

While carrying a baby, a woman regularly has to undergo a urine test. Thanks to constant monitoring of the condition of a pregnant woman’s urinary system, it is possible to see changes in time, identify pathology and begin its timely treatment. During pregnancy, many women experience cloudy urine. And this is not always caused by a pathological process. Often this phenomenon is a consequence of the presence of the following elements in urine:

leukocytes;
salts;
proteins;
complex carbohydrates;
calcium;
urates, oxalates, phosphates;
microbes

If the concentration of any of these elements increases or decreases, this is reflected in the urine. In pregnant women, the concentration of salts in urine is significantly reduced. This happens because a certain part of the phosphates is spent on the formation of the embryo’s skeleton. And in the postpartum period they take part in the production of lactose. If cloudy urine during pregnancy is accompanied by an increase in salt concentration, this may indicate problems with the urinary system. Increased acidity may indicate pathologies of the thyroid gland or kidneys, and low acidity indicates potassium deficiency.

The following are the causes of cloudy urine during pregnancy:

hormonal disorder;
toxicosis;
dehydration of the body;
kidney problems;
disruption of salt metabolism due to poor diet and lifestyle;
inflammatory process;
urolithiasis disease;
liver damage.

Cloudy urination during pregnancy can occur for various reasons. At the initial stage of pregnancy, this may be a harmless phenomenon against the background of changes in the body, but this symptom can indicate the presence of a serious problem.

What to do and how to treat?

If cloudy urine is the result of an infectious bacterial disease, first of all a course of antibacterial therapy is prescribed, with the help of which it will be possible to destroy the pathogen and stop the inflammation. Antibiotics such as Monural or Nitrofurantoin are used. For urolithiasis, conservative treatment is prescribed, in which the medications “Canephron”, “Enatin” or “Olimethin” are prescribed. If such therapy does not produce results, the stones are crushed using a laser. When cloudy urine is caused by non-pathological factors, the doctor will advise you to improve your diet, normalize your drinking regime, get rid of bad habits, and lead a healthy lifestyle.

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General rules for taking the test

Improper urine collection often leads to distorted results and is often the cause of cloudy urine. Because of this, a woman has to retake the test, wasting her time and energy. To prevent this from happening, you need to know the general rules for taking a urine test:

before you start collecting urine, you need to wash yourself with clean warm water without using soap;
the container for collecting material must be sterile;
collect an average portion of urine. To do this, you need to flush the first stream into the toilet, then fill the jar and complete the urination process;
before collecting urine, it is not recommended to consume foods that can change the color of urine, and you should also avoid diuretics;
The jar must be taken for analysis within 2 hours after collecting the material.

Urine must be collected correctly.
If it is not possible to take the jar right away, then it can be placed in the refrigerator, but for no more than a day. Based on the results of the study, the doctor makes a diagnosis and prescribes treatment.

Cloudy urine not associated with pathological processes

If the urine is not clear, it is called cloudy or foamy. This phenomenon does not necessarily have to be a consequence of illness. Urine often becomes cloudy due to a lack of fluid entering the body. In the absence of other symptoms, this is considered normal. More often, this phenomenon occurs during prolonged exposure to the sun, after visiting a sauna, steam bath, or physical activity. The body loses a lot of water through vomiting, diarrhea, and high fever.

Often cloudy urine is observed in women in the morning. This may be a sign of a high content of mineral salts. Due to dehydration, diuresis decreases, which also causes clouding. The balance of the amount of liquid and salts changes, the urine in this case is defined as slightly cloudy.

If you consume less than 2 liters of liquid per day, the intercellular matrix thickens. As a percentage, the amount of salt residue increases and the amount of water decreases. Urine becomes cloudy and dark yellow in color. Salts gradually form sand and stones, disrupt urinary flow, which creates the preconditions for stagnation and the development of inflammation.

Another reason for cloudy urine may be an incorrectly collected test. If urine is exposed to air for a long time, it crystallizes. Under the influence of oxygen and low temperatures, mineral salts precipitate. Therefore, a urine test is taken in the morning; urine can be stored for no more than 2 hours after collection.

Cloudy urine may occur when taking certain medications. Therefore, during the examination you need to notify the attending physician about this. The clarity of urine is affected by a woman's diet. Beets, blueberries, and other coloring foods can change the natural color of your urine.

The appearance of cloudy urine with flakes

Sometimes, when submitting urine for analysis, not only is it cloudy, but also the presence of flakes. This may be due to vaginal discharge. If you do not wash yourself before collecting biomaterial, leucorrhoea may get into the urine - a natural vaginal lubrication that prevents tissue from drying out, as well as the proliferation of bacterial flora. But if the discharge gives off an unpleasant sour smell, then the woman may have thrush, a sexually transmitted disease. In this case, you will have to undergo a vaginal smear for microflora, as well as sexually transmitted diseases. If no pathologies are found, then the reason lies in improper care of the genitals.

