What Causes Cloudy Urine & 12 Home Remedies To Get Rid of It

We empty our bladder whenever we feel like peeing. The normal straw-yellow or transparent urine that our body passes, signifies healthy metabolic and excretion system of our body. However, any changes in the appearance or the color of the urine indicates possible metabolic disorder resulting in dehydration or diseases of urinary tract system.

Urinary bladder infection frequently causes cloudy urine. The urine become cloudy because urine is mixed with pus or blood. Urine become cloudy if urine contains lots of white blood cells that sediments and settles at the bottom of urine. The cloudy urine is a disorder that needs to be evaluated as soon as possible. Cloudy urine is frequently caused by dehydration and UTI or urinary tract infections, though there are a lot of other causes for cloudy urine as well. In most cases, cloudy urine with no symptoms suggests that the infection is in the initial stages. Usually the conditions causing cloudy urine can be effectively treated at home with some home remedies during the initial stages. Read below to know about the causes and some home remedies for cloudy urine.

Urine contains water, electrolytes, metabolites and waste product. Kidney filters and removes excess of water, electrolytes and waste metabolites from blood. Kidney discharges urine into ureter. Urine dribbles through the tubular ureter in to urinary bladder. Urine is collected in urinary bladder and when volume of urine reaches optimum volume then bladder contracts and urine is discharged out through tubular urethra. Urine become cloudy when concentration of waste is higher in urine or urine is mixed with pus or blood. Thus, cloudy urine indicates either it is contaminated with bacteria or mixed with blood, pus or lymph. Because urine is a compilation of the waste from the body, it is a good indicator of your health condition. There are several causes than can cause cloudy urine. Serious conditions should be investigated and treated as soon as possible. One should see primary care physician or specialist if discharged urine looks cloudy.

• UTI or Urinary Tract Infection
• Chyluria
• Dehydration
• Cloudy urine during pregnancy and postpartum period
• Kidney Stones
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Semen mixed with urine
• Diabetes and urinary tract infection
• Preeclampsia
• Heart diseases

Urinary tract infection spreads in kidney, ureter, urinary bladder and urethra. Infection of mucosal lining discharges mucosa, purulent secretion and blood into urine. Urine stays stagnant in urinary bladder and become cloudy. Infection of kidney known as pyelonephritis, ureter and urinary bladder causes cloudy urine. In few cases the micturition or passing urine is painful.

Cloudy urine is also caused by discharge of lymphatic fluid in urine. Disease is known as Chyluria, when urine seems to be white and cloudy because of lymphatic fluid is discharged in urine. Chyluria may follow an injury of lymphatic vessels following blunt or sharp trauma of urinary bladder. Occasionally there may not be any reason for chyluria and then condition is known as idiopathic chyluria. Idiopathic chyluria causes cloudy urine in individual with no history of injury or disease that results in any symptoms or signs of infection. Urine examination and blood examination of patient suffering with idiopathic chyluria shows negative results of urinary tract infection or filariasis. Chyluria is also caused by blockade of lymphatic vessels in urinary bladder because of filarial parasite infection. Most individual suffering with filarial chyluria complains of generalized weakness and fatigue. Filariasis is parasite infection and causes lymphatic swelling of leg and also urinary bladder. Chyluria is observed in Africa in individual suffering with filariasis. Urine does shows heavy proteinuria and high blood triglyceride level.

Dehydration causes less water content in blood serum. Kidney removes water, metabolites and waste product from blood. But water get reabsorbed in distal part of kidney tubule. Thus kidney produces concentrated urine that contains higher concentration of waste and metabolites. The concentrated urine looks cloudy. Thus, cloudy urine is frequently seen in dehydrated patient. The symptoms are mostly cause by dehydration. Individual feels lethargic, fatigue and weak. Symptoms disappear once dehydration is corrected. Be sure to drink plenty of water and other fluids throughout the day, so as to avoid a serious health issue.

One may also experience cloudy urine during pregnancy. This may be because of a UTI or urinary tract infection, which may be causing the complications during pregnancy. It is important that if you are pregnant, do seek medical attention in case you notice cloudy urine or other symptoms of UTI, as this can become a risk factor for several conditions like preterm delivery and low baby weight.

Cloudy urine can also be a result of kidney stones. This affects up to 5% of the population and can cause urine that is cloudy, because they can cause pus in the urine, which gives it a cloudy or milky appearance. Since a kidney stone has jagged edges sometimes, which causes the production of pus, thus it may result in the cloudy urine. Kidney stones can be severely painful and requires strict medical attention.

Urine can also appear cloudy because of some sexually transmitted diseases or STDs. Cloudy urine may be a symptom of Gonorrhea, a STD that can infect both men as well as women. Gonorrhea causes infections in the genitals and rectum, which results in increased discharge from the vagina and penis. The discharge when mixed with urine may make your urine appear cloudy. One more serious STD is Chlamydia, which can also cause cloudy urine.

Urine appears cloudy when the semen gets mixed with the urine. Semen in few individual passes into urinary bladder and mixes with residual urine. This is not a case of leaking semen outside the body, instead semen ejects into urinary bladder. The urine when injected then looks cloudy, because urine is mixed with semen. Semen in the urine is not a common occurrence, and thus it may be seen sometimes and not every time you urinate.

Individual suffering with diabetes and when maintain poor hygiene, frequently gets urinary tract infection. The infection rapidly spreads in bladder and ureter resulting in mucosal inflammatory reaction. The acute infection causes cloudy urine when hematuria (blood in urine) and pus is mixed with urine.

Symptoms of Preeclampsia are observed in pregnant female after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The symptoms include increased blood pressure and proteinuria. Proteinuria is condition that results in increased protein concentration in urine because of increased protein secretion by kidney. Pregnant female suffering with preeclampsia also often develops urinary tract infection. High proteinuria as well as pus and blood in urine because of urinary tract infection (UTI) causes cloudy urine. It is important for pregnant female to rule out UTI when symptoms and signs of preeclampsia are observed.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is caused by several heart diseases like heart valve disease or heart attack. Heart pumps lesser volume of blood, when heart is suffering with congestive heart failure. Heart failure is observed in 1 to 3% of the general population. Nearly 50% of patient suffering with heart failure also developed urinary tract infection (UTI). Most patient suffering with CHF and UTI develops cloudy urine, increased frequency of urine and hematuria.

Occasionally individual may notice cloudy urine after eating food that contains vegetables. Such reaction is rare. If you observed cloudy urine consult your physician to rule out illnesses that may be causing cloudy urine and also avoid vegetable or fruit that may be causing cloudy urine.

1. Water
2. Parsley
3. Ginger
4. Garlic
5. Cranberry Juice
6. Baking Soda
7. L-Arginine
8. Quercetin
9. Acupuncture
10. Have Preventive Measures Related To Sexual Intercourse
11. Have Preventive Measures Related To Sexual Intercourse
12. Avoid Common Skin Allergens
13. Avoid Foods That Exacerbate Symptoms

Drinking water and keeping self well hydrated can help you in preventing dehydration that might be causing cloudy urine. It is essential for you to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water daily for proper body functioning. Sufficient amount of water reduces the concentration of harmful bacteria in the region between the bladder and the urinary tract, and also eliminates the deposition of the bacteria by way of urine.

Parsley is also known to be very effective home remedy in combating cloudy urine. It has anti-inflammatory properties and also contains a useful enzyme known as Bromelain, which reduces the painful symptoms of UTI or urinary tract infection. You need to take unsweetened and fresh Parsley juice, at least 2-3 times every day to get rid of cloudy urine.

One more useful home remedy to get rid of cloudy urine is Ginger. Being loaded with anti-bacterial properties and being a good source of antioxidants, it helps in fighting the bacteria responsible for causing the urinary tract infection that might cause cloudy urine. You need to consume raw and fresh ginger which is loaded with dietary fiber and helps in providing relieve during infection.

