Protein in Urine

New Jersey Kidney Treatments & Diagnostics

Your kidneys are responsible for filtering out waste in your blood so that nutrients can perform their function in the body without contamination. Trace amounts of protein in urine is normal, but it should mostly be protein-free. High protein in urine is called proteinuria. This condition can cause a protein deficiency and could be an early warning sign of kidney disease.

How Do I know If I Have Protein in My Urine?

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to self-diagnose high protein in the urine. Your doctor may not even think to test for it unless they are already performing a routine urinalysis or notice you’re suffering from protein deficiency. One of the few noticeable symptoms of proteinuria is swelling in the body, but the absence of this symptom does not exclude the possibility of having high protein in the urine.

Patients with diabetes and high blood pressure are at a higher risk of proteinuria, so many physicians will regularly perform urine tests to ensure they are not suffering any complications.

Treating Proteinuria

If protein in urine is found, your doctor should perform a kidney health screening. Proteinuria is not a disease, but a symptom of kidney complications. The physician’s primary concern will be treating the underlying cause of the high protein count.

For chronic conditions that cannot be remedied right away, doctors may prescribe medication to prevent protein from leaking into urine and keep the body in balance.