The pregnant woman’s body undergoes many complex rearrangements hormonal and physiological nature, which often leads to malfunction of an organ.
That is why in this period it is especially important to monitor her and promptly carry out the necessary studies in order not to miss any pathological process that may threaten the health of the mother and child.
Every woman, who is on the account in female consultation during pregnancy, know that each time you visit your doctor you need to pass a urine test. The aim of early diagnostics of diseases of organs of the urinary tract and some other conditions (eg, severe toxemia or preeclampsia).
Protein in urine during pregnancy can appear on the background of complete well-being and not be accompanied by any other complaints, but this does not mean that this symptom should be left without proper attention. In addition to repeated studies of urine protein, the doctor must carefully examine the woman and, if necessary, assign a number of other laboratory and instrumental studies.
However, it is not necessary to despair and premature to panic, if the urine during pregnancy appeared first on the protein, because the reason for its appearance may be associated with the “physiological” factors that are easily amenable to correction.
Normal values
Not always the appearance of the protein component in the urine is an indicator of incipient pathological process. In normal healthy person’s urine contains a certain concentration of protein, including during pregnancy.
It appears due to the filtration processes in which through the glomerular apparatus of the kidneys penetrate some of the formed elements of the blood plasma in the urinary sediment. If the content of these elements does not exceed the maximum permissible values, then this is considered a normal variant.
When a woman bears a child, her body is much more intense, because it needs to provide the unborn child with essential nutrients, and the organs of the urinary system to bring all toxic waste products. Therefore, the daily loss of protein, which is considered normal in pregnant women can exceed those values in the average patient.
It is normal determination of traces of protein in urine that in the tests marked with “+/-” or the term “trace” (in the study with the help of automatic devices). When manually counting the normal protein in the urine during pregnancy should not exceed 10-20 mg/l in one portion or 0,033 g/l in the daily volume analysis.
At the end of pregnancy, when there is maximum load on the kidneys, the allowable one-time increase in protein to 0.14 g/l (mandatory to assess the work of all organs and the General condition of the pregnant woman).
Increasing the concentration of protein in the urinary sediment in medicine termed “proteinuria”.
The degree of severity is determined by the level of the loss of protein in the daily urine volume:
- microalbuminuria (loss does not exceed 30-300 mg/day);
- mild proteinuria (0.3 to 1 g/day);
- the average degree of proteinuria (1-3 g/day);
- severe proteinuria (>3 g/day).
When proteinuria progresses, changes in urinary sediment can be seen with the naked eye. The urine becomes turbid, changes its natural color, there is white precipitate and flocculent inclusions.
Causes of proteinuria
Protein in the urine of pregnant women may appear at completely different times of gestation, as this will facilitate not only the physiological and hormonal changes the body, but especially her diet and lifestyle.
The physiological causes that increase protein in urine in pregnant women
Quite often, the composition of the urinary sediment may vary for the following reasons:
- Failure to comply with the necessary rules for the collection of urine (for example, a woman well enough substitution), the use of non-sterile containers, long term storage of analysis at home, or improper transport to the laboratory.
- Physical exertion made the day before, severe anxiety, mental strain, etc.
- Eating foods that contains a lot of protein – cottage cheese, milk and dairy products, poultry, eggs and others.
- Increased fluid intake when the kidneys can not cope with water stress (e.g., drinking more than 2 liters of water).
- The reception of different groups of drugs (e.g., antipyretics).
If a woman is eve ate a lot of watermelon, it may increase the work of kidneys that manifest episodic proteinuria
Pathological causes
During pregnancy often reveals diseases that were not previously been diagnosed, while they may be much more complicated and bad to give in to correction (e.g., gestational diabetes mellitus, pyelonephritis and others). These conditions are very dangerous for the life of the expectant mother and her baby, so before you begin to eliminate proteinuria, you need to find out its true cause.
Among the main diseases and pathological conditions affecting the changes in the urine of a pregnant woman, you want to select.
The preceding febrile state of the woman (for example, on the background of respiratory viral infection).
Inflammatory processes in the organs of the urinary system of different localization:
- the lesions of the parenchyma or of the glomerular apparatus of one or both kidneys infectious agents (glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, etc.);
- the urinary bladder (acute cystitis or exacerbation of chronic);
- the defeat of the urethra (the various forms of urethritis).
Gestational pyelonephritis usually occurs in the first half of pregnancy, it has bright clinical picture and characteristic changes in the urinary sediment
Pathologic processes having non-inflammatory in nature (eg, cancer growths in the tissues of the kidney or polycystic degeneration of the body).
Protein in urine during pregnancy in the later stages, doctors have to think about the presence of women preeclampsia. When this condition occurs, the malfunction of many organs, and with late diagnosis process, and the absence of appropriate treatment, it is possible to extremely adverse outcome.
