by ktarcus

Created on: September 22, 2010

Cloudy urine: When to worry

If the urine is your own then the time to worry is if it does not clear within 72 hours. Many insignificant medical conditions can cloud urine, as can different food and drink. Most people will notice their urine as being cloudy early mornings rather than late evenings, this is due to the amount of toxins built up during the night’s sleep.

The amount of toxin's present varies with age and fitness; those with a higher or lower metabolism may see a more cloudy aspect than most. It is however not a problem if the urine runs clear after a few hours.

Women of course may suffer cloudiness due to discharges within the vaginal area or perhaps more frequently with the breakdown of some lubricants used in contraceptive products.

Beware though the colour variation as a red cloud or worse still black colouration may be indicative of a more serious problem

During the day when more liquid is taken it runs clearer so if the cloudiness continues after midday then it is time to start thinking that there may be something amiss. Be careful though to make sure that the liquid is not alcohol based if you think you may have a problem. A lot of people fear the worst about cloudy urine, racking their brains to see if they may have contracted an S.T.D. worrying if they have tumor’s, hernia’s or even a complete internal medical breakdown. Relax, urine is designed to rid the body of waste materials and just like a stream sometimes there is more dirt in it than normal. Perhaps you have been eating some unfamiliar foods or inhaling some foul pollution during your day. Whatever the problem if you are still able to expel then you are mainly quite well.

Myself I was knocking on the doctors door one morning when i realized my urine was red. Assuming the worst I completely forgot that the day before I had been eating copious amounts of beetroot that I was pickling for Christmas.

Yes what we put into our bodies tends to find a way out sooner or later so for the sake of your sanity and the doctors time check. If the urine is a child's then try to think of anything they could have eaten or drunk to make a change from the normal before panic sets in.

Children tend to have a more erratic reaction to outside stimulus than adults but the same basic rules apply.

Having said that the colour or clarity of another’s urine may be different to your own and therefore you must temper your haste to call a doctor for a while until you have comparisons to make.

Above all else if the urine is red/yellow/black/ or discoloured rather than just cloudy (with a haze) then get it checked as soon as possible

Learn more about this author, ktarcus.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.