What Causes Cloudy Urine in Women and Men?

Cloudy urine can be caused by many different medical conditions, ranging from relatively benign to severe. These conditions include dehydration, a urinary tract infection, sexually transmitted infections, kidney stones, and diabetes, among others.

Cloudy urine can indicate an increase in protein, crystalline substances, blood, pus, or other compounds in your urine.

Many people know that darker-colored urine is a sign of dehydration, but cloudy urine can also indicate that you’re not getting enough water.

It’s particularly risky for young children and older adults to become dehydrated. You’re also more likely to experiene dehydration during hot weather or if you’ve been exercising strenuously, vomiting, have diarrhea, or a fever.

An increased amount of discharge in the form of blood or pus can occur when you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), which can cloud urine. This can happen in both men and women. An excess of white blood cells used by the body to fight a urinary tract infection can also make urine appear cloudy or milky.

Urinary tract infections occur when bacteria invade urine and travel up into your bladder. Women are at higher risk of developing a UTI than men. Besides cloudy urine, signs of a UTI can include:

Pelvic pain
Persistent urge to urinate
Burning sensation while urinating
Passing only a small amount of urine

Most UTIs are treated with a course of antibiotics over several days. More complicated UTