Expecting a child is an important and responsible stage in the life of every woman. That is why even minor changes in urine and blood tests can put the expectant mother in a stressful state. Cloudy urine is one of the common pathologies that can occur at different stages of pregnancy. This symptom is not always associated with the development of the disease: in some women it goes away within a few weeks and is a variant of the norm. But if you notice that cloudy urine does not disappear for more than a month, you should consult a doctor for advice.
Normal transparency indicators
For people of any age and gender, completely clear urine is normal. However, during analysis, several cells of epithelial tissue can be visualized in the field of view - this value is not considered pathological.
The body of a woman carrying a child is rebuilt, and many of its functions undergo changes. A slight excess of salts, which are normally present in urine, in pregnant women is completely spent on the construction of bone and cartilaginous structures of the fetus. Therefore, in pregnant women, normal urine is initially characterized by complete transparency, unaltered by urates, phosphates and oxalates.
Changes in transparency during different periods of gestation indicate possible problems, but they should only be interpreted by a qualified specialist, because normal urine values in pregnant women do not always coincide with the standard ones.
During pregnancy, turbidity may be due to the presence of the following substances:
- pus;
- epithelium and mucus;
- phosphates, calcium salts, urates, oxalates;
- red blood cells;
- bacteria and their metabolic products.
Dependence of urine color on medications
The color of urine may change during treatment with various drugs. The most common option for pregnant women is taking multivitamins. They almost always contain riboflavin (vitamin B2) and folic acid, which cause urine to turn bright yellow.
Among the less harmless drugs that are prohibited during pregnancy, but which you may have come across, mention should be made of 5-NOK (aka nitroxoline), Furamag, Furadrnin, Furazolidone. These products also turn the urine bright yellow. Usually the manufacturer mentions such nuances in the instructions. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you study this information before taking the drug, especially during pregnancy.
What causes physiological turbidity in urine?
In pregnant women, causes of deterioration in transparency caused by changes in physiology are much more common than in all other people. During this period, a woman’s diet has a more pronounced effect on urine parameters.
Turbidity can develop due to certain eating and drinking habits:
- Significant consumption of cocoa, chocolate or natural coffee leads to an increase in the amount of oxalates. This usually happens during the first months, when oxalates are not yet fully involved in the construction of the elements of the child’s musculoskeletal system.
- Spinach, tomatoes and sorrel can also change the salinity to a level that irritates the epithelial surfaces of the ureter, making them more vulnerable to attack by various microorganisms.
- Excess animal proteins in the diet can cause a shift in the homeostasis of physiological fluids towards uraturia. In the presence of a large amount of urate, urine acquires a pronounced brick color, which impairs transparency.
- Dishes based on beets can give urine a red tint, and light-colored grape berries can lead to a white color.
All these changes can be easily corrected by correct selection of diet. It must be remembered that pregnant women need to avoid excessive consumption of any one product and eat a balanced and varied diet. Sometimes, when the urine becomes cloudy, a salt-free diet is prescribed. Among the folk remedies, natural birch sap without added sugar helps improve the characteristics of urine.
When visiting the toilet in the morning, you should not be alarmed by the deterioration of transparency, since during the night the concentration of urine increases, which gives the color richness.
We must not forget that at the very latest, starting from the 38th week, copious mucus may be part of the plug, which comes off when the cervix dilates.
Therapeutic measures
Cloudy urine may indicate pyelonephritis in a pregnant woman, which can be treated with antibiotics.
Therapy for cloudy urine during pregnancy is based on eliminating the cause that provoked the pathology. When cloudy urine is observed due to inflammatory processes, doctors prescribe the use of antibacterial pharmaceuticals.
When it comes to pyelonephritis, which affects about 10% of pregnant women, doctors prescribe antibiotics that are safe for the fetus. The choice of medications depends on the type of microorganisms that provoked the disease.
- "Cefixime";
- "Ampicillin";
- "Doxycycline";
- "Cefuroxime".
