Why are there solids in my urine

A yeast infection , particularly of the vagina, is caused by an overgrowth of Candida, a fungus. Another name for the infection is candidiasis. It can cause:. Cloudy urine during pregnancy can sometimes be a result of hormones. It could also be a sign of dehydration or a UTI. If you notice cloudy urine or sediment in your urine, stay hydrated, drink fluids, and call your doctor. Various sexually transmitted infections STIs can cause sediment in your urine. Symptoms of STIs can be diverse, but can include:.

If you think you might have an STI, see your doctor. Many STIs are treatable and can be taken care of with medication. The prostate gland is below the bladder and produces semen. If you have any pain with urination or see any blood or cloudiness in your urine, call your doctor. They might want to do an exam or urinalysis test. Your urine should be clear and free of any visible debris, so if you see any sediment or cloudiness, especially with any of the accompanying symptoms mentioned, call your doctor.

It isn't uncommon to find mucus in your urine, but what exactly does it mean? Here's how to determine whether you should see your doctor. Seeing white spots in your urine? A urine test can detect pregnancy around two weeks after conception by measuring increased levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin hCG. Urinating more frequently can also be an early sign of pregnancy and will occur throughout the first trimester.

Frequent urination returns during the third trimester when the growing fetus and uterus put increased pressure on the bladder. Pregnant women also need to drink more water, so dark and more-concentrated urine can be a sign of dehydration. Women may also notice blood in urine at the beginning of their pregnancy. Pregnant women are also at increased risk of developing urinary tract infections, which can cause smelly urine, cloudy urine, and blood in urine. A urinary infection can also be a sign of group B streptococcus GBS , a bacterium that can spread to a baby during delivery and cause complications.

Women are typically tested for GBS during their third trimester. Your doctor may conduct several urinalyses throughout pregnancy to test or monitor for conditions such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. Proteins serve many functions in the body, but when proteins escape into urine, it can be a sign of potential kidney problems. If high levels of protein are detected multiple times, you may have kidney disease.

People with diabetes and hypertension have a higher risk of developing kidney disease, so their urine may be analyzed regularly via urinalysis. Protein in urine can also be a sign of preeclampsia in pregnant women.

If kidney disease is caused by hypertension or diabetes, treatment will involve getting these medical conditions controlled and monitored.

Treatment may also include lifestyle changes and prescription medication, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers ARBs. Learn More About Proteinuria. Ketones are chemicals that are produced when the body begins to burn fat instead of sugar. Ketones in urine are often a sign of poorly managed or uncontrolled diabetes, when there is insufficient insulin to carry sugar from blood to the cells that need it. Common symptoms that accompany high levels of ketones in urine include: People with diabetes are advised to test for ketones more frequently when their blood glucose level is high, or when they are sick with a cold or flu.

If diabetes is left uncontrolled, people can develop diabetic ketoacidosis , which can lead to coma and even death. High levels of ketones in urine can also be a sign of alcohol abuse, an eating disorder , chronic vomiting or diarrhea, or other medical conditions. Leukocytes are another name for white blood cells, which play an important role in fighting off infection in the body.

A small number of leukocytes in urine is considered normal, as old white blood cells will pass through the body. But if a high number of leukocytes are present in the urine, it can be a sign of potential damage to the kidneys, bladder, ureters, or urethra. Causes of high levels of leukocytes can include: Leukocytes are typically measured during a urinalysis. Treatment for leukocytes in urine involves addressing whatever underlying medical condition is causing the higher levels.

Nitrates are inorganic compounds that normally pass through urine as waste. When nitrates become infected with bacteria, they become nitrites, which can be a sign of a urinary tract infection. Additional signs of a urinary tract infection can include frequent or painful urination, dark or cloudy urine, foul-smelling urine, fatigue, and fever. Levels of nitrites in urine are measured in a typical urinalysis test.

A urinalysis is a frequently used medical test that measures the presence of various substances in urine to detect medical problems and assess overall health. Urinalyses can be done before or prior to admission to the hospital or if there are changes in urine color, odor, or volume. A urinalysis involves collecting a clean urine sample via a specimen cup. The sample is then analyzed visually, with a dipstick test, and with a microscope.

