What does it mean if they tell you that they found protein in your urine and they have to do another test?

Question

I am just wondering if they mean contamination or that there is something wrong with me >>;

Answer 1

Having a positive protein finding in your urine is something serious IF it is reproduceable. This is why they want to check it again. If any amount of protein is found in the urine, this is not good as it indicates damage to the microtubules in the kidneys.

Answer 2

It means that either you have a kidney or bladder infection, or you have kidney damage or failure. Or if you are male and took a urine sample from the the beginning or end of your urine flow then there could be sperm in it which would test as protein.  

Answer 3

urine protein

Alternative Names

protein in urine

Definition

A urine protein test is used to detect the presence of protein in a person's urine. Normally, protein is not excreted in urine because the protein molecules are too large to pass through the filtering membranes in the kidneys. If these filtering structures are damaged, protein escapes. The presence of protein in the urine is an important indicator of kidney disease.

Who is a candidate for the test?

A test for protein in urine is done when a person is suspected of having:

• kidney disease, such as chronic renal failure, a form of kidney failure

• diabetic nephropathy, a complication of diabetes in which the kidney cells are damaged

• multiple myeloma, a tumour in the bone marrow

• amyloidosis, a disease in which starch-like substances are deposited in the tissues and organs of the body

Pregnant women are routinely tested for protein in the urine during antenatal visits to the doctor. Protein in the urine during pregnancy can indicate preeclampsia, a serious condition that can cause high blood pressure in the mother.

How is the test performed?

A person is asked to supply a urine sample. First, the area around the urethra should be washed to prevent contamination of the sample. Then, the person should:

• start urinating in the toilet

• catch a sample of urine in the container

• finish urinating in the toilet

The container should be covered and delivered to the doctor for testing. The sample is usually the first urine of the day.

Sometimes a 24-hour urine collection is needed for more accurate results. In this process, a person collects all the urine he or she voids during a 24-hour period. In general, this schedule is followed:

• Day 1: The patient urinates upon arising as usual and discards that urine. Then, the person collects all urine produced for the next 24 hours in a special container.

• Day 2: First thing in the morning, the person collects the morning urine again in the container. Then the person covers the container and refrigerates it until it can be taken to the doctor or assigned laboratory.

Often, urinary protein and several other substances are measured at the same time in a screening test known as urinalysis.

What is involved in preparation for the test?

A person should request specific instructions from his or her doctor.

What do the test results mean?

Normally, there should be no protein detected in the urine. The presence of protein may indicate:

• kidney disease

• kidney injury

• macroglobulinaemia. This is a serious disease of the plasma causing bleeding tendencies, weight loss, blurred vision, and disease of the lymph nodes.

• multiple myeloma, or a tumour in the bone marrow

• preeclampsia of pregnancy

• congestive heart failure, a condition in which the heart does not pump enough blood to the body tissues

• severe muscle exertion

• renal vein thrombosis, which is a blood clot in the vein carrying blood away from the kidney

• bladder tumour, including bladder cancer

• inflammation of the urethra or prostate gland

• amyloidosis, a disease in which starch-like substances deposit in the tissues and organs of the body

Answer 4

More than a very small amount of protein in the urine is abnormal. If they want to do another test, it means that they want to check this out and see if it occurs again. If it does, it means something is likely wrong somewhere. Sometimes protein in the urine means something is wrong with the kidneys themselves - the kidneys are letting normal proteins get into the urine for some reason. There are many diseases which  can cause that, but they all share the property of letting the kidney leak too much protein.  But the kidneys can also be damaged by many other (nonkidney) conditions, some of which at first you might not expect to do so. For example diabetes can affect the kidneys.(The first sign that diabetes is damaging the kidneys is finding  too much protein in the urine.)  

Sometimes, the protein found in the urine is not a normal protein. In this case the kidneys are  innocent bystanders, though sometimes they're harmed by the abnormal protein,  and  the abnormal protein is coming from somewhere else and spilling into the urine. This also needs to be checked out and the source of the abnormal protein identified - often from an abnormal cell being made in the bone marrow.

In any event proteinuria (the condition of having too much or abnormal protein in the urine) is not a normal situation and needs to be checked out.

Good luck to you.  

Answer 5

Isn't it the same thing as having blood in your urine?  If so, it could be something insignificant like having a bladder infection.  Or something bigger like internal bleeding or liver disease.