People often take urine tests. The reasons may be the presence of diseases, pregnancy in women, examinations. In this laboratory test, the level of protein in the urine is determined. If it's normal, don't worry. Exceeding the norm is a reason to visit a doctor. What are the causes of protein in the urine, especially elevated? Let's take a closer look at this issue.
State name
The medical term for high protein in the urine is proteinuria. In general, protein is an important component for the normal functioning of the human body. It is inherent in the performance of a large number of functions, it is involved in many processes. In a he althy state of the body, the protein is either not observed during the test, or it is present in a very small amount. And their accumulation in large numbers can signal the existing violations of vital processes. After all, the protein (protein) consists of too large molecules that the filtration system of the kidneys does not let through.
Protein norm
Normally - the absence of protein in the urine or the presence of its small amount. important to manyquestion: "What is its rate?" When answering, many factors should be taken into account, not excluding the gender and age of the subject. In men, 0.3 grams of protein per liter of urine is allowed. Everything above is pathological. In women, due to lower power loads, the rate is reduced - 0.1 grams per liter. Unless they are pregnant.
Severity
Modern medicine distinguishes between several states of severity of proteinuria:
- When protein is excreted together with urine up to 300 mg per day, the pathology is called microalbuminuria.
- When this amount is increased to 1 g - a mild degree of pathology.
- Moderate proteinuria is characterized by the presence of protein up to 3 g.
- If the tests show the presence of protein in the urine over 3 g, we are talking about a severe degree of pathology.
Contributing physiological factors
The causes of protein in the urine are not always associated with a pathological process. For normal he alth, the content of 0.033 g / l is permissible. What factors contribute to this increase?
- This happens with heavy physical exertion.
- With prolonged exposure to the sun, the abuse of sunburn.
- If the body is supercooled.
- When there is a feeling of fear or being in a stressful situation, the level of adrenaline in the blood rises. Which in turn causes protein in the urine.
- Eating too much food containing protein will show its presence in the urine at the time of donationanalyses.
If the above causes affect the appearance of protein in the urine, then they are considered physiological, should not bother a person and do not require treatment.
Pathologies leading to high protein content
If an increase in the amount of protein in the urine is detected, the reasons for this lie in the disruption of the functioning of the kidneys. This happens due to various diseases. What ailments entail changes in protein content? There are several independent diseases that contribute to changes in urine tests.
- When the embryonic development of the renal tubules is defective, cysts form. They come in different sizes. This pathological process is called "polycystic". It is characterized by damage to both kidneys at once.
- The cause of protein in the urine can also be an inflammatory process, mainly of bacterial origin - pyelonephritis.
- Inflammatory processes affecting the kidneys can lead to changes in the analysis. So, if the glomeruli (glomeruli of the kidneys) are affected by this disease, then this causes an increase in protein in the urine. Hence the name - glomerulonephritis.
- Another unpleasant disease that affects the condition of the kidneys is their tuberculosis. Microbacteria of the latter can affect not only the lungs, as is commonly believed, but also the kidneys.
Comorbidities
Not only independent pathologies affect the functioning of the kidneys. There are also other diseases of the body that affect this organ.and are the causes of increased protein in the urine.
- First of all, it is a disease of the cardiovascular apparatus - hypertension. It is characterized by dysfunction of many organs, including the renal mechanism.
- The well-known consequence of metabolic disorders - diabetes - also leads to changes. This may be the reason that even a child has an increase in protein in the urine.
- Almost everyone knows about the dangers of high blood cholesterol levels. Cholesterol plaques can clog blood vessels and disrupt blood flow in them because of this. The same threatens the kidneys. Suffer from fluctuations in cholesterol levels in most women. Taking cholesterol tests will be the answer to the question of what are the causes of protein in the urine in women.
- Separately, it is necessary to mention the state of pregnancy, the course of which may be accompanied by various complications. One of them is called preeclampsia of pregnant women.
Inflammatory processes
Inflammatory processes in the urinary tract and genital area are also the causes of increased protein.
- The cause of protein in the urine in women is often an inflammation of the bladder - cystitis. It causes severe discomfort and is characterized by changes in the urine during analysis.
- Another ailment affecting the urethra is urethritis. It is also mainly characteristic of the appearance of protein in the urine of women, its causes in acute inflammation of the urethra.
