Protein in urine?
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You have just tapped into a bit of a challenging field in nephrology, but I will do my best to explain it in simple terms. Protein in the urine can be caused by a myriad of etiologies, too many to list. Protein can be dumped into the urine simply because you have a urinary tract infection, due to increased white blood cells, blood, exudates, etc. Usually, if there is an infection, a simple urine test will make it obvious.
Not so obvious are the causes of protein due to damage to the kidney. The kidney filters tens of litters of blood daily, but it reabsorbs all of the protein without letting much pass into the urine; isn't amazing? Anyway, damage to the kidney's filtering devices, or glomeruli, can lead to changes in the wall of these vessels that allow much more protein to filter through, such that the body now can't reabsorb it all.
Clinically, we break down protein in the urine (proteinuria) into to major categories based on how much protein there actually exists in the urine produced during one day. Less than 3.5 grams vs. more than 3.5 grams tells us alot.
Nephritic syndrome, where you have less than 3.5 grams of protein, is usually accompanied by blood in the urine, and the so called "blood cell casts". Common causes of this are post-infectious, i.e. after strep throat. IV drug users & individuals with AIDS commonly get a characteristic type of nephritis that produces proteinuria. Other forms are inherited and can run in families.
If there is more than 3.5 grams of protein in 24hr urine, you have the definition of nephrotic syndrome, along with some other additional findings, such as swelling of extremities. This syndrome is caused by conditions such as chronic diabetes mellitus, autoimmune disorders, and inherited disorders as well.
If you're young and healthy, and there's just a bit of protein, that would not be concerning. If the proteinuria is significant, maybe you were sick with a viral infection, in which case you have a good chance of recovering back to normal. If you have chronic diabetes, or an autoimmune disease; the progression of protein in your urine can actually be used to monitor how well your kidneys are doing. The prognosis is usually not as good, but it can be slow in character. Talk to your doctor and find out!
In pregnancy; monitoring for protein in the urine is crucial because it can help diagnose a syndrome known as pre-ecclampsia early that will allow preparative changes to be made. Put simply, pre-ecclampsia is high blood pressure during pregnancy; but it can be disastrous because it can lead to "ecclampsia", which are full-blown tonic-clonic seizures. If you have high blood pressure & protein in the urine, your doctor will want to monitor these features very closely, as severe pre-ecclampsia can cause damage to you & the baby and may lead to necessary early delivery. Frequent visits & close monitoring are key!
maybe if you drink it you can grow strong muscles?
all urine is produced from the kidneys, so anything you find like proteins, is being improperly passed through the kidneys, plain and simple
Protein in your urine during pregnancy is a serious problem. You need to see your OB now
some times is there when you've eaten an over abundance of meat , beef, .
No way I'm a body builder are you saying I should drink pregnant chicks urine to get bigger?? Well I gotta go spray tan myself for bedtime!
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