Why Would You Have Protein In Your Urine

How Does Kidney Disease Affect Mental Health

Maintaining good mental health is a struggle for most people but can be even more difficult if you have kidney disease. Depending on your stage of kidney disease, you may face added stressors in your life that impact your mental health. You may feel like there are so many things that you are being asked to change or do without, which may feel overwhelming.The more advanced your stage, the more likely you are to experience impacts to your mental health. If you are on dialysis, you may experience a great deal of stress. Some of these stressors may include:

• Eating restrictions
• Worrying about dialysis impacting your family, work, social and love life.

Kidney disease and its treatment can make you feel physically unwell, which can affect your mental health and your ability to respond well to stressful situations. To add to this, if you are mentally unwell, this can worsen your kidney disease. This is because your mental health can influence your physical health and may affect your eating habits, sleep, energy level and your ability to stay on treatments prescribed by your doctor.

“It’s okay to feel what you are feeling. Every feeling that you feel is valid. Don’t beat yourself up for feeling angry or sad, or whatever you are feeling at the moment. It is valid.”

-Person living with kidney disease

What Are The Complications Of Nephrotic Syndrome

When you have nephrotic syndrome, an important protein called albumin leaks into your urine instead of getting filtered by the kidneys as it should. Albumin helps your body get rid of extra fluid. When you do not have enough albumin in your blood, fluid can build up in your body, causing swelling in your legs, feet and ankles. You can also have other problems such as blood clots and infections.

With nephrotic syndrome, cholesterol also builds up in your blood. When you have too much cholesterol in your blood, clumps form inside your veins and arteries, which can cause a heart attack or a stroke.

Nephrotic syndrome can also cause other serious health problems such as:

• End-stage renal disease or kidney failure

How To Reduce Protein In Urine

This article was co-authored by Robert Dhir, MD. Dr. Robert Dhir is a board certified Urologist, Urological Surgeon, and the Founder of HTX Urology in Houston, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Dhirs expertise includes minimally-invasive treatments for enlarged prostate , kidney stone disease, surgical management of urological cancers, and mens health . His practice has been named a Center of Excellence for the UroLift procedure, and is a pioneer in non-surgical procedures for ED using his patented Wave Therapy. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Georgetown University and was awarded honors in pre-medical studies, urology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Dr. Dhir served as chief resident during his urological surgical residency at University of Texas at Houston / MD Anderson Cancer Center in addition to completing his internship in general surgery. Dr. Dhir was voted Top Doctor in Urology for 2018 to 2019, one of the top three Best Rated Urologists in 2019 & 2020 for Houston Texas, and Texas Monthly has named him to the 2019 & 2020 Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars list.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 86% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 240,172 times.

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Advice From Patients And Professionals

Elle Lee, LCSW began her career as a licensed therapist after experiencing kidney failure from IgA Nephropathy in 2009. While on peritoneal dialysis, she experienced worries, stress, and emotional struggles that are common among people with kidney failure, which motivated her to become a therapist to help people cope better.

Elle joins AKF to share tips on how people living with kidney disease can better safeguard their mental health.

How Do I Do A 24

In children who are potty-trained, you should start the collection on a day when your child doesn’t go to school, usually on a Sunday. As soon as your child gets out of bed in the morning, have him or her urinate into the toilet. This urine is not saved just flush it down the toilet. Write down the exact time your child urinates.

After this, whenever your child needs to urinate, have your child urinate in the special container the doctor or the laboratory gives you. For girls, collect the urine first in a urine âhat,â then pour it into the special container. You don’t need to mark the times when these urine samples are collected.

It’s important to collect all the urine your child produces all day and in the night. The next morning, wake your child up at about the same time as you did the day before. Have your child urinate into the container one last time. This ends the 24-hour collection. Now write the date and the time on the container label. Bring the container to the laboratory on this day. Since bacteria can grow in urine at room temperature, it’s important to keep the urine container in a refrigerator during the collection and before you deliver it to the laboratory. Be sure to wash your hands after handling the container.

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Symptoms Of Protein In Urine While Pregnant

Unless you are dealing with a urinary tract infection, most of the time that you have protein in your urine during pregnancy, you will not have many obvious symptoms. However, if you are experiencing preeclampsia, you may have some noticeable symptoms, along with an elevated amount of protein in your urine.

Early signs of preeclampsia may include retaining more water than usual, increased blood pressure, along with protein in your urine. You may notice rapid weight gain along with swelling. Other signs of preeclampsia may progress to headaches, blurry vision, stomach pain concentrated on your right side, dark spots in your vision, and shortness of breath.

