What Causes Cloudy Urine?
![Changes in urine color and transparency may be caused by a number of health conditions, including kidney problems, urinary tract infections, STDs and others.](https://images.emedicinehealth.com/images/article/main_image/urine-test-1.jpg?output-quality=75)
Changes in color and transparency of urine can be an indicator of possible health problems. There are numerous causes for cloudy urine, such as:
- Dehydration
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Sediment from a distended bladder
- Blood in the urine
- Enterovesicular fistula
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as gonorrhea or chlamydia
- Schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms
- Prostate problems
- Vaginal discharge
- Treatments for prostate cancer, such as a radical prostatectomy including prostatectomy, laparoscopic prostatectomy, or da Vinci prostatectomy
- Retrograde ejaculation, when semen backs up into the bladder
- Excess phosphorus in urine (phosphaturia)
What Symptoms Can Accompany Cloudy Urine?
Symptoms that may accompany a cloudy appearance of urine depend on the cause, and may include:
- Dehydration
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Confusion
- Fast heartbeat
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Burning or pain on urination
- Urinary frequency
- Urinary incontinence
- Blood in the urine
- Foul odor
- Pain in the lower abdomen
- Kidney stones
- Sediment from a distended bladder
- Painful or burning urination
- Urinary urgency/frequency
- Foamy, frothy urine
- Pink, reddish, or brownish urine
- Pain in the lower back (uncommon)
- Blood in the urine
- Changes in urine color: red, pink, or brown
- Pain
- Fever
- Enterovesicular fistula
- Symptoms similar to UTI
- Bubbles in the urine
- Brownish color to the urine
- Painful or burning sensation on urination
- Blood in urine
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as gonorrhea and chlamydia
- Discharge from the penis or vagina: milky, green, yellow, or bloody
- Itching around the penis or vagina
- Pain or burning on urination
- Pain or burning during intercourse
- Schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms
- Prostate problems
- Pain or burning on urination
- Urinary frequency or urgency
- Blood in the urine
- Difficulty starting urination
- Pain on ejaculation
- Fever and chills
- Vaginal discharge, if due to an infection:
- Discharge may be white, cottage-cheese-like, gray, yellowish, watery, or greenish
- Swelling, pain, and/or redness around the vulva or vagina
- Intense itching or burning
- Painful sexual intercourse
- Fishy or unpleasant odor
- Pain on urination
- Retrograde ejaculation
- Very little or no semen with ejaculation (dry orgasms)
- Male infertility
- Excess phosphorus in urine (phosphaturia)
- Rash
- Itchy skin
- Muscle cramps or spasms
- Numbness and tingling around the mouth
- Bone and joint pain
What Is the Treatment for Cloudy Urine?
Treatment for cloudy urine depends on the cause, and may include:
- Dehydration
- Drink more water
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Kidney stones
- Drink a lot of water to help the stone pass on its own
- Medications (alpha blockers) to help pass the stone
- Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) to break up stones
- Surgery
- Ureteroscopy: an endoscope is inserted through the ureter to remove or destroy stones
- Percutaneous nephrolithotomy/nephrolithotripsy for large stones
- Sediment from a distended bladder
- May be a sign of liver diseases, diabetes, urinary tract infection (UTI) or other conditions affecting the urinary tract, bladder stones, or red blood cells in urine
- Treatment depends on the cause
- Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and drinking plenty of water can often help prevent sediment in urine
- Blood in the urine
- May be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI), kidney stones, an enlarged prostate, or urinary tract cancer (rare)
- Treatment depends on the cause
- Enterovesicular fistula
- Medications such as antibiotics, azathioprine, steroids, and/or infliximab
- Surgery
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as gonorrhea and chlamydia
- Antibiotics
- Schistosomiasis
- An anti-worm medication, praziquantel (Biltricide)
- Prostate problems
- Treatment depends on the cause and may include antibiotics to treat infection medications to shrink a swollen prostate
- Lifestyle changes
- Catheter
- Surgery
- Vaginal discharge, if due to an infection
- Yeast infection: Over-the-counter (OTC) antifungal creams, ointments or suppositories with miconazole (Monistat) or clotrimazole or a prescription single-dose pill of the antifungal medicine fluconazole (Diflucan)
- Bacterial vaginosis: Antibiotics in vaginal cream or taken orally, including metronidazole (Flagyl, Metrogel-Vaginal), clindamycin (Cleocin, Clindesse), and tinidazole (Tindamax)
- Trichomoniasis: antibiotics medication (either metronidazole or tinidazole)
- Retrograde ejaculation
- No treatment is needed unless you are trying to get your partner pregnant, in which case medications to keep the bladder closed during intercourse may be prescribed
- Excess phosphorus in urine (phosphaturia)
- Often caused by kidney problems and the underlying cause must be treated
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