Cloudy urine could be a clue pointing to a health problem—or it might reflect nothing more than your recent diet. Below are eleven potential explanations for cloudy urine. Some are serious, but before making an appointment to see a doctor or consulting an online urine color chart, consider how long your urine has been cloudy and whether you’re experiencing any other symptoms. If cloudy urine is your only symptom and it persists no more than a couple days, it’s almost certainly not anything worth worrying about.
The most likely suspects
Cloudy urine is most often the result of one of the following four causes.
Dehydration. This can make urine appear cloudier and/or darker than normal. It is a particularly likely explanation for cloudy urine when someone has been outside and active on a hot day. If dehydration is suspected, the solution is straightforward: Increase fluid consumption and see if urine appears clearer during the hours and days that follow. When dehydration is the cause of cloudy urine, additional symptoms might include dizziness, headaches, confusion, fatigue, and of course thirst.
UTI. A urinary tract infection (UTI) can cause cloudy urine when the infection leads to white blood cells in the urine as the body’s immune system responds. If a UTI is indeed to blame for cloudy urine, other potential symptoms might include a burning sensation during urination, a need for frequent urination, and/or blood in the urine. Women are more likely than men to experience UTIs, but men can get them too. Men’s UTI risks increase in old age and/or when using a catheter. It’s worthing seeing a doctor if a UTI is suspected. A prescription antibiotic might be needed to clear up the infection.
Diet. A highly alkaline diet leads to alkaline urine, which tends to be cloudy. Alkaline urine is particularly common among vegetarians and vegans, because many vegetables are alkaline. There’s nothing dangerous about having urine that’s cloudy because of an alkaline diet, so vegetarians and vegans who suspect this is the reason why their urine is cloudy don’t need to do anything if they experience no other symptoms. Those who wish to confirm that diet is the cause of their cloudy urine could temporarily increase the amount of acidic food that they consume and then monitor their urine to see if it becomes clearer. Acidic fruits and vegetables include citrus fruits, grapes, peaches, apricots, tomatoes, many types of berries, and pickled vegetables.
Kidney stones can make urine appear cloudy, too. They sometimes result in infections that lead to white blood cells in the urine, and minerals from the kidney stones themselves can produce cloudiness. When kidney stones are the cause of cloudy urine, additional symptoms might include pain in the lower back or the side, pain while urinating, a need for frequent and/or urgent urination, blood in the urine, nausea, vomiting, or fever. Kidney stones sometimes clear up on their own, but it’s worth seeing a doctor if they cause severe and persistent pain, high fever, or other substantial symptoms.
Less-common causes
The following seven health issues are less likely than the four listed above to be the cause of cloudy urine, but they are potential suspects, and some can be serious.
Kidney infections are a type of UTI, and their symptoms can be comparable to those of other UTIs, as described above. Kidney infections sometimes develop when infections elsewhere in the urinary tract are left untreated. As with other UTIs, a doctor likely will prescribe antibiotics to treat a kidney infection, but kidney infections can become life threatening and it’s sometimes necessary for patients to be admitted to hospitals.
Diabetes that isn’t under control can lead to urine sugar levels sufficiently high that the urine appears cloudy. On rare occasions, this even can happen in the urine of people who do not yet realize that they have diabetes. If undiagnosed type-two diabetes is to blame for cloudy urine, other symptoms might include greater-than-normal thirst, frequent urination, unexpected weight loss, blurry vision, or fatigue. See a doctor if diabetes is suspected. Having diabetes also increases people’s risk of developing UTIs, a common cause of cloudy urine.
A sexually transmitted disease (STD), such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, can lead to discharge and/or white blood cells in the urine that make it appear cloudy. When an STD is responsible for cloudy urine, additional symptoms might include genital pain or itching, visible sores on the genitals, and/or pain when urinating, ejaculating or having sex. Specific symptoms could vary depending on which STD is involved. If someone has both cloudy urine and a sexual history that suggests that a sexually transmitted disease could be the cause, he or she should get tested for STDs.
Bacteriuria means there’s bacteria in the urine, which can make urine appear cloudy. The presence of bacteria in urine does not necessarily mean there’s an infection. If there is a bacterial infection, there typically will be additional symptoms such as fever or discomfort as described in the section on UTIs, above, and it could be necessary to have a doctor prescribe antibiotics. If there’s bacteria in the urine but no infection, cloudy urine might be the only symptom. In these cases, there’s often no need to seek medical treatment.
Vaginitis—an inflammation of the vagina often caused by an infection—can result in cloudy urine for women. Additional symptoms of vaginitis could vary depending on the specific cause of the inflammation, but often include an unpleasant odor, discomfort during urination, and/or burning, itching, or pain in the vagina and/or vulva. It’s worth seeing a doctor, who likely will prescribe antibiotics.
Prostatitis—an inflammation of the prostate often caused by infection—can cause cloudy urine for men, as can certain other prostate problems. Additional symptoms might include burning or pain during urination or ejaculation, difficulty urinating, urgent need to urinate, fever, and pain in or near the genitals, lower back, or abdomen. If prostatitis is suspected, see a doctor.
Chronic kidney disease is a potential cause of cloudy urine—though in the case of chronic kidney disease, urine is more likely to be described as “foamy” than “cloudy.” Other symptoms of chronic kidney disease might include a need for frequent urination, swollen hands and feet, fatigue, itchy skin, nausea, cramping, and/or sleeplessness. See a doctor promptly if chronic kidney disease is suspected.
