5 Things You Should Know about Proteinuria

Protein should be in your muscles and your blood, not your urine.

Proteinuria is when there is an abnormal amount of protein in your urine, which can be a sign of a serious disease or a harmless temporary condition.

1. How do you know if you have proteinuria?

A simple urine test can measure if you have protein in the urine. There are really two ways of checking, one is a single urine collection, and the second way is to collect your urine over a 24-hour period for analysis by the lab.

2. What are the symptoms?

Protein in the urine may cause foamy urine (bubbles in the toilet bowl). As the protein in the urine gets more severe, you may have swelling in your legs and perhaps your eyes.

3. What's wrong with having protein in my urine? What could it mean?

Protein in the urine may mean that there is kidney damage, which affects how the kidneys handle protein in your body. This is why it is important to get a check-up to see if it is significant or not and if there is ongoing kidney damage.

4. What are the treatment options?

Treatment of protein in the urine depends on the cause. Treatment may include things such as medication, diet or weight reduction.

5. Who should get tested for proteinuria?

You should get tested if you have diabetes, high blood pressure or family history of kidney disease. People over the age of 65 should also get tested. Be sure to talk to your doctor to see if you’re due for a test or if you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms.