Mucus in the urine can be the symptom of a serious bowel disease such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis, or a temporary and harmless condition.
Contents
What is mucus?
Mucus is a viscous liquid of white or yellow color found in various organs of the body, including the lungs and colon.
The mucous membrane is responsible for mucus production.
Mucus protects the inner walls of the intestine and lubricates the passage area of the feces (feces) to facilitate its excretion.
The mucosal membrane also covers the internal surfaces of the urinary tract, which affect the following organs: kidneys, urethra, bladder and ureters.
Urine is naturally acidic and so the inner walls of the urinary tract could be damaged due to the high acidity levels of urine.
However, this does not happen because the urinary tract is covered by a thick mucous membrane.
So is urinary mucus normal? Although the detection of mucus threads in the urine is not a problem, the presence of excessive mucus indicates a problem of the urinary tract and/or colon.
Normally, urine is a clear liquid, but the presence of mucus in the urine can cloud this fluid.
What does mucus in urine mean? Causes
Urinary tract infections: A bacterial infection involving the urinary system can cause mucus in the urine.
Even though any of these organs can be affected, bacteria usually enter the bladder first and then slowly spread to other areas of the urinary tract.
As a rule, urinary tract infection is characterized by painful micturition, pelvic pain and incessant urge to urinate.
Burning sensation during urination is the most common symptom of a urinary tract infection.
In this case, the urine tests also reveal leukocytes in the urine.
With cystitis, you can also find pus in the urine, which turns dark.
Urinary tract infections are not caused by sexual intercourse and even children and pregnant women can have
these ailments among the newborns, the boys are more affected, while after 12 months it is more often the girls.
Sexually transmitted disease: This is an infection caused by bacteria of gonorrhea or chlamydia in which you can detect an outflow of mucus into the urine from the urethra. As a result, the urine appears yellow instead of clear.
Some of the most common symptoms associated with STDs include discomfort during intercourse, painful urination, and discharge from the vagina or penis.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder that temporarily causes a lesion in the colon. In this disease, increased mucus production is observed in the mucous membrane of the intestine. The massive mucus formation can infiltrate the urethra and eventually becomes visible in the urine.
A person with IBS usually suffers from swollen abdomen, abdominal pain, bloating, and impaired bowel functions, manifested by constipation and diarrhea.
IBS disrupts the normal functioning of the colon. In people with irritable bowel syndrome, the bowel function is therefore poor.
Ulcerative colitis: In this condition, the intestinal mucous membranes are damaged and cause abnormal mucus production.
In people suffering from ulcerative colitis, inflammation of the mucosal membrane is observed, which has a marked ulceration.
These ulcers or ulcers (which form on the mucous membrane) secrete a considerable amount of yellowish mucus.
This leads to mass mucus secretion, which can mix with the urine.
In people who suffer from ulcerative colitis, blood may also be present in the urine.
Urachal carcinoma: Urachal carcinoma (also known as bladder cancer) is a free growth of abnormal cells in the bladder.
Urine samples were examined in people diagnosed with urachal cancer. In the test, the presence of mucus was detected. Nowadays, doctors occasionally refer to mucus occurring in the urine as a symptom of urachal carcinoma.
Kidney stones: A recent study (which examined urine samples from a group of people with kidney stones) revealed evidence of mucus. In addition, the urine appeared dark yellow in color and was foul-smelling. Therefore, urine clouded by mucus can be a sign of kidney stones or obstruction.
The stones (concrements) can consist of uric acid, calcium oxalate or struvite.
Intestinal obstructions cause abdominal pain and severe abdominal cramps in both men and women.
In some cases, surgery is required to remove the kidney stones.
In most cases, the causes of cloudy urine indicate problems of the urinary tract.
Drinking little water worsens the symptoms associated with urological diseases.
Those who, on the other hand, consume a sufficient amount of water.
One should drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day to increase urine production.
Transparent mucus in female urine can come from the vagina.
This usually happens in the days of ovulation, i.e. at least one week after the cycle or about two weeks before the next cycle, if it occurs regularly about every 28 days.
At the end of the cycle, brownish mucus may be found in the urine. As a rule, this is discharge of old blood.
Pregnancy
It is normal for an expectant mother to have mucus in her urine.
Diagnosis of mucus in the urine
One can do a urine test regularly to determine the causes of the symptoms.
The test can provide information about your health and any problems you might have.
If there are traces of mucus in the test, this in itself is not a cause for concern, but if the amount is greater, you should investigate the matter.
You can do over 100 different tests on the urine.
A regular analysis of urine involves the following examinations:
- Color
- Clarity
- Smell
- Specific gravity
- ph
- Protein
- Glucose
- Nitrites
- Leukocyte esterase
- Ketones
Microscopic analysis. In this examination, the urine is processed in a special device (centrifuge) so that the individual ingredients (sediments) settle on the bottom.
The sediment is applied to a slide and examined under the microscope.
What can be seen on the slide includes:
- Red and white blood cells
- Lime
- Crystals
- Bacteria, yeast cells or parasites
- Dandruff cells
A urine culture occurs when an infection of the urinary tract is suspected. This is negative if the values are below 100.ooo bacteria per milliliter of urine.
What to do? Therapy for mucus in the urine
Before starting treatment for mucus in the urine, it is important to know whether the amount of mucus is abundant or small.
This can be determined during a regular urine test.
How to remove
mucus in the urine After an underlying condition has been confirmed, medications such as antibiotics or changing your diet may be a possibility.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics such as amoxicillin are the first choice of therapy when the mucus in the urine is the result of an infection of the urinary tract. This infection is triggered by bacterial growth and can affect any part of the urinary system (kidneys, bladder, urethra, ureters or prostate).
A cycle of antibiotics over 7 days is sufficient to treat the infection.
A sexually transmitted infection caused by chlamydia may be responsible for the mucus in the urine.
Also in this case, the patient takes antibiotics such as erythromycin, which clears the infection within a week or two.
Sexual intercourse with a partner suffering from chlamydia contributes to the fact that more than 3 million Americans are affected by this infection each year.
Changes in diet
Mucus in the urine can also be caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In this case, foods that aggravate this condition should be avoided.
Since the causes of these intestinal complaints are not known, therapy is carried out to alleviate the symptoms.
By simply avoiding flatulent foods (such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower) and carbonated drinks, the individual may be able to reduce abdominal swelling.
You should also avoid eating raw vegetables, as this can lead to the accumulation of intestinal gases and thus to discomfort and swelling of the abdomen.
In addition to a change in diet, medications for diarrhea or fiber supplements such as Metamucil may be prescribed to restore healthy bowel function.
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Mucus in the urine can also occur as a result of ulcerative colitis, a condition in which the wall of the colon is inflamed and wide ulcerations occur.
Typically, the doctor treats this inflammatory disease of the colon with anti-inflammatory drugs such as sulfasalazine, corticosteroids, and mesalazine, which play an important role in treating the symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
Natural remedies for mucus in the urine
Whether it’s a urinary tract infection or a common cold, successfully fighting an infection requires a boost to the immune system.
This can easily happen if you eat a healthy diet and avoid smoking and drinking.
So you should include a lot of vegetables and fruits in your diet to eliminate infections as quickly as possible.
Lettuce of green leafy vegetables and fruits such as oranges, apples and blueberries increase the protective mechanism and play an important role in eliminating infections.