- As for purely men, in their case, the protein may appear in connection with prostatitis - inflammationprostate.
- Due to the peculiarities of the structure of the reproductive system, the cause of protein in the urine of a woman can be inflammation of the ureters. Moreover, it is provoked by another pathology: cystitis, urethritis.
In children
The causes of protein in the urine of a child are similar to those of adults. How can outwardly it be possible to determine violations of the norm of its content?
- The child will experience general weakness.
- Increased sleepiness.
- Children have reduced appetite or may refuse to eat.
- Often bouts of dizziness.
- Sometimes nausea or vomiting causes protein in the baby's urine.
- Fever, fever, chills.
- Child sweats a lot, joints and muscles hurt.
If these symptoms are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor to establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. If the cause of protein in the urine of a child is diseases such as influenza or SARS, antiviral and antipyretic drugs are prescribed.
But the presence of protein in the urine of a child does not always indicate the development of pathology. Proteinuria is common in newborns and is considered normal. In young children, it can be difficult to collect urine correctly. In this connection, the definition of protein may be erroneous.
Protein during pregnancy
The causes of protein in the urine during pregnancy (over 0.1 g/l) are primarily associated with a violation of fluid filtration in the kidneys. Identified during the delivery of the analysisdeviation requires an immediate visit to a specialized specialist - a nephrologist. To establish a more accurate diagnosis, additional studies are prescribed: ultrasound of the kidneys, repeated urinalysis, Zimnitsky test. Additional diagnostic methods may be required. Even if the pathology is not detected, the woman is placed under the supervision of a doctor and regularly undergoes examinations to monitor urine parameters.
Late pregnancy is characterized by active weight gain and an increase in the uterus. Because of this, there is a strong pressure on the kidneys, which causes protein in the urine during pregnancy. If its indicator does not exceed 0.5 g / l and there are no other unpleasant symptoms, then the woman is also simply observed by a specialist. There is no need for medical measures in this case.
It happens that the causes of protein in the urine during pregnancy are accompanied by edema, arterial hypertension, flies before the eyes. With this combination, treatment is prescribed in a hospital setting. We can talk about late toxicosis, which is a danger not only for the woman herself, but also for her unborn child. Thus, the protein in the urine during pregnancy may not have a pathology, but only the condition itself, in which the birth of a child is expected.
Analysis
Almost every person visits a doctor only when it is necessary. Many questions can be answered by blood and urine tests. They are prescribed by the doctorfirst of all, to establish the clinical picture of the patient.
Women during pregnancy give urine for analysis every time they visit a gynecologist. Such a measure is necessary to analyze the work of the kidneys during a period of increased stress. At the same time, cases of increased protein content in the urine are not uncommon.
When a patient has a pathology of the genitourinary system, he will also have to visit the laboratory frequently and take tests. This will help to identify diseases, diagnose them at an early stage and prescribe effective treatment.
How to collect urine for analysis?
It seems to many that this is a very simple process that does not require any rules to be followed. However, being mistaken in this regard, you can get erroneous laboratory conclusions. Among them there will be an analysis with a high content of protein in the urine. There are several simple rules, the observance of which will not require a retake of tests in the future.
- You only need to collect morning urine. At this time, she is most concentrated.
- It is best to use special containers for this procedure - jars that are widely available at any pharmacy.
- If an adult collects urine, it is recommended to wash. When collecting from a child, it should also be washed.
- Urine is collected by skipping the first few milliliters.
- For a laboratory study, a liquid that has been collected for more than two hours is not suitable. In this case, the patient risks receiving false test results.
After surrenderanalysis and obtaining the result, you should not try to figure it out on your own. Not all people have the necessary medical knowledge to be able to make a diagnosis on their own.
Treatment
After establishing the clinical picture and the cause of the appearance of increased protein in the urine, treatment is prescribed. It consists in getting rid of the pathology of the body and reducing the level of protein to normal. During the period of treatment, the patient is recommended to comply with bed rest, dietary nutrition. Limit s alt and fluid intake. Alcohol, smoked, spicy and high-protein foods are also prohibited.
In case of a serious illness, medications are prescribed to get rid of the disease. Inflammation is relieved by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. High blood pressure is reduced as a result of the use of antihypertensive drugs. Sometimes cytostatics are used.
Take care of your he alth. It is worth taking tests regularly, even if there are no complaints about the condition.
