Are you noticing foamy (or bubbly) urine along with feeling nauseous and vomiting? If yes, you might have developed proteinuria, which means you lose too much protein from your body through your urine. It occurs due to different conditions and diseases that affect kidney function. In some cases, it may be temporary and doesn’t affect kidneys, hence, it doesn’t require treatment. But in some cases, it affects kidney function and can lead to kidney damage if not treated on time. Learn about proteinuria’s causes and symptoms in this article. If you want to know more about urological health, visit us at Doral Health and Wellness Urology Center and consult with the best nephrologists and urologists in East New York.

Proteinuria: Clinical types

There are 3 types of proteinuria, including:

1. Transient proteinuria:

This type of proteinuria causes temporary excretion of protein due to strenuous exercise, a high fever, exposure to cold, stress, and other conditions. It is a very common type of proteinuria and doesn’t require treatment because it happens occasionally without the involvement of underlying kidney disease. Pregnant women may experience more protein in their urine excretion.

2. Orthostatic proteinuria:

This type of proteinuria makes you lose protein in excretion when you’re in an upright position. It mostly happens in 2 to 5% of children, tall-thin adolescents, and young adults less than 30 years of age. It’s not harmful and goes away with age and kidneys are generally healthy during this proteinuria.

3. Persistent proteinuria:

This type of proteinuria is the most harmful and happens due to kidney disease or conditions that affect the kidneys like glomerulonephritis, primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney damage due to systemic disease. It also occurs if you have a condition that leads to overproduction of protein in the body.

There is one other type of proteinuria as well, which is not common. Overflow proteinuria occurs due to diseases that don’t affect kidneys such as multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow that flood your blood with too many proteins that pass through into the urine filtered.

Causes and risk factors

Proteinuria occurs when some diseases and conditions allow proteins to pass through the filters of your kidneys and lead to protein in the urine. The kidney’s main role is to filter waste products from your blood and keep what the body needs including proteins. Losing a high amount of protein from the urine means kidney damage or having conditions that affect kidney function. Sometimes conditions that cause a temporary rise in the levels of protein in the urine are not severe or indicate kidney damage, including:

• Dehydration
• Exposure to extreme cold
• Fever
• Strenuous exercise

These conditions are temporary and don’t require treatment. On the other hand, kidney diseases or other conditions affecting kidney function need to be identified and treatment is required. It includes:

• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetic nephropathy
• Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)
• Glomerulonephritis
• High blood pressure
• IgA nephropathy
• Lupus
• Multiple myeloma
• Membranous nephropathy
• Preeclampsia
• Nephrotic syndrome
• Membranous nephropathy

Other conditions and factors that affect your kidney’s function that may result in protein in urine include:

• Amyloidosis
• Certain drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Heart disease
• Heart failure
• Hodgkin lymphoma
• Kidney infection
• Malaria
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Orthostatic proteinuria

Certain factors increase your risk of having protein in your urine including:

• Age over 65.
• Have a family history of kidney disease.
• Belong to any of these races, or ethnic, like African American, Native American, Hispanic, or Pacific Islander descent.
• Pregnancy
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure

Symptoms

You may not experience any symptoms at all in the early stages of proteinuria, however, as the disease progression and gets worse, you may experience proteinuria symptoms, such as:

• Swelling (edema) in your face around the eyes, belly, arms, hands, legs, ankles, and feet.
• Frequent urination.
• Shortness of breath.
• Tiredness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Appetite loss.
• Muscle cramping at night
• Foamy and bubbly urine

These symptoms also resemble chronic kidney disease. So, if you have these symptoms, especially foamy pee, and swelling, then, you should seek medical help immediately.

When should you worry?

You should worry when:

• You pee more frequently than usual, or it hurts to pee.
• Your pee is foamy or bubbly.
• You feel nauseous or vomit.
• You are dizzy, weak, or lightheaded.
• You develop swelling or puffiness around the face, abdomen, or lower body.
• Your symptoms don’t get better after treatment.

Proteinuria is a sign of conditions and diseases that affect kidney function and release high levels of protein in your pee. In some cases, it is temporary and doesn’t affect your kidney function, but in other cases, it can be severe and lead to kidney damage. That’s why if you have any proteinuria symptoms for more than a few days, you should see your doctor for early diagnosis and treatment.

If you need help with proteinuria, visit a urology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment today and get it treated right away and keep your kidneys healthy!!!!

At Doral Health and Wellness Urology Center, our team of urologists will work with you in managing your disease and your quality of life. We also offer services, such as renal and bladder ultrasound. To schedule an appointment, please visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at https://www.urologistbrooklyn.com/.