Garlic is rich in antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, and it also exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant as well as immune-boosting effects that help in treating UTI or urinary tract infections that cause cloudy urine, making it a useful home remedy. Research suggests that combining garlic oil and parsley in pill form can inhibit bacterial growth and reproduction.

Cranberry is also a wonderful home remedy for urine related problems and it can help in treating cloudy urine. Drinking cranberry juice twice every day helps in preventing urinary tract infection. The juice has remarkable antibiotic properties that help in destroying bacterial infections. You need to drink 2-3 glasses of the juice every day. You can also talk to your doctor and start a cranberry supplement.

Baking soda is used as a home remedy for many ailments and it can also be used to get rid of cloudy urine caused by urinary tract infections. Drinking diluted baking soda in water, aids in providing good relief from the difficult symptoms of the UTI. Moreover, baking soda acts as a neutralizer that neutralizes the acid levels in the urine and helps in its quick recovery.

L-arginine is a type of amino acid that helps with detoxification and also fights inflammation. It is also known to have antibacterial and immune-modulating properties. L-arginine can play a crucial role in treating UTI. When L-arginine is converted into nitric oxide, it can also inhibit the growth of different microbes that may cause Urinary tract infections and symptoms such as cloudy urine.

A flavonoid antioxidant known as Quercetin plays an important role in fighting inflammation. You can get enough of quercetin from eating a healthy diet which includes foods like leafy vegetables, berries and broccoli. Studies have shown that people who experience bladder pains from infections, which results in cloudy urine, swelling and burning, and an urgent need to urinate, benefit by taking quercetin supplement.

Some Other Home Remedies For Cloudy Urine Include:

Acupuncture is known to reduce the residual urine, which is a risk factor in the pathogenesis of recurrent lower UTIs occurring mostly in postmenopausal women, which can help in getting rid of cloudy urine. It is also indicated that acupuncture reduces the rate of cystitis recurrence among women who are prone to cystitis, to half the rate among the untreated women.

Research has shown that preventive measures related to sexual intercourse may reduce the recurrence rate of urinary tract infections or UTI. Avoid multiple sexual partners, spermicidal contraceptives, vaginal and diaphragms douching, which may reduce the UTI and symptoms of cloudy urine. Using preventive measures related to sexual intercourse also helps in reducing the chances of getting STDs that may cause your urine to appear cloudy.

There are some common skin allergens you need to avoid so as to get rid of cloudy urine. Bath oils, bubble bath liquids, vaginal lotions and creams, soaps, deodorant sprays are some of the skin allergens you need to avoid. These skin products can alter vaginal flora and cause Urinary tract infections and its symptoms like cloudy urine.

Symptoms of UTI, including the cloudy urine reduces with the elimination of some common foods that are problematic, such as carbonated drinks, alcoholic beverages, caffeine, spicy foods, citrus fruit, tomatoes and vinegar. Even foods containing Arylalkylamine, such as bananas, cheese, beer, nuts, onions, mayonnaise, raisins, wine, sour cream and yogurt, have also known to increase the symptoms of the infection causing the urine to appear cloudy.

It must be noted that the color of your urine has been an important diagnostic tool, since the beginning of medicine, as it reveals crucial information about your health. We talked about some of the causes and home remedies for your urine appearing cloudy. Although cloudy urine does not always indicate any underlying serious health problems, however if you notice it lasting for several days, even after trying the home remedies, you need to reach out to your doctor and get yourself properly diagnosed appropriately for the best of the possible treatments.

References

Also Read:

• Chyluria or Chylous Urine: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment- Sclerotherapy, Surgery
• Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD): Causes, Forms, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Nutritional Therapy, Complications, Prevention
• What Can Cause Urine Blood and How is it Treated?
• What Causes Feeling of Bladder Fullness After Urination?