What does hazy urine mean?

Introduction

Most of us know that urine is a byproduct of our kidneys and bladder. But what do you do when your pee is cloudy or hazy, instead of clear? This could be a sign of an infection in your urinary tract, which can be uncomfortable and even dangerous if it's not treated properly. Fortunately, most cases don't require a trip to the doctor's office—just some home remedies (and maybe a few questions for your healthcare provider).

Urine is typically clear and pale yellow in color.

Urine is typically clear and pale yellow in color. Urine is a waste product of the kidneys, which filter the blood and remove excess water, nutrients, nitrogenous wastes (as urea), and other substances that are harmful to the body.

Urine is made up of urea and water. The main constituents of urine are urea (from protein metabolism), uric acid (from purine metabolism), creatinine (a byproduct of muscle metabolism), inorganic salts such as sodium chloride and potassium chloride, hormones such as erythropoietin caused by red blood cell production in bone marrow; in addition to vitamins B1 (thiamine) and B6 (pyridoxine).

Urine can turn cloudy when it gets mixed with bacteria or blood.

The color and appearance of urine is important. Cloudy urine can be a sign of a urinary tract infection, protein in the urine or even kidney stones. Cloudy urine can also result when bacteria or blood gets into your bladder and mixes with your pee.

Bacteria and blood are not always bad for you, but having them in your pee could mean that you have an infection, especially if it's happening frequently or if it's painful to urinate when cloudy urine occurs. An infection like this isn't usually serious—it just means that there's something going on in your body that could use some attention from a doctor so they can help make sure everything works properly again.

Haematuria is the term for blood in urine

Haematuria is the term for blood in urine. It's a sign of a urinary tract infection, kidney stones or cancer, but it can also be caused by blood from other organs.

Haematuria may be a result of an STD—it's more common in men who have sex with men than in other groups.

White blood cells in the urine are a sign of infection.

The color and clarity of urine is affected by many factors, including what you eat, drink, and how much water you consume. It's important to understand that the appearance of your urine is not always an indication of a health problem. However, if you notice any abnormal changes in its appearance or color, this may be a sign of disease or infection.

If you see blood in your urine (hematuria) or cloudy urine with white particles floating around (proteinuria), this could indicate that there are problems within the urinary tract system—a condition known as nephrotic syndrome. Nephrotic syndrome can also cause swelling in different parts of your body due to fluid retention caused by protein loss from the kidneys into the bloodstream.

Cloudy Urine With White Particles Floating Around Is A Sign Of Proteinuria: What Does This Mean? Cloudy Urine With White Particles Floating Around Is A Sign Of Proteinuria: What Does This Mean? Cloudy Urine With White Particles Floating Around Is A Sign Of Proteinuria: What Does This Mean? Cloudy Urine With White Particles Floating Around Is A Sign Of Proteinuria: What Does This Mean?

Samples of hazy urine can be sent to a lab for testing.

If you have a sample of hazy urine that's been sitting for at least 30 minutes, it can be sent to a lab for testing. The lab can test it for bacteria and blood, which may indicate you have a urinary tract infection (UTI). They'll also do tests to see if you have diabetes or protein in your urine, which are both indicators of kidney disease.

You might not feel comfortable having someone collect a sample from you, but there's really no reason to be worried about this part of the process. Your doctor's office or the lab they send it to will give you step-by-step instructions on how to collect the sample using either a cup or bag collection system (also known as an "Foley" catheter). We've gone into more detail on collecting samples here if you'd like more information on this aspect of the process.

If your urine is hazy for more than a few days or if it becomes cloudy again shortly after clearing up, you should visit your doctor.

If your urine is hazy, it’s not always necessary to see a doctor. You should speak to your doctor if it lasts more than a couple of days or returns frequently.

If your urine is hazy once or twice and it goes away quickly, it could be for one of the following reasons:

• You ate something that gave you gas (gas bubbles in the bladder). This can make the urine look cloudy or foamy when you urinate. It's also possible that drinking too much water will dilute your body's electrolytes, causing excess hydrogen ions to build up in your urine and make it look like seltzer water.
• You drank too much coffee—or any other caffeinated drink—and are experiencing caffeine withdrawal symptoms (caffeine stimulates production of bicarbonate in the kidneys). Toddlers may drink excessive amounts of milk when they’re teething and develop cloudy urine as well.

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped you to understand what hazy urine means. If your urine is hazy and you are concerned, speak to your doctor about it.