Cloudy Urine

Pelvis | Urology | Cloudy Urine (Symptom)


Description

Urine has a normal aspect of clear and straw-yellow color. When the urine changes its typically clear appearance, it is usually called cloudy, foamy or turbid urine.

Causes

In some cases, mild dehydration can cause cloudy or foamy urine; when it occurs in the absence of symptoms and goes away rapidly, in most times is harmless. Certain conditions can cause excess protein or crystalline substances in the urine, causing it to persistently appear cloudy or foamy.

Cloudy urine can be caused by a variety of conditions, including vaginal discharge, sexually transmitted diseases, dehydration, certain autoimmune disorders, as well as infection, inflammation, or other conditions of the urinary tract (kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra). Cloudy urine can also be caused by diseases that affect other body systems in addition to the urinary tract. These include diabetes, preeclampsia and heart disease. In some cases, cloudy urine can be due to a serious or life-threatening underlying disease, such as pyelonephritis and urosepsis.

In the case of women with vaginitis such as yeast vaginitis, the vaginal discharge may sometimes contaminate the urine sample, making the urine appear cloudy. Timely diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cause reduces the risk of serious or life-threatening complications, such as kidney failure and shock.

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