Cloudy urine during different periods of pregnancy
Factors that provoke the appearance of cloudy urine during pregnancy can be caused by inflammatory processes, dysfunction of urinary structures, genetic characteristics and hereditary diseases. Those who suffer from chronic diseases need to be especially attentive to their health during this period, since pregnancy often aggravates existing problems in the body.
In the early stages
In the first trimester, many women experience toxicosis, aggravated by morning attacks of nausea. In the most severe cases, nausea continues around the clock, worsening after meals. Vomiting leads to moderate or severe dehydration, preventing the body from fully saturating the body with fluid and negatively affecting well-being. During toxicosis and the dehydration provoked by it, an increase in turbidity is observed due to the increased concentration of salt compounds.
If turbidity occurs during the first three months due to the excessive presence of protein with levels exceeding 300 mg per day, this may indicate pathological changes in the kidneys and renal structures.
In addition, cloudy urine in the first trimester may mean that an inflammatory process begins in the urinary system, which so far continues in a latent form without other obvious symptoms. This is how cystitis, pyelonephritis, urethritis and other inflammatory diseases can manifest themselves.
If a woman had chronic pyelonephritis before pregnancy, then in the first months of pregnancy it is highly likely that it may become acute due to the constantly increasing load on the kidneys.
In the second trimester
From the third to the sixth month of intrauterine development, the fetus intensively increases in size, which proportionally increases the amount of its waste products. All these products are excreted through the maternal excretory system, so transparency becomes not only an indicator of the health of the mother, but also an indicator of the condition of the fetus to an even greater extent than in the early stages. Less and less salts are excreted through urine, ensuring its transparency, since they are actively consumed as building material when increasing the skeletal mass of the child.
In the third trimester
At this stage, most women begin to experience severe attacks of heartburn, which they usually try to combat by drinking soda dissolved in water or large amounts of alkaline mineral water. Minerals that are naturally utilized by the mother's kidneys inevitably change the turbidity value.
By the 36th week, the pelvic organs have shifted significantly due to the fact that the enlarged uterus takes up a lot of space. At the same time, the bladder experiences strong pressure and is forced beyond its usual limits. At this time, the patency of the lumen of the ureter may be impaired, which can also change the transparency of urine.
The most dangerous cause of cloudy urine in the third trimester is the onset of gestosis - late toxicosis. This specific disease that develops during pregnancy poses a threat to the health and life of both the mother and the fetus. In order not to miss this dangerous change, in the later stages general clinical tests are monitored much more often than in the first and second trimesters.
Common Causes of Cloudy Urine
Malfunctions in the body can occur at any stage of pregnancy, which is reflected in the indicators of general clinical tests.
The causes of cloudy urine can be the following factors:
- An increase in salt concentration is a signal of genitourinary dysfunction. Such impurities consist of urates, phosphates, calcium compounds, and oxalates. In addition to the suspended state, they can be present in the form of significant sediment, which can cause the formation of stones and sand in the kidneys, promote inflammatory processes in the urinary system, which negatively affects the health of mother and baby.
- Red blood cells appear in urine after overwork or excessive physical exertion. If this is the reason, then good rest and good sleep are enough to restore normal parameters. In addition, red blood cells can cause turbidity in pyelitis, glomerulonephritis, nephritis, severe gestosis, and these conditions require urgent treatment in a hospital setting.
- Lymph gives the urine a cloudy, milky tint. This happens when the lymphatic and urinary tracts mix their contents in small volumes.
- The presence of bacteria is the main sign of infection of the genitourinary system and pathologies such as pyelonephritis or cystitis. Most often this is accompanied by an increase in white blood cells and an unpleasant odor.
- Leukocytes in increased numbers are an indicator of renal and genitourinary inflammation, initiating urolithiasis, cystitis, etc. Leukocyturia is also observed with tuberculosis or renal amyloidosis, with glomerulonephritis.
- The epithelium gives urine an opaque turbidity. Epithelial cells enter physiological fluids from the epithelium during inflammation of the mucous membranes of the excretory system.
