Content

• Steps

It is normal for protein to appear in the urine (when it is higher than 150mg / day, your doctor will notify you that the protein in your urine is abnormally high). There are times when the protein will increase but only temporarily and can go away on its own, but if the problem occurs frequently or is very severe, you should see your doctor. Protein in the urine is often a sign of kidney disease or other health problems if it continues for several days.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Lifestyle changes and medical treatment

1. 

   Take steps to lower your blood pressure. High blood pressure puts extra strain on the kidneys, and since prolonged proteinuria (high protein content in the urine) is almost always associated with kidney problems, lowering blood pressure may be of great help. tell. Strategies for lowering blood pressure include:
   • Reduce the amount of salt in your diet. To do this, you must avoid using excess salt when cooking at home. Most importantly, you should avoid eating out too often, or avoid eating a lot of processed foods, as they often contain a lot of salt (much higher on average than homemade foods).
   • Lower cholesterol. Cholesterol builds up and forms plaque in the arteries, so blood pressure goes up. Ask your doctor to do a blood test to measure your fat and cholesterol levels, and determine if these are factors that need improvement in your diet.

2. 

   
   
   Use medicine to treat high blood pressure. In fact, anyone diagnosed with kidney disease or kidney dysfunction (which is the main reason for the continuously elevated protein in the urine) has a doctor prescribing a high blood pressure medication. Specifically, the drug your doctor usually prescribes is an "ACE inhibitor" (an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor). Some examples are Ramipril, Captopril and Lisinopril. The advantage of this class of antihypertensive drugs is that they have an additional benefit (and "protective effect") on the kidneys.
   • Ask your doctor to prescribe this medication if you have not taken it at this time.
   • Medication for high blood pressure alone is probably not enough for severe kidney disease.

3. 

   
   
   Ask your doctor about other treatments. For example, if you have an autoimmune disease that is causing kidney problems (so there is protein in your urine), you will need to take medicine to suppress your immune system. If kidney problems (and proteinuria) are a complication of diabetes, you may need to take medications like Metformin or Insulin to better control your blood sugar. There are many potential causes of kidney problems and proteinuria, so talk with your doctor about the best treatment for your situation. advertisement

Part 2 of 2: Cause assessment

1. 

   
   
   Diagnose the cause. You must understand that the only way to reduce (or treat) protein-containing urine is to diagnose its cause. This is because protein in the urine is not the cause, but a symptom that something is going on. Only the diagnosis and treatment of "something" can you cope with high urine protein.

2. 

   Determine what type of "proteinuria" you have. There are three types of proteinuria, and the good news is that two of them don't require treatment, usually they go away on their own over time. However, the third category requires a thorough physical exam to determine the underlying cause. The three types of proteinuria are:
   • Temporary proteinuria. That is when the urine test shows high protein content, but it will gradually decrease and return to normal in the next tests. Temporary proteinuria is often associated with extreme stress such as a fever causing illness, or more exercise than usual (like long-distance race training). Once the stress is over or your body gets used to it, the protein levels should return to normal.
   • Proteinuria due to standing position. That's when abnormally high protein levels are associated with changes in posture (standing, sitting and lying down). This type of proteinuria is rare and often occurs in teenagers; This condition doesn't need treatment and will most likely go away on its own as you mature.
   • Prolonged proteinuria. That's when protein in the urine stays high after multiple tests. This indicates you have an underlying health problem like kidney disease, diabetes, an autoimmune disease or another medical condition. You will have to perform a variety of tests to diagnose and treat.

3. 

   Evaluate the temporary stress you are experiencing. As mentioned above, if you currently have a fever due to illness, exercise more than usual, or are under heavy life pressure, the protein level in your urine may rise temporarily due to this stress. . It is crucial that you have a follow-up visit after a few days to have your urine test repeated (and take protein measurements), then your doctor can conclude that your protein level has decreased and / or hope to return. normal level. If you have "transient proteinuria," the good news is that you don't have to do anything to treat it, and your protein levels should return to normal on their own in a few days to a few weeks.
   • Note that if you are experiencing "temporary pressure" (such as fever, exercise, or something), you should see your doctor and have a urine test repeated to confirm it's not serious.

4. 

   Ask for the urine test to be repeated. It is important to repeat the urine test, as you will need multiple results measuring the protein in your urine to see how the condition is progressing and whether it can improve on its own. Your doctor may ask you to take a urine sample in the clinic toilet, or let you take a sample bottle home to have a urine sample, and then send it back to the lab. Note that when storing urine samples at home, the sample should be kept cool in the refrigerator until you deliver it to the lab for analysis.

5. 

   Blood tests. The additional diagnostic test you may have to do is a blood test, especially if they suspect you have kidney disease or other health problems. If a doctor orders a blood test, they will usually measure BUN (blood urea) and creatinine. Both of these indicators reflect kidney function, giving your doctor important information about kidney health.
   • They may also order other blood tests such as HbA1c (diabetes test), or autoimmune antibody testing if they suspect you have an autoimmune disease.
   • It will all depend on your medical history and the health issues your doctor thinks you are most at risk of.

6. 

   Get a kidney biopsy. In some cases, you may need a kidney biopsy for additional information in determining the cause of proteinuria. However, this rarely happens, unless a doctor cannot diagnose the cause.

7. 

   Remember that protein in urine during pregnancy is another matter. If you are currently pregnant and the protein in your urine is high, it could be due to pre-eclampsia.See How to Deal with Pre-eclampsia for more information on pre-eclampsia and high urine protein during pregnancy. advertisement