Types of impurities

Doctors divide impurities in urine into the following groups:

organized sediment (implies the presence of a large number of epithelial cells, casts, erythrocytes and leukocytes);
unorganized (inorganic) sediment (increased content of various salts).

Inorganic sediment in urine may appear due to drinking poor-quality water or lack of fluid in the body. When the pH level exceeds the normal norm of 6.8, the functioning of the urinary system, especially the kidneys, deteriorates.

Other reasons may be recent infectious diseases or general intoxication of the body.

Urine with black sediment indicates the development of certain diseases, for example, alkaptonuria or melanosarcoma, which are characterized by metabolic disorders.

Depending on the origin, the following types of impurities are distinguished:

crystalline, which are an indicator of a high salt content, for example, such as:

oxalates;
urates;
phosphates.

According to studies, crystalline impurities are characterized by a transparent structure and the absence of color and odor;

flaky. In this case, patients often complain of sharp and severe pain or itching in the urethra. As a rule, such symptoms indicate diseases of the urinary organs. Often the urine is colored red, pink or orange;
organic - increased content of leukocytes and protein, coloring the sediment white.

Urine of a yellow hue without the presence of various impurities is considered one of the signs of a healthy body.

The urine of a healthy person should be transparent, yellowish in color, without impurities. Lightened or darkened urine with sediment indicates problems in the body

Precipitation types:

Organic – the presence of protein, blood cells, and tissue breakdown products in the urine. Such impurities occur during acute and chronic inflammatory processes, sexually transmitted infections, kidney tumors and tuberculosis. Based on the appearance of cells in the sediment, the nature and localization of the disease can be assumed:
Purulent sediment can form in the form of cloudy, yellowish-white, greenish large flakes. Its appearance means a severe purulent process in the kidneys, genitals, and bladder.
The hemorrhagic appearance is characterized by homogeneous impurities of dark brown and red colors. The color of urine is given by blood cells, red blood cells or liver enzymes. Dark urine the color of beer is obtained due to the presence of bilirubin and bile in hepatitis. Hematuria (blood in the urine) indicates tuberculosis, kidney tumors, glomerulonephritis, mechanical injuries to the lower half of the body, and urolithiasis.
Necrotic sediment gives urine a dark color (from green to brownish-brown) and an unpleasant odor. Impurities look like grains of cottage cheese, lumps. This indicates tissue breakdown, an abscess, or a malignant tumor.
Inorganic - can be formed when the reaction of urine changes with excessive formation of salts. The color of the sediment differs depending on the type of crystals. Impurities of urates give a pink color, phosphates - white, uric acid - dark red. Salt sediment indicates a violation of filtration processes, a change in the acid-base balance of fluids, and the formation of stones in the urinary system.

Impurities of one particular type are rare. Organic cells are accompanied by a crystalline precipitate in the greatest number of cases. The combination of different types indicates a complex, long-term pathological process that involves more than one organ.

How to fix the problem

Before prescribing treatment, a thorough diagnosis is carried out. The first step is to submit urine for examination. There are several urine tests, the specific diagnostic method is prescribed by the doctor. In addition, a blood test is prescribed, and if necessary, the doctor refers to various instrumental diagnostic methods. Treatment for the problem will depend on the cause of the cloudy urine. If the cause is dehydration, dietary habits, or improper care of the genitals, then the drinking regime and diet are corrected, and personal hygiene must also be observed more carefully.

Treatment for the problem will depend on the cause of the cloudy urine.

If the cause lies in a pathological process, then drug therapy is prescribed. And in some cases, for example, with advanced urolithiasis, surgical intervention is necessary. If the problem is infectious, then antibiotics are prescribed. To eliminate cloudy urination, doctors can prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid drugs, uroseptics and diuretics, as well as other auxiliary medications. Since many gynecological diseases occur against the background of weakened immunity, vitamin-mineral complexes and immunostimulants are prescribed.

In addition to drug therapy, lifestyle is reviewed and, if necessary, a diet is selected. As soon as you notice cloudy urine or a change in its consistency, color, smell, and also begin to observe the presence of other symptoms, do not self-medicate, but consult a doctor. Timely diagnosis of the problem will allow you to avoid serious consequences.

Symptoms of the process

Cloudiness of urine itself is a symptom of various diseases and pathological processes. However, it can be accompanied by various other manifestations. For example, your stomach may hurt or you may experience pain during urination. This may indicate the presence of kidney stones. Acute phase of cystitis, pyelonephritis and other urological diseases.

