Your health care provider may have ordered a protein test as part of your regular checkup, or if you have symptoms of kidney disease. These symptoms include:. A protein in urine test can be done in the home as well as in a lab.
If in a lab, you will receive instructions to provide a "clean catch" sample. The clean catch method includes the following steps:. If at home, you will use a test kit. The kit will include a package of strips for testing and instructions on how to provide a clean catch sample. Talk to your health care provider if you have any questions. Your health care provider may also request you collect all your urine during a hour period. This "hour urine sample test" is used because the amounts of substances in urine, including protein, can vary throughout the day.
Collecting several samples in a day may provide a more accurate picture of your urine content. You don't need any special preparations to test for protein in urine. If your health care provider has ordered a hour urine sample, you will get specific instructions on how to provide and store your samples.
If a large amount of protein is found in your urine sample, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have a medical problem needing treatment. Strenuous exercise, diet, stress , pregnancy , and other factors can cause a temporary rise in urine protein levels. Your health care provider may recommend additional urinalysis tests if a high level of protein is found This testing may include a hour urine sample test. If your urine protein levels are consistently high, it may indicate kidney damage or other medical condition.
For people with hypertension, doctors may recommend medication as well as diet and lifestyle changes. People with diabetes and kidney disease or hypertension and kidney disease are often prescribed medications, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers ARBs.
These medications may also be prescribed to people with kidney disease who do not have diabetes or hypertension. If kidney damage is permanent, patients may also require dialysis or a kidney transplant. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Health Topics.
Health Tools. Reviewed: October 3, Medically Reviewed. You may occasionally have temporarily higher levels if you have experienced any of the following: 2 Dehydration Strenuous exercise Stress Fever Extreme cold temperatures If proteinuria is detected, your doctor will want to monitor whether the protein levels are persistently high to assess whether you have kidney disease.
Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking. Kidney and Urology Foundation of America. September Protein in Urine. When your kidneys have only mild damage and you have only small levels of protein in your urine, you will not notice any symptoms. When your kidneys have more severe damage and you have high levels of protein in your urine, you may start to notice symptoms such as:.
The only way to know if you have protein in your urine is to have a urine test. The test will measure the levels of protein in your urine. The name of the urine test that measures the level of albumin in your urine is called the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio UACR.
A UACR compares the level of albumin to the level of creatinine a waste product in your blood that comes from your muscles. Drinking water will not treat the cause of protein in your urine unless you are dehydrated. Diabetes and high blood pressure are 2 common causes of kidney disease. Medicines, certain chemicals, and illicit drugs can also harm the kidneys.
So can certain inherited diseases. Kidney disease doesn't always cause symptoms, but these may be warning signs that your kidneys aren't working properly:. Your healthcare provider may also take your blood pressure. Your provider may also:. Measure your glomerular filtration rate GFR to see how well your kidneys are working. Test results may vary depending on your age, gender, health history, the method used for the test, and other things.
Your test results may not mean you have a problem. Ask your healthcare provider what your test results mean for you.
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