A Lot of Foam in My Urine: Proteinuria Symptoms (Pregnancy, Diabetes, Causes)

A Lot of Foam in My Urine: Proteinuria Symptoms (Pregnancy, Diabetes, Causes)

After urinating in the bathroom and looking at the toilet, if there is an excessive amount of foam in the urine, you may think, 'Oh, am I sick somewhere?'

If you quickly search online for the symptom, you will learn that having a lot of foam in the urine is called 'proteinuria.'

It may be something that happens only temporarily, but since it cannot be ruled out as a sign that something is wrong with your body, if you have symptoms, it is a good idea to consider and check for the possibility of various conditions.

What is proteinuria?

Proteinuria literally means protein mixed in the urine.

If it comes out in the urine, it means there is a lot of protein in the body.

Normally, healthy kidneys filter protein in the blood and excrete only waste products in the urine.

If the kidney’s filtering function has a problem or becomes reduced, protein will pass into the urine as it is.

Urine with a lot of protein can create more foam on the surface and the foam may not disappear easily.

Urine foam: is it proteinuria?

Should foam from urine always be considered proteinuria?

Not necessarily.

It can appear temporarily.

If you urinate forcefully or quickly, the amount of foam may temporarily increase, and it can also appear when you are dehydrated with your first morning urine.

It may also appear when you are very tired or immediately after exercise.

Usually, it improves after drinking water or disappears within a few days.

When should you go to the hospital?

What symptoms of proteinuria mean you should go to the hospital?

Repeated foam appears every time The foam is large, does not disappear, and lasts a long time. It does not improve even after drinking water There is body swelling + fatigue along with proteinuria

If any of these apply to you, you should get evaluated for proteinuria. You can receive care at an internal medicine clinic through a blood test and consultation.

In some cases, proteinuria may also appear during pregnancy. A small amount occurring temporarily is okay, but if it continues, there is also the possibility of preeclampsia, so caution is especially needed.

Please be especially careful if you are in the later stages of pregnancy.

Also, proteinuria is a sign that can appear in patients with diabetes. If you have diabetes or if your fasting blood sugar and HbA1c are borderline, be sure to get tested.

In particular, if you do not have diabetes but have these symptoms, an internal medicine evaluation is especially needed.