It happens that cloudy urine is accompanied by abdominal pain. This may mean gynecological problems in a woman's body. Infection with parasitic worms can also cause a change in the color of urine, so you should pay attention to such manifestations as the acrid unpleasant odor of urine and foreign inclusions. The presence of these signs indicates parasites have settled inside.

The combination of symptoms makes it possible to accurately determine a woman’s disease and begin to treat it on time. Only by consulting a doctor in a timely manner can you quickly and painlessly cope with the disease.

Methods for clarifying the diagnosis

For any changes in the genitourinary system, it is necessary to do a general urine test. It will show which impurities have impaired its transparency. General and biochemical blood tests will be useful. Based on the results, you can determine the presence of an inflammatory process in the body. They can also indicate possible general changes caused by kidney damage.

Urine and blood are donated in the morning on an empty stomach. Before collecting urine, it is necessary to perform a morning toilet of the genitals to prevent bacteria from entering the vagina. The day before submitting the material for the study, you must quit smoking and alcohol.

The result of a general urine test:

Index	Norm	Possible reasons for deviation
Color	Straw yellow	Liver or intestinal dysfunction
Smell	Unsharp	Inflammation of the genitourinary system, liver disease
Transparency	Transparent	Inflammation of the genitourinary system, increased amount of protein or salts
Relative density	1.010-1.025 g/l	Changes in renal concentration function
Protein	0 g/l	Kidney inflammation, kidney failure, liver disease
Glucose	0 g/l	Diabetes
Red blood cells	0-2 in sight	Urolithiasis, kidney or bladder tumor, urethral inflammation
Leukocytes	0-5 in sight	Inflammation in one of the parts of the genitourinary system
Epithelial cells	0-5 in sight	Inflammation, rheumatism, amyloidosis
Bacteria	none	Urogenital infection
Cylinders	0-2 hyaline	Inflammation, kidney failure

If the analysis shows that the urine is cloudy due to bacteria, the doctor will order a bacterial culture. This is necessary to determine what type of bacteria caused the infection. Then it will be possible to select an antibiotic to which the microorganisms are sensitive.

For deeper diagnostics, instrumental research methods are used:

ultrasound examination of the kidneys and bladder;
magnetic resonance imaging of the kidneys;
computed tomography of the kidneys;
cystoscopy.

These methods allow the doctor to evaluate the structure of internal organs. This way you can identify inflammation of the kidneys and bladder and determine the extent of damage.

Attention! Research plays an important role in the diagnosis of tumors of the genitourinary system. Kidney cancer may not manifest itself for a long time.

Urinary tract diseases

Urinary tract diseases are the main reason why women's urine becomes cloudy. Thus, the pathological causes of cloudiness can be the appearance in the urine of:

erythrocytes (red blood cells);
leukocytes;
bacteria;
fat;
lymph.

Why does cloudy urine appear in men?

Hematuria

The appearance of bloody urine (hematuria) is the most common symptom of kidney or urinary tract pathology. When examining a urine sample under a microscope, detection of more than 2 units (red blood cells) may indicate the likelihood of developing the following diseases:

glomerulonephritis;
cystitis;
urethritis;
pyelonephritis;
Urolithiasis

A characteristic phenomenon with hematuria, in addition to changes in color and loss of transparency, can be considered the appearance of blood clots in the urine. Moreover, it is the shape of the clots that is of great importance in diagnosing pathology. Thus, shapeless clots, as a rule, indicate bleeding of the bladder mucosa, and elongated “worm-shaped” clots indicate renal bleeding.

Hematuria in urolithiasis usually appears after renal colic (a painful symptom that appears as a result of the displacement of a stone and damage to the blood vessels of the kidneys).

Microscopic examination of red blood cells can determine the source of bleeding, since blood cells that enter the urine from the kidneys are smaller than red blood cells that come from the urethra or bladder.

With hematuria, urine may vary in color from cloudy pink to brownish brown or the color of cherry jam.

Bacteriuria and leukocyturia

Bacteria, regardless of their number, are not capable of causing cloudy urine. However, the body’s natural reaction to the penetration of infection into tissues is the production of leukocytes. Leukocyturia with an antibody concentration of more than 50 units in the field of view causes not only cloudiness of the urine, but also a change in its color from white to pale green.

As a rule, leukocyturia of bacterial origin does not cause difficulties in choosing therapeutic tactics, and its treatment comes down to the competent selection of antibacterial drugs or antibiotics.

In addition to the bacterial nature of development, the following types of leukocyturia are distinguished:

Mononuclear. As a rule, it appears in diseases associated with impaired renal function (interstitial nephritis, thunderonephritis).
Lymphocytic. Develops in response to systemic connective tissue lesions of immune origin (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus).
Allergic. Leukocyturia, in this case, is a reaction of the body with increased sensitivity of the immune system to the influence of any irritant (allergen).

The number of leukocytes exceeding 200 units in the field of view of the microscope is called pyuria

Lipuria

With lipuria, the urine is very light and cloudy due to the presence of microscopic fat droplets in it. In the urine of a healthy woman, fat is determined only by residual traces. Excessive lipid concentrations may be due to a number of reasons:

excessive consumption of fatty foods;
overweight;
diabetes mellitus;
yellow fever.

It can also occur due to the penetration of lipids into the renal tubules after surgery in patients who are obese or after multiple fractures of long bones.

From a diagnostic point of view, lipuria is not a sign of pathologies of the urinary tract, and therefore, it is only important when diagnosing metabolic disorders.

Hiluria

A predominantly parasitic disease caused by small worms less than 1 millimeter in length. During their life, parasites block the lymphatic vessels, promoting stagnation of lymph and its subsequent penetration into the urine.

There is also a non-parasitic nature of the development of the condition when lymph enters the urine due to the formation of small fistulas in the lymphatic tract. The mechanism of the disease is not fully understood, therefore, in treatment, generally restorative drugs are used. In most cases, the disease goes away on its own.

Thus, the appearance of cloudy urine in a woman can be caused by a variety of reasons. To eliminate some of them, you only need to be attentive to your own body (drink enough fluid, adjust your diet, maintain hygiene); others may require laboratory testing, followed by a course of therapy in accordance with the diagnosis.

Leukocytes are the main source of sediment in the urine

Leukocyturia indicates an increased number of leukocytes in a person’s urine. The reasons for the proliferation of these cells lie in common diseases:

pyelonephritis, acute or chronic;
glomerulonephritis;
cystitis;
stones in the ureter;
urethritis or prostatitis;
nephritis.

More than 70% of all types of leukocytes belong to neutrophils, which can change in the direction of increasing or decreasing their number. Most often, there is an increase in the total number of leukocytes due to neutrophils; such a deviation in urine analysis is called neutrophilia.

Neutrophilia can be observed in the following pathologies and diseases:

infections and inflammatory processes;
postoperative period;
diabetes;
physical and stressful activities;
tumors of various organs;
myocardial infarction;
postpartum period.

How to determine turbidity in the laboratory

A general urine test (UCA) is one of the most informative diagnostic methods that evaluates the physical characteristics of the fluid. The main purpose of the examination is to identify urological diseases and abnormalities in kidney function. Cloudiness in urine is determined by the naked eye.

To clarify the composition of the sediment, microscopic and biochemical analysis is used. Sometimes chemical methods for identifying suspended matter are used:

cloudy urine with urates becomes transparent when alkali is added and heated;
if the suspension contains oxalates, they disappear with the introduction of hydrochloric acid;
dissolution of the sediment after the introduction of ethanol indicates the accumulation of fat molecules in the liquid.

If the urine is light but cloudy, this does not always indicate a urological disease. The transparency of the liquid depends on various factors:

region of residence;
nutritional characteristics;
physical activity.

When the kidneys and urinary tract function normally, the urine is clear. Slight turbidity is acceptable due to impurities of urates, epithelial cells and mucus. Transparency is affected by the quality of genital hygiene. In 15% of cases, cloudy urine is the result of non-compliance with sanitary and hygienic rules.

If your urine is cloudy, smells bad, or takes on a reddish tint, you should consult a urologist.

Typology of precipitation

Crystal. Most often, it indicates an excess of salts. With the appearance of crystalline sediment, acidity may also increase. The study may show the presence of different salts - or phosphates.
Flaky. With such sediment, a person appears, and a person’s urination is accompanied by painful sensations or itching in the urethral area. observed in patients with diseases of the bladder or gastrointestinal tract.
Organic. In this case, a white sediment appears in the urine, indicating an increase in the level of leukocytes and the proliferation of protein molecules that appear from the epithelial cells of the human genitourinary organs.

Pus, which is accompanied by thread-like formations, appears in connection with inflammation of the renal and urinary systems, as well as with the appearance of a sexually transmitted infection or prostatitis.

If there is a change in color, odor, or the appearance of pain, not only a general urine test should be performed, but also microscopy of the urine sediment. The latter analysis helps to conduct a more detailed microscopic examination and identify the content of squamous epithelium, which in a healthy person should be found only in isolated cases.

What is the essence of the problem?

Normal human urine is light, yellow in color and smells slightly of ammonia. When a sediment forms in the urine, this is the first sign of the development of the disease.

The ingredients are salts, minerals and components that the liver processes. The number of urinations indicates how much liquid a person has consumed per day and foods with a lot of protein. The appearance of precipitation is affected by constant standing and the presence of salts in the water consumed. Mucus, which is secreted in increased volume by internal organs, can also influence the occurrence of deviations.