Learn more about the causes of high protein in the urine of pregnant women and symptoms, through which can be suspected pathological processes read in this article.
The algorithm of examination
In order to determine the exact reason for the increase in protein during pregnancy, once delivery of the analysis insufficient.
The doctor needs a comprehensive approach to the woman which involves a number of laboratory and instrumental methods of research:
- repeated analysis of urine and the daily identification of all components in the urinary sediment (assessment of cell elements, the degree of disorders of the kidneys, inflammatory changes, etc.);
- sample Nechiporenko, trial of Rehberg and others (according to indications);
- General blood analysis and biochemical examination (determine the level of total protein and its fractions, creatinine, urea, etc.);
- Ultrasound of the kidneys and urinary organs (necessary for diagnostics of inflammatory diseases, pathological lesions, etc.).
The woman in the dynamics of the prescribed ultrasound of the fetus, with a mandatory assessment of placental blood flow (reins control of the baby)
What are the dangers of the emergence of a large amounts of protein in urine during pregnancy?
The appearance of proteinuria of varying severity threatens health as a future mother and her baby, especially if the cause of these disorders lies in a serious condition.
The passage of a large number of protein components through the renal filter indicates a breach in the work of the authority, and this means that deteriorates the process of removing toxic waste products.
“Harmful” substances in excess accumulate in the body, pregnant and with blood flow to penetrate into the bloodstream of the baby, whose organs and systems are very sensitive to the effects of different adverse factors. There is a risk of fetal hypoxia, impaired growth and development of the fetus.
Preeclampsia causes severe disturbances in the body of a woman and her child, so every doctor should be familiar with all of his initial appearance
If we are talking about preeclampsia moderate or severe degree, you need as early as possible to stabilize the woman’s condition and to remove the phenomena of proteinuria, as you may experience convulsions and death.
How to get rid of protein in urine during pregnancy?
Questions of correction and treatment of proteinuria should only be doctor who if necessary decide on the admission of the pregnant woman to the hospital.
You can not try to reduce the protein level in home with varying degrees of preeclampsia, inflammatory processes in the organs of the urinary system, severe comorbidity, severe deterioration of health women, etc.
If the General condition of the pregnant woman is not a threat to her and the baby and the cause of proteinuria, it is easy to eliminate, conduct outpatient treatment under close monitoring of all life support systems.
Recommended non-pharmacological measures:
- Health food. It can quickly decrease the proteinuria. The basic principle of the diet is to reduce the level of salt consumed, it is best to add some salt lightly steamed or boiled food. Can’t eat too spicy, fried, smoked and spicy food. It is necessary to limit the use of products containing pure protein: cottage cheese large fat, milk, chicken, eggs and others.
- Items any medication without first consulting your doctor, especially if there are deviations in the work of the kidneys.
- Traditional medicines. The use of herbs in an acceptable dosage safely and effectively to eliminate proteinuria. Widely used broths based on leaves and berries, cranberries, rose hips, Hypericum, etc.
Proved its therapeutic action, kidney tea, in which the orthosiphon staminate, has a mild diuretic effect and anti-inflammatory effect. It improves filtration work both glomerular apparatus of the kidneys and accelerates the process of removing toxic substances from the body.
Recommended to cook compotes and fruit drinks cranberry and cranberry (while adding quite a bit of sugar).
To improve renal function and reduce the load on them from the side of the uterus, women need several times a day to take the knee-elbow position (at least 5-6 times a day for 10-15 minutes).
When the knee-elbow position restores normal blood flow in the organs of the urinary system and improves natural urine flow
Prevention
There are generally accepted guidelines by which you can reduce the risk of proteinuria in pregnancy:
- you can’t miss the doctor’s visits and ignore all of their assigned treatments and research (analysis of blood, urine and other);
- stick to a full, balanced and vitamin-enriched food;
- to exclude from a diet excessively oily and spicy food, to give preference to dishes, steamed or consumed in boiled form;
- if the mother has overweight or tendency to obesity, you must stabilize the body weight;
- when burdened family anamnesis (the presence of relatives of diabetes mellitus or hypertension) the recommended every day to measure your blood pressure several times a month, the sugar level in the blood (by prescription);
- it is impossible to neglect the daily walks in the fresh air, it is desirable to lead an active lifestyle and avoid prolonged inactivity.
You must not only eat right but also to fully sleep and give due attention to rest during the day
During pregnancy it is particularly important to monitor the condition and to listen to all the symptoms indicating any deviations. Should have regular visits with a gynecologist throughout the pregnancy, and to pass prescribed examinations.
Do not try to self-diagnosis and self-treatment, promptly contact the doctor, because only he knows what to do if there are abnormalities in the body.
