Dr. Surendra Singh Rathore, MD, DM Nephrologist, Associate Professor and Head of Department (Nephrology), M.D.M. Hospital, Jodhpur
When kidneys cannot work properly, proteins leak out and get collected in urine. Proteinuria is a condition having high levels of proteins in the urine. Proteins play important functions in the body such as muscle and bone building, regulating the amount of fluid in the body, repairing damaged cells, and fight with infections. To perform their functions proteins should remain in the blood but having excess proteins in urine may indicate kidney damage which can affect overall health. Proteinuria is an early warning or sign of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) which denotes the gradual deterioration of kidney functions.
Causes of Proteinuria
There are several reasons and health conditions that can cause proteinuria-
Symptoms of Proteinuria
When kidney damage is in the initial stage no signs will be seen but in severe kidney damage following symptoms will be noticed- frequent urination, muscle cramps at night, stomach feeling upset, swelling (in hands, belly, face, and feet), bubbly foamy urine, shortness of breath, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, puffiness around eyes in the morning, etc.