Q: Good day Dr. I went for a lab test and the result came out that I have protein in my urine. Please can you educate me more about it? Thanks.

A: Hey! Thanks for writing in.

In another version of this question I received a while back, the poster also asked whether eating too much protein can be dangerous sometimes and perhaps was the reason for protein in urine.

So, we’ll go through it again.

Protein molecules/particles in blood are typically too large to be filtered into urine so that normally, very little/low amount is present in the urine as healthy kidneys do a great job of filtration.

Therefore, when protein is found in urine, it is abnormal and usually suggestive of the fact that the kidneys may be malfunctioning. This condition is known as proteinuria and the most common relevant protein suggestive of kidney disease is albumin.

This can be detected using a dipstick test. How would you know without this test? Well, the urine could get very frothy if a lot of protein is being passed out in the urine…so that’s something to look out for.

There is a condition known as temporary proteinuria, which occurs in people with high fever and after very vigorous exercise. This is not a problem and as the name suggests, it is temporary.

Proteinuria is also common in concentrated urine samples like first thing in the morning and when dehydrated. In some instances, it is found in young children later in the day even when it was not evident in the morning in a condition known as orthostatic hypertension (This condition, also known as postural hypertension, is a medical condition that presents as a sudden and abrupt increase in blood pressure when a person stands up). Again, this is not suggestive of a bigger problem

What diseases can cause protein in urine?

Kidney disease, especially those affecting the filtering units. Diabetes can affect these filtering units

Urinary tract infections

People with proteinuria are more at risk of heart disease and so it is key to monitor blood pressure and ensure one lives a healthy lifestyle.

Treatment depends on the cause. Please be guided by your doctor!

All the best!