Normally, the color of urine is light yellow or sometimes it is clear. Many health issues related to the clarity or color of your urine. Simple dehydration, sexually transmitted disease (STD), kidney stone and urinary tract infection (UTI) are the possible health conditions that can be indicated by the urine color or clarity.
Some of the common causes associated with the cloudy urine are discussed below.
Dehydration:
When you do not consume enough water, the color of your urine may appear light yellow. This means you are dehydrated. Once you consume enough water to rehydrate, your urine color clears up quickly. Just take care you are consuming at least 7-8 glasses of water every day, there is no need to much worry. Increase the water consumption, if you still notice the cloudy urine. Coffee, tea
You should consume more liquid diet to prevent the dehydration effects. In case of severe dehydration, you should consult your doctor.
Kidney Infection or Kidney stones:
Several kidney infections begin as urinary tract infections, which get worse over time if you do not get effective treatment. UTIs and kidney infections, both have similar symptoms.
The solid salt and mineral deposits (generally known as stones) do not cause any symptoms unless they start moving towards urinary tract.
Symptoms of kidney stones are as follows
- Crystallized substances in urine
- Foul smelling
- Cloudy urine or blood in your urine
- Severe back pain
- Pain in abdomen
- Fever
- Chills
- Nausea or vomiting
- Bloody, dark or foul-smelling smell
Most of the time, kidney stones pass naturally through urine. In case of severe pain, doctor may prescribe pain medication. In case of larger stones, the specialist may recommend shock wave therapy or various medications to break these stones into small pieces which can get easily pass through urine. In case of very large stones, doctors may prescribe surgery to remove them.
Sexually Transmitted Infection: Sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia and gonorrhea, may cause dark or cloudy urine. During these bacterial infections, your Immune system produces white blood cells that mix with the urine and make it cloudy.
These Sexually Transmitted Diseases also cause infrequent discharge from the penis or vagina, which causes thick or cloudy urine. Other symptoms of these infections are,
- Blisters, sores or rashes on the genitals
- Burning or pain during ejaculation or urination
- Pain during intercourse
- Intolerable pain in the genitals
- Itching of the pelvis or genitals
Early diagnosis of this disease can help a person in getting an effective treatment. Also, one should use protection during sexual intercourse to prevent spreading STDs.
Vulvovaginitis:
This is an inflammation in the genital areas like vagina and vulva, and may lead to cloudy urine. Viruses, fungi and bacterial infections are the most common cause of this infection.
Other common symptoms of vulvovaginitis are as follow:
- Painful urination
- A fishy smell that gets worse after sexual intercourse
- Discolored discharge from the vagina
- Light and watery discharge
- Foul-smelling vaginal discharge
- Itchiness around vulva
Doctor may recommend antiviral, antifungal or antibiotic medication to cure vulvovaginitis and its symptoms.
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): This infection is another cause of the cloudy urine. If your urine has strong or pungent smells, you may have a UTI. The cloudy urine or milky color appearance usually comes from the discharge of either blood or pus into the urinary tract.
Other various symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) along with cloudy urine are,
- Pain in the pelvis
- Foul smelling and cloudy urine
- Inflammation while urinating
- Trouble in urinating
- Pain in lower back or abdomen
- Feeling to urinate frequently
Any person who experiences above symptoms should consult with a specialist for diagnosis. Early treatment can help in preventing complications and discomfort.
Diabetes: Diabetic kidney disease and type 1 or type 2 diabetes, are the primary cause of the cloudy urine. Excess sugar that is removed from your body, mix with the urine and providing it a cloudy appearance.
Other symptoms of diabetes are given below.
- Trouble healing from normal wounds
- Continuous infections
- Weight loss
- Fatigue or nausea
- Feeling thirsty, even after consuming water
If anyone doesn’t get early treatment may lead to severe problems like kidney failure. People who have these kinds of health issues should consult with their doctors or specialist who can diagnose and treat well.
When to consult with your doctor?
If someone experiences cloudy urine that lasts for many days, he/she should consult with a specialist for diagnosis and effective treatment. Blood in the urine may also due to kidney stones or kidney infection which require immediate treatment. Your doctor will recommend some urine tests to observe the cause of the cloudy urine.