Are There Tests To Diagnose The Cause Of Proteinuria

Proteinuria itself can be diagnosed with a simple dipstick test. This involves dipping a specially treated paper strip into a sample of urine. Results are returned within one to two minutes.

To measure the exact amount of protein excreted in the urine, your healthcare provider may recommend a 24-hour urine collection test. By evaluating the composition of urine collected over 24 hours , the lab can calculate how much protein is passed each day.

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How Can I Prevent Ckd

If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, the best way to prevent CKD is to work with your doctor to control your blood sugar and blood pressure. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two most common causes of CKD.

Other ways to help protect your kidneys are to:

• Make healthy choices, such as eating healthy foods and being active.

Protein In Urine Diagnosis

A urine test called a urinalysis can tell whether you have too much protein in your pee. First, youâll pee into a cup. A lab technician will dip in a stick with chemicals on the end. If the stick changes color, itâs a sign of too much protein. You might need to have this test more than once to find out how long the protein is there.

The technician will also look at the pee under a microscope. Theyâre checking for things that shouldnât be there, which might mean kidney problems. These include red and white blood cells, crystals, and bacteria.

If your doctor suspects kidney disease, you might need to have other urine tests. Your doctor might also order:

• Blood tests. These measure certain chemicals to check how well your kidneys are working.
• Imaging tests. CT scans and ultrasounds can spot kidney stones, tumors, or other blockages.
• A kidney biopsy. Your doctor might need to take a small sample of kidney tissue so a lab technician can look at it under a microscope.

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What Happens When Chronic Kidney Disease Or Another Serious Condition Is Diagnosed Or Suspected

A doctor who suspects kidney disease would repeat the urine test three times over three months. If the samples test positive for proteins each time, the patient likely has kidney disease. The earlier the diagnosis, the more chance doctors have to slow the disease and stop it from progressing.

Additional tests might include:

How Is Pediatric Proteinuria Diagnosed

If you or your childs pediatrician suspect that your child has proteinuria, a condition in which protein leaks from the blood into the urine, the doctor will recommend a urine test.

In the past, a 24-hour urine collection was required to diagnose proteinuria. The patient would collect urine in a single container from the first visit to the bathroom in the morning through the first visit on the next day. This test may still be used, but most of the time, a simple urine test can be done in a doctors office to test how much protein is in your childs urine. A chemically-treated paper dipped into the urine sample will change color if protein levels are high.

If your child has no symptoms and a urine sample collected first thing in the morning indicates no protein or only trace amounts, the doctor may suggest that your child be tested again in a year. If protein is discovered in the urine, another first morning sample should be tested and also examined under a microscope, and further urinalysis the physical, chemical, and microscopic testing of a sample of urinewill be necessary. If the urine tests reveal excess protein and urinalysis results are abnormal, your child may need further evaluation because if the proteinuria persists, it can mean that your childs kidney function is declining.

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Other Conditions That Cause Protein In Urine

There are several conditions that can lead to elevated protein levels in the urine. The most common are:

• Certain medications

• Pale skin
• Dry, itchy skin

Treatment for proteinuria depends on the underlying cause of the condition. If it is caused by diabetes or high blood pressure, these can be managed with medications. If acute kidney failure is causing proteinuria, a medical professional should treat the illness directly.

What Does It Mean If You Have Protein In Your Urine

One of the ways that your provider assesses your kidney function is to check for protein in the urine. Chances are youve given a urine sample many times for this very reason. Proteinuria is a term that means that there is an increased amount of protein in the urine. There are many causes of proteinuria, but what you need to know is that it could mean that your kidneys may not be working as they should. Heres what to know about proteinuria.

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Talk To Your Doctor About Medicine

There are many safe and effective medicines to help when you are struggling with mental health issues. Medicines help manage your symptoms. There are many medicines available, but the most common are:

• Antidepressants: treat depression, but can also treat anxiety and other conditions
• Anti-anxiety: treat anxiety disorders

A mental health provider will work with you to figure out which medicine is best. Some medicines may interact with your treatment for kidney disease. It is important to work closely with your mental health provider and kidney doctor to make sure you are on the best medicine to treat your condition.

“Persevere, don’t give up, and seek help. If the first person you go to doesn’t give you the help you need, look for someone elsedon’t stop until you feel you get the help that you need.”

