Uric acid crystals in urine are detected when bladder stones are formed in your body. Urine secretes a certain amount of salt, however whether the urine is acidic or alkaline determines how much salt is deposited.
A large number of crystals in the urine can often indicate kidney stones are at hand or that there is a dilemma with how the body is metabolizing food. This is an indication or a symptom that something is wrong in the urinary system. The urinary system is made up of the kidney, bladder, ureters, and urethra.
How Can Uric Acid Crystals be Diagnosed?
A urinalysis is often used to determine whether you have uric acid crystals. Before this test, it is vital to tell a professional about any prescription drugs, supplements or over the counter medicine you're taking.
For this, you will be asked to provide a urine sample. Doctors use a dipstick to test for components within the urine. Doctors examining your urine will look for any colour or cloudiness indicating infection. Interestingly, Doctors can actually use a microscope to see the formation of any crystals.
Modification in the diet and rapid change in urine concentration can be a cause of the crystals, however there are a number of other factors that could be the cause.
Possible causes of crystals in urine include:
Dehydration
A body that is dehydrated will allow a few materials in the urine to harden, resulting in the creation of crystals. Being deprived of sufficient water intake, causes the concentration of definite composites such as uric acid to radically increase. This leads to the uric acid crystals to develop in the urine. Dehydration or lack of moisture is one of the more frequent reasons of crystals, especially in infants.
Urine pH changes
When the pH rate of urine changes, crystals are prone to occur. Urine that is acidic has a pH value below 7, where pH level above 7 means the urine is too alkaline. Calcium oxalate crystals in urine can indicate that the urine is strongly acidic in nature. When the urine is too alkaline crystals of calcium phosphate are likely to form.
Urolithiasis
If crystals in the urine have been there for a substantial period of time, it can also indicate urolithiasis or bladder stones. There are normally no indications of bladder stones, as the small size of the stone is hardened crystalline material and hard to identify. When large crystals do get ensnared in the bladder there is constant pain in the abdominal area.
UTI or Urinary Tract Infections
Bacteria in Urinary Tract Infections can boost the pH value of urine, making it much more acidic. This change in pH causes crystal formations in the urine.
For fast recognition of a UTI, you can purchase our Tena U Test. The product provides easy in-pad detection of urinary tract infections. The U Test is specially designed for incontinent individuals with symptoms of a UTI.
Diets that are too rich with Protein
Diets that are high in proteins can in some cases lead to the development of crystals in the urine. Eating too much protein foods will increase the uric acid as well as calcium content in urine. This will create changes in the urine concentration and leads to the development of urine crystals. It has also been observed that the over consumption of protein rich foods on an everyday basis, can add to the acidity of the urine, which encourages the development of crystallized material in the urine.
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Treatment for Uric Acid Crystals in Urine
If you suffer from incontinence, a lot of acid crystals in urine can cause a strong, unpleasant odour.
The first vital step to treating urinary crystals is to talk to a Doctor. The Doctor will then find the root cause for urine crystals before giving any treatment. However, to prevent uric acid crystals, it is important to manage the PH level of your urine. You can ensure this is happening through eating the correct foods for maintaining a healthy PH level. Chemicals in most urine are supposed to keep crystals from forming. However, when this process is inefficient, crystals composed of calcium plus oxalate or phosphate, or from uric acid, form. Some of these crystals pass through the urinary tract with smoothly, whereas others cause tremendous pain.
The following dietary tips can help prevent urinary crystals from forming:
> Monitor protein intake. By limiting the amount of protein eaten, you will prevent your kidneys from overworking. The intake of purine-rich foods such as organ meats, sardines, and anchovies should also be reduced. It is better for your bladder to consume foods like chicken, lentils, and salmon if in moderation. Ensure you do not eat protein rich foods on regular basis. The foods that contain high purine content like organ meat, sardines and anchovies should be reduced. Instead, you can include foods such as ham, chicken, beef, bacon, lentils, beans, cauliflower and salmon.
> Avoid oxalate rich foods. Beer, chocolate, coffee, peanuts, spinach and sweet potatoes can rapidly increase the acidity in urine.
> Reduce salt intake. Salty snacks, processed foods, and fried items contain excessive amounts of salt, which can increase the calcium content of urine and make it more acidic.
> Stay hydrated: Keeping your body well hydrated dilutes the urine and prevents crystal formation. You should aim to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
Read our blog addressing common urological conditions for more information on urology health.
Comment
Such an interesting article!!! Learned so much more about proteins and what they do to your body!!!