Well, if your urine looks foamy, then it could be because you are holding the bladder and having a fast urine stream, but certain medical conditions may also cause foaming such as dehydration, and kidney disease to mention a few. Urine is usually flat and pale yellow or dark amber in colour. Several factors such as diet, medications and health problems can cause changes in the colour and foaminess of your urine.
If you observe foamy urine often or if foamy urine accompanies other symptoms, then seek immediate medical advice.
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Read this article to find out the causes of foamy urine and the treatment options available.
What Other Symptoms Can Develop With Foamy Urine?
Urine can foam up temporarily occasionally, this is usually due to the speed of urine flow. Foamy urine is more possibly a sign of disease if it occurs often, or it gets worse over time. Also look out for other symptoms as well, which could be a hint that a medical condition is making the urine look foamy.
Also Read: Different Colours Of Urine: Know What They Imply About Overall Health
- Swelling in the hands, feet, face and abdomen, could be a sign of fluid build-up from damaged kidneys
- Fatigue
- Poor appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Improper sleep
- Changes in the amount of urine produced
- Cloudy urine
- Darker coloured urine
- In men, dry orgasms or releasing little to no semen during orgasm
- Infertility
Causes
The most common cause of foamy urine is the speed of urination. At times, urine can also foam up when it’s concentrated. Your urine is more concentrated if you haven’t had enough water and you’re dehydrated.
Excess amounts of protein like albumin in the urine can make the urine foamy, where the protein in urine reacts with air to make foam.
Healthy kidney filter extra water and waste products out of the blood into the urine. Protein and other vital elements that the body needs are very big to filter via the kidney’s filters, so they remain in the bloodstream. But when kidneys are damaged, they don’t filter as well as they should. Damaged kidneys let too much protein leak into urine, this is called proteinuria. It’s a sign of chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease.
A very rare cause of foamy urine is a condition called retrograde ejaculation, which occurs in men when semen backs up the bladder instead of being released.
Amyloidosis is a rare disorder that can also cause foamy urine, fluid build-up and kidney problems. It is caused by the accumulation of a specific protein and can affect several organs.
Certain medications can also make the urine foamy, however, it is less common.
What Are The Risk Factors?
Protein in the urine can also cause foaminess and it’s usually due to kidney disease. Factors which increase the risk of kidney disease include:
- A family history of kidney disease
- High blood pressure
- Causes of retrograde ejaculation include:
- Diabetes
- Medications used to treat hypertension, enlarged prostate, or mood
- Nerve damage due to a spinal cord injury, diabetes, or other conditions
- Surgery on the prostate or urethra
Consult your healthcare provider if you suspect to have kidney disease or retrograde ejaculation, or if your urine continues to look foamy.
Diagnosis
Your healthcare provider will take a urine sample to test protein levels in your urine. A 24-hour urine test taken compares albumin levels to creatinine levels, which is a substance produced when muscles break down. This is called the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), which shows how well kidneys are filtering the blood. If UACR is higher than 30 milligrams per gram then you might have kidney disease. Also, your doctor may suggest further tests to check how efficiently your kidneys are working.
Also Read: Glomerular Filtration Rate Test: Why Is It Needed And What To Expect?
The healthcare provider will also check for the presence of sperm in the urine if retrograde ejaculation is a suspected cause.
Treatment
Generally, the treatment mode for foamy urine depends on the underlying cause.
If a person is badly dehydrated, they should drink of plenty fluids until the urine is pale yellow or completely transparent.
For diabetic patients, doctors recommend prescription medications or insulin to stabilize their blood sugar levels. Also, it is important to monitor blood sugar levels frequently, to ensure they are within a normal range.
Doctors may prescribe medications for those with early-stage kidney disease. Also adopting healthy lifestyle modifications is also suggested:
- Having a wholesome, balanced and low-sodium diet
- Regulating high blood pressure
- Controlling blood sugar levels
- Exercising regularly
- Not smoking
Those with severe kidney disease or kidneys that function improperly may need dialysis.