-Person living with kidney disease

Some Of The Common Causes Of The High Content Of Leukocytes In Urine

• Bladder Infection, Urinary Tract Infection or Irritation

• Upper back and side pain
• Pain during sex

Symptoms and the extent of symptoms might vary from person to person. Such symptoms should be referred to a medical practitioner immediately for further diagnosis using various methods such as dipstick test, visual exam, and microscopic examination. At times, the urine test might result in leukocytes and protein in urine but no infection but that is a mere indication of some other infection other than bacterial infection which needs to be examined thoroughly and treated properly.

Usually, the excess amount of protein in the blood cannot be detected without a urine test. However in severe kidney problems, the patient might have foamy, frothy, and bubbly looking urine and the patient might have swollen face, abdomen, feet, and hands.

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How Long Will I Have To Wait For A Transplant If I Need One

The process of getting listed for a kidney transplant often begins after you your evaluation. The average wait time for a kidney from a deceased donor is three to five years. If you have a donor who is willing and able to give you a kidney, you can have your transplant as soon as both you and your donor are ready. Learn more about the kidney transplant waiting list and what you can do while you wait.

How Can I Slow The Damage To My Kidneys

Damage to your kidneys cannot be reversed, but you can keep it from getting worse. By following your treatment plan and making healthy life changes, you can help keep your kidneys working for as long as possible.

Take these steps to slow the damage to your kidneys:

• Work with your doctor to manage diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Take all of your prescription medicines as your doctor tells you.
• Have visits with a kidney doctor to check your blood levels and overall health.
• Follow a kidney-friendly eating plan. A dietitian can help you make a plan that works for you.
• Be active for 30 minutes most days of the week.
• Drink less alcohol. The healthy guidelines for drinking alcohol are:
• For men: No more than two drinks per day
• For women: No more than one drink per day

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When To Seek Medical Attention

If you suspect that something is off, it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider sooner rather than later. There are many signs and symptoms to be aware of if you have protein in your urine during pregnancy, says Dr. Wetter. Most of these signs and symptoms are associated with preeclampsia as this diagnosis is generally what we are most concerned about developing.

Signs of preeclampsia to look for include elevated blood pressure detected at home or at your healthcare providers office, sudden weight gain, swelling in your extremities or face, nausea or vomiting, vision changes, upper right adnominal pain, and severe headaches.

Many times, patients have related to me that they just started feeling off without a specific symptom, therefore I implore women to listen to their bodies and if they feel something is wrong, to call their healthcare provider, Dr. Wetter advises.

Protein In Urine Symptoms

Most people who have proteinuria wonât notice any signs, especially in early or mild cases. Over time, as it gets worse, you might have symptoms including:

• Foamy or bubbly pee

• A family history of kidney disease
• African American, Native American, Hispanic, or Pacific Islander descent

Some people get more protein into their urine while standing than while lying down. This condition is called orthostatic proteinuria.

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What Is Hematuria

Hematuria means that red blood cells are in the urine. Urine does not normally contain red blood cells. The filters in the kidney prevent blood from entering the urine. When you have hematuria, the filters in the kidneys or other parts of the urinary tract are allowing blood to leak into the urine.

There are two types of hematuria:

Our kidney specialists at Richmond Nephrology Associates will work with you to treat the underlying cause of your hematuria.

• Microscopic hematuria means that the blood can only be seen with a microscope.

• Gross hematuria means the urine appears red or the color of tea or cola to the naked eye.

Hematuria is common and can have many different causes, including:

• Inflammation of the kidney, urethra, bladder or prostate in men

• Abnormal structures in the urinary tract

• Inherited diseases, like polycystic kidney disease, sickle cell disease or hemophilia

• Mineral imbalances in the urine

• Idiopathic hematuria can also occur when no cause of hematuria may be found.

How Is It Treated

Treatment for proteinuria depends on what is causing it. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, it is very important to make sure these are under control by following the treatment and advice given to you by your doctor. There are effective new treatments emerging to help people with diabetes to protect your kidneys. If there are other causes, such as kidney disease, then certain medications and a diet plan should be given.

As there are several causes of proteinuria, it is critical to get a correct diagnosis of the underlying condition to be able to offer the most effective treatment and prevent any kidney damage.

If you are worried you might have proteinuria, visit Professor Liz Lightstones Top Doctors profile and book a consultation to see her.

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Protein In Urine In Diabetes

How does person knows, if he has high protein in urine diabetes?

The presence of high protein in urine is a medical condition called proteinuria. This condition can be due to serious health illnesses such as chronic kidney diseases caused by diabetes, kidney inflammation, and high blood pressure. Proteinuria happens when the kidney, due to diseases, fails to filter important proteins like albumin in the blood, thus allowing protein to mix with urine resulting to protein in urine diabetes.