Cloudy Urine: Causes, Symptoms and treatment

Is your urine cloudy?

Or

Does your pee look like milk?

Or 

Does your pee look opaque or off-white?

If yes, this might be a serious problem like kidney stones or urinary tract infections (UTIs). However, you need not worry. Today’s blog is a comprehensive guide to what causes cloudy urine, its symptoms, and potential treatment possible. 

If you are facing such issues, consult your doctor. Early and accurate diagnosis can help mitigate the negative consequences or avoid them completely. Let's discuss cloudy urine in detail. 

What is cloudy urine?

Cloudy urine indicates the situation when your pee gets a milky or hazy appearance. 

The color of pee should be clear and light yellow. You need not worry about getting cloudy pee, as it causes no harm unless you get it repetitively, which could be a serious medical condition. 

There are several reasons behind the formation of cloudy urine, especially a problem with your urinary tract (UT). Additionally, conditions like dehydration, kidney stones, diabetes, sexually transmitted disease (STI), or vaginitis can cause cloudy urine. 

Also read https://redcliffelabs.com/myhealth/urology-2/what-are-epithelial-cells-in-urine-and-its-normal-range/

Common Symptoms of Cloudy Urine:

The common symptoms of cloudy urine include 

1. a strong urge to urinate
2. severe pain in the back or side 
3. Unusual or strong-smelling urine
4. Fever 
5. Fatigue 

What are the main causes of cloudy urine?

Urine consists of water, kidney waste, and salts. These three components should be balanced to determine the pH level of urine. A normal range of urine pH is between 4.5 to 8 pH. 

Impression:

• Under 5pH, urine is considered acidic. 
• Urine at 8 pH or higher is considered alkaline. 

Your pee turning cloudy or milky is due to the high alkaline levels. 

8 Causes of Cloudy Urine

It is vital to identify the causes of cloudy urine. The sooner you recognize the cause, the quicker you get the best treatment possible. 

• Kidney Disease: It indicates protein leakage in urine due to kidney disease. Other reasons for kidney disease include hypertension, diabetes, tubulointerstitial, and chronic glomerulonephritis. 

Some warning signs include thirst, fatigue, weight gain, or loss.

• Dehydration: Dark or cloudy urine could be a sign of dehydration. It is a very common problem in older adults and can be caused by diarrhea, vomiting, fever, or burns. 

Additionally, the symptoms of dehydration in cloudy urine include fatigue, dark urine, dizziness, dry mouth, and difficulty concentrating. 

• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): It is a common cause of cloudy urine, affecting the bladder, ureters, urethra, and kidneys. UTI is more common in women compared to men due to having a shorter urethra. Vaginal and fecal bacteria usually contaminate it. 

Additionally, symptoms of UTIs include frequent urination, low or mid backache, pelvic pain in women, and a burning sensation while peeing. 

• Kidney Stones: These are abnormal deposits of minerals and salts inside your urinary tract. They tend to grow large and cause pain—other symptoms such as pain or discomfort in your lower abdomen. 

• Diet: Although rare, diet also plays a key role in causing cloudy urine in some cases. For instance, if your diet contains excess amounts of phosphorus, such as dairy, seafood, nuts, and seeds, cloudy urine can occur due to the kidneys filtering the excess minerals from the blood. 

• Prostate Issues: The condition of an inflamed prostate may cause cloudy urine. You may develop an infection or swelling of the prostate. 

Additionally, symptoms of prostatitis include frequent urination, painful ejaculation, flu-like symptoms, blood in the urine or ejaculation, or pain or burning during urination.

• Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI): Regretfully, these infections can be transmitted from one person to another with sexual contact. Gonorrhea and chlamydia are common STIs and can cause cloudy urine. 

Other significant symptoms include genital itching, genital pain, pain during or after intercourse, pelvic pain in women, rash, blisters, or warts. 