During the dipstick exam, the levels of acidity, urine concentration, nitrites, proteins, ketones, and glucose are usually measured. In a microscopic examination, technicians look for white and red blood cells, bacteria, skin cells, crystals, and other substances that can help diagnose medical conditions. Urine drug testing is often performed to test the presence of illegal, mind-altering, or performance-enhancing substances in the urine of employees, athletes, or people on probation or parole.

How long a substance can be detected in your urine can depend on a number of factors:. A typical urine drug test can detect alcohol roughly 12 to 36 hours in urine after it is consumed, and more advanced urine tests can detect alcohol as long as three days after your last drink. How long marijuana stays in your urine will depend upon your use habits. Most drug tests measure the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

If you use infrequently, a urine drug test can detect THC as long as 10 days after use. Weed can stay in your system for two to four weeks if you use frequently and as long as a month if you use very frequently.

People sometimes use synthetic urine to try to pass a urine drug test. This can carry significant consequences, as many states have made it illegal to sell or use synthetic urine to cheat on a drug test. Urine therapy, or urotherapy, is a type of alternative medicine in which people use or ingest their own urine for medicinal purposes. But there is no scientific evidence that urine therapy provides medicinal value. When you drink urine, you ingest all the waste that your kidneys have filtered out of your body.

Some women produce extra cervical mucus during ovulation. This mucus may have a milky or creamy texture and may resemble a stringy white substance in the urine. While it is normal for some of this mucus to be released into the urine, a woman should visit the doctor if the discharge has a foul odor or is colored. Retrograde ejaculation occurs when the muscle or sphincter that keeps semen from entering the bladder does not contract properly.

This can cause the man to have an orgasm without ejaculating, as the semen goes into the bladder instead. When the man empties his bladder later, he may notice stringy, white bits of semen floating in the urine. Retrograde ejaculation does not pose any direct health concerns, but infertility treatments may be necessary if a couple is trying to conceive.

Bacterial vaginosis is inflammation in the vagina caused by an imbalance of bacteria. This can cause a variety of symptoms, including a foul or fishy odor and a burning sensation while urinating. Some women also notice a thin, grayish-white discharge that may mix in with the urine and cause white particles to appear. Some doctors also recommend taking probiotics after treatment to reintroduce beneficial bacteria to the vagina.

A yeast infection may also cause white particles in the urine. The fungus Candida albicans is found naturally in healthy women but, in certain situations, it can grow rapidly in the vagina and cause an infection. Yeast infections often cause a thick, chunky discharge that may resemble cottage cheese in appearance. This discharge can mix with the urine and lead to white bits appearing. Doctors often recommend prescription or over-the-counter antifungal treatments to treat yeast infections.

Prostatitis refers to inflammation of the prostate gland and can be caused by a bacterial infection near the gland. It can cause discharge from the urethra that mixes with urine. Men with prostatitis may have other symptoms, including:. Most bacterial and parasitic STIs can be successfully treated with a round or two of antimicrobial therapy. Vaginal discharge during pregnancy described above is not the sole cause to affect only women. Due to a more complex anatomy , women are more prone to having urinary or gynecological problems that may also result in white spots in urine.

Cervical mucus is produced and secreted by your cervix. Both the consistency and the amount released change depending on where you are in your monthly cycle. If this comes out when you urinate, you might notice some white clumps in your urine. Vaginal yeast infections are caused by an overgrowth of the yeast fungus Candida albicans in the vagina. One of the most common symptoms is a thick, odorless discharge that may look like cottage cheese.

The telltale symptom of a vaginal yeast infection thick, white discharge may come out in the urine, creating white particles. If you have a vaginal yeast infection, your doctor may have you take an antifungal cream, suppository, or ointment.

You can also find over-the-counter versions of most of these. In some cases, a yeast infection may require treatment with a prescription oral antifungal like fluconazole Diflucan. Men who experience retrograde ejaculation have dry orgasms, meaning little to no semen is ejaculated.

This causes semen to flow into your bladder instead of out of your penis. When you urinate after ejaculating, you may notice semen in your urine that looks like white particles. In these cases, your doctor may prescribe medication that helps keep your internal urethral sphincter shut during ejaculation.