Proteinuria

Your kidneys filter waste products from your blood while keeping what your body needs, including proteins. However, some diseases and conditions allow protiens to pass through the filters of your kidneys, causing protein in urine.

Conditions that can cause a temporary rise in the levels of protien in urine, but don’t necessarily indicate kidney damage, including:

• Dehydration, which is when the body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to work properly
• Exposure to extreme cold
• Fever
• Strenuous exercise

Tests to identify protein in urine are critical for diagnosing and screening for diseases of the kidneys or other conditions affecting kidney function. These tests are also used to monitor disease progression and treatment effect. These diseases and conditions include:

• Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
• Diabetic nephropathy (Kidney Disease)
• Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)
• Glomerulonephritis (Inflammation in the kidney cells that filter waste from the blood)
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• IgA nephropathy (Berger Disease, a kidney inflammation resulting from a buildup of the antibody immunoglobulin A)
• Lupus
• Multiple myeloma
• Nephrotic Syndrome (damage to small filtering blood vessels in the kidneys)
• Preeclampsia

When to consult a physician

If you have an interest in looking into a kidney transplantation, put your trust in Kidney Consultants of New Mexico. We have 10 years of experience in treating kidney disease and we can recommend the best options for you!