For many decades, or even since the beginning of medicine, the color of urine has been one of the primary diagnostic tools used. The urine reveals important information about our health. Urine is important for different bodily functions, including regulating the balance of water in the body and flushing out toxins and other substances.

The color, the odor, and the amount of urine are always great diagnostic tools. But what about other “conditions” of the urine? One of those conditions is cloudy urine.

It is a common sign and symptom of a urinary tract infection, one of the most common bacterial infections affecting women.

What causes cloudy urine?

The medical explanation for urine is a “liquid waste product that is filtered from the blood by the kidneys, stored in the bladder, and expelled from the body during urination”. Being a compilation of the waste, urine is a great indicator of our health conditions.

Cloudy urine can be caused by a number of factors. One of the most common is dehydration. As a condition, dehydration occurs without symptoms and goes away rapidly.

Other health conditions can cause excess protein or crystalline substances in the urine, and the result is cloudy urine. Among those conditions, infections in the urinary tract are on the top. UTIs can cause blood and puss to appear in the urine, giving it cloudy and foamy appearance. During pregnancy, cloudy urine is a clear sign of an urinary tract infection.

Kidney stones, affecting up to 5% of the world’s population also cause cloudy urine. Kidney stones, same as UTIs, can cause pus in the urine, giving it cloudy and milky appearance.

Last, but not least, cloudy urine can be a sign and symptom of diseases like a heart disease, diabetes, and preeclampsia.

Symptoms of a bladder infection

As mentioned previously, cloudy urine is usually a sign of an urinary or a bladder infection. To be sure, you need to pay attention to other symptoms as well.

They include:

– Sudden need to urinate

– Difficulty holding back urine

– Urine that is cloudy in color

– Urine that has blood in it

– Feeling like you have to urinate, but only a small amount comes out

– Urine that has an unusual smell

How to treat cloudy urine?

L-arginine

A type of amino acid, L-arginine helps with detoxification and fights inflammation. Those are two important factors in treating urinary tract infections, and other factors causing cloudy urine. L-arginine also has antibacterial and immune boosting properties.

Probiotics

As we all know, urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria in the urinary tract. The best way to battle bacteria is with probiotics, commonly known as “good bacteria”. Probiotics help you restore bacteria balance in the gut, and repopulate the normal flora of the GI tract. Probiotics also help with digestion and improve the immune system.

Garlic

If there is one vegetable that is great as antifungal, antiviral, and antimicrobial agent, that is garlic. This superfood vegetable has all the properties needed to fight off urinary tract infections causing cloudy urine. You can consume more garlic to fight off infections, or apply garlic juice topically.

Parsley

Parsley is another natural detox remedy you can try to fight off cloudy urine. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, parsley helps with infections of the urinary tract. Parsley also has diuretic effects, another key aspect in treating UTIs.

Cranberries

For many years, cranberries have been considered as the gold standard in treating UTIs. Consuming cranberries helps decrease the recurrence of UTIs. In addition, cranberries improve the quality of life.

Drink water

The most common cause of cloudy urine is dehydration. With that in mind, the simple remedy is to drink more water. Drinking water helps improve urine quality, but also the overall health. Fluid intake plays a crucial role in preventing and treating urinary tract infections.

Can you prevent cloudy urine?

Here are some tips for preventing cloudy urine in the first place. Why treat something you can prevent it in the first place?

– Avoid foods that exacerbate symptoms, like alcoholic beverages, spicy foods, tomatoes, citrus fruits, vinegar, carbonated drinks, and caffeine

– Take preventive measures related to sexual intercourse like cleaning your genital area before and after sex

– Avoid common skin allergens around the genital area, including bath oils, vaginal creams and lotions, bubble bath liquids, deodorant sprays, and soaps.