- Protein - because of it, the analyzed liquid has a whitish opalescent color. In the early stages of pregnancy, this occurs due to renal dysfunction, and in the later stages - due to gestosis.
- Change in acidity . A decrease in pH to the acidic side indicates kidney problems or thyroid dysfunction. An increase in pH levels occurs with potassium deficiency or at high temperatures.
Turbid urine during diagnosis draws attention to the need to check biochemical and physical parameters and look for the cause, carefully examining other indicators.
In the video below, the doctor explains in detail how to minimize the risk of infection of the genitourinary system during pregnancy.
Reasons for changing status
During pregnancy, the load on the female body increases:
- kidneys work in enhanced mode;
- the ureters are compressed by the growing uterus;
- Bladder volume decreases due to fetal pressure.
A short urethra, decreased local immunity, and increased vaginal discharge can lead to cystitis. This infection is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. Inflammation of the bladder is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms and changes in the composition of urine. The cause of cloudiness is the presence of bacteria and leukocytes.
More pronounced changes are observed with pyelonephritis. This condition cannot be missed; the disease is accompanied by increased body temperature, pain in the lumbar region, and dysuric disorders. Acute pyelonephritis often begins to bother you in the second trimester. During this period, the fetus is actively growing, the position of the ureters changes and urodynamic disturbances occur.
How to eliminate errors when collecting urine
In order to have reliable data after receiving the results and not worry about possible errors, you must follow the rules for collecting urine for analysis.
The sample must be freshly collected. If this condition cannot be met, then in rare cases it is possible to store the sample in the refrigerator. Cooling often provokes temporary precipitation and cloudiness, which disappears when heated to body temperature, so you should not take it as an alarming signal.
In order to prevent unwanted impurities that cause turbidity from entering the sample, before collecting urine it is necessary to wash the genitals without soap or other cosmetics. The first portion must be discarded, and the rest must be collected in a container and delivered to the laboratory.
Dangers to the pregnant woman and fetus
If an expectant mother discovers that her urine has become cloudier than usual, she should immediately contact her gynecologist, who will help determine the reasons. He will conduct a survey during which he will find out:
- whether there is pain in the lower abdomen;
- is there any burning or painful sensations during urination;
- what is the body temperature of a pregnant woman;
- Are the pains in the back and lower back bothering you?
If, after a survey and detailed tests, the gynecologist determines that the cause of cloudy urine during pregnancy was a specific diet and lifestyle, he will advise you to correct them. This is the simplest measure that will quickly return all indicators to normal without the slightest damage to the health of mother and child.
If the information received indicates health problems related to gynecology, the woman will undergo treatment under the guidance of a gynecologist. If tests indicate the presence of renal pathologies or malfunctions of the endocrine system, treatment will be carried out by a nephrologist or endocrinologist.
It is important to remember that with timely treatment carried out in accordance with the perinatal period, there will be no danger to the health of the mother and fetus. Therefore, it is so important not to skip systematic studies of general clinical urine parameters, the direction for which is issued by the local gynecologist.
Methods for diagnosing various pathologies
If you suspect the formation of the disease, a pregnant woman should contact an obstetrician-gynecologist and inform him about changes in urine. After this, the doctor will refer her for a consultation with a nephrologist or urologist to identify the possible cause of the disease.
If you have previously had any diseases of the urinary system, you should definitely inform your doctor about it.
Basic methods of differential diagnosis of pathology:
- A general urinalysis test. In a healthy person, urine is transparent, has a straw-yellow color, and does not contain sand or foreign impurities. When pathology appears, the cellular composition is dominated by protein, leukocytes, erythrocytes, casts and bacteria.
- Microflora smear. A small amount of biological material taken from the vagina is placed on a nutrient medium in a thermostat for 10–14 days. After this, you can determine the type of pathogenic microbes and select drugs for treatment.
- Ultrasound examination (ultrasound) of the urinary system is one of the safest instrumental scans that will not harm the baby. With its help, you can identify the presence of an inflammatory process in the area of the bladder, kidneys, and also detect stones.