• Certain Medications: Some medicines, such as warfarin, phosphate-containing vitamin supplements, laxatives, and oral diabetes medications, may cause cloudy urine. 
• Vaginitis is a vaginal disorder caused by bacterial, yeast, or parasitic infections. In this condition, white discharge occurs from the vagina and may cause a cloudy appearance when mixed with urine.

Additionally, symptoms of vaginitis include vaginal irritation, painful urination, and foul-smelling vaginal discharge. 

Pregnancy and Cloudy Urine

During pregnancy, the problem of cloudy urine can be caused by vaginitis, STIs, or UTIs. The symptoms are similar to those of nonpregnant women. However, a cloudy urine condition in pregnant females can cause complications in their pregnancies if left untreated. These may include low birth weight, premature babies, and other complications. 

Nevertheless, preeclampsia indicates a dangerous pregnancy. It is a protein in urine whose color doesn’t change, but urine can become foamy if the protein levels are high.

Also read: https://redcliffelabs.com/myhealth/lab-test/what-is-urine-culture-and-why-urine-culture-is-done-all-you-need-to-know/

What are the treatment options available for cloudy urine?

The treatment options for cloudy urine include: 

• Hydration: Increase fluid intake to help clear up cloudy urine due to dehydration. 
• Antibiotics: If cloudy urine occurs due to bacterial infection, your healthcare provider may suggest antibiotics to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs). 
• Dietary Changes: Reduce the intake of salt, protein, and foods such as spinach and beet. 
• Medication adjustments: Your healthcare professional may make some necessary medication adjustments to speed up the recovery process. 
• Treating underlying medical conditions: If the cloudy urine is diagnosed as a serious medical condition, such as diabetes, or as a result of other kidney disorders, your healthcare professional will focus on managing the underlying condition. 

How do doctors diagnose cloudy urine?

The doctor diagnoses cloudy urine predominantly through blood and urine tests. He may also recommend imaging tests of the bladder or kidneys or the surgical treatment called cystoscopy. 

A note from Redcliffe Labs! 

Healthy India Ki Trusted Lab—Redcliffe Labs is a leading name in the diagnostic industry, providing more than 100 tests and comprehensive health checkups with home sample collection convenience. The lab experts use state-of-the-art technology to diagnose diseases accurately and leave no stone unturned to generate the most accurate test reports available within a given deadline. 

Book Blood and Urine Tests at Home from Redcliffe Labs! 

With Redcliffe Labs, you can book a cloudy urine test with the convenience of home sample collection. The phlebotomist will come to your doorstep with a home sample collection kit. He is professionally trained, which ensures painless blood draws. 

Once the blood sample is collected, he will label it carefully and submit it to Redcliffe Labs. You can typically receive your cloudy urine blood test report within a given time frame. 

Additionally, for a urine sample collection, the expert will come to your location to collect the sample and submit it to the Redcliffe lab for analysis and report generation. 

Helping Tip: Do not include feces in the urine collection. Submit the sample using a clean urine collection container. 

Conclusion

Cloudy urine can threaten your life if not treated in time. Discuss your doubts with a doctor if you experience symptoms such as foul urine smell, discomfort when urinating, or dehydration. The expert may ask you to perform blood and urine tests and order additional tests to detect the real cause of the problem. 

Nevertheless, you can reduce the symptoms with lifestyle changes, including dietary modifications and exercises. 

FAQs: Cloudy Urine 

1. Do I need to worry if I get cloudy urine?

Cloudy urine is harmless unless accompanied by symptoms such as kidney stones, infection, or dehydration that may indicate an underlying health problem that requires medical assistance. 

2. Does cloudy urine indicate pregnancy?

No, cloudy urine doesn’t indicate pregnancy. However, hormonal fluctuation during these nine months can increase the likelihood of developing UTIs. 

3. Do kidney problems cause cloudy urine?

Yes, kidney problems do cause cloudy urine, especially if you have already been diagnosed with kidney problems and have observed changes in your urine.