by Erich Rosenberger M.D.

Created on: November 19, 2007   Last Updated: December 09, 2008

Cloudy urine has many potential causes. Some of these causes are more serious than others, making it important to understand when you need to seek medical attention.

Normal urine comes in many colors. It typically varies from clear (like water) to a dark amber color. The exact shade of urine is a function of many different factors, including your level of hydration, what you've eaten lately and medications you are taking among other things. Changes in urine color and clarity can often be worrisome, especially when combined with other urinary symptoms, such as increased frequency and pain or burning on urination.

The most common cause of cloudy urine is completely harmless. Excess phosphate crystals have the ability to build up in your urine. These crystals will then precipitate, making your urine cloudy. This generally happens after eating a large meal. It can also happen after drinking milk, which is high in phosphate. You can test to see if your urine cloudiness is due to phosphates. Simply take a small sample of your urine and drop a bit of acetic acid (vinegar) in to it. If it is phosphates, the urine will become completely clear immediately.

Vaginal discharge is a common cause of cloudy urine in women. This can be either due to normal vaginal secretions, or due to abnormal vaginal discharges. Vaginal discharge can have literally dozens of different causes.

Pus in the urine can cause cloudiness. However, it's important to understand that pus is usually a symptom of some other problem, such as a urinary tract infection or something like gonorrhea. Kidney infections, known as pylonephritis can cause puss and cloudiness of the urine as well. Pylonephritis will almost always be associated with flank pain, pain on urinating as well as fever and general symptoms of infection.

Bladder infections, known as cystitis, can cause cloudy urine. In these cases the cloudiness is usually due to white blood cells (leukocytes) in the urine, which are a response to the infection. A quick urine dipstick test at the doctors office can establish the presence of white cells in the urine. Most cases of cystitis have other symptoms as well. These can include a feeling of urgency, frequent urination, pain or burning on urinating, abdominal pain, and even fever or chills.

Kidney stones can also be a cause of cloudy urine. In this case, you will almost invariably be more concerned about the extreme pain caused by the stone than the color of your urine. As someone who has had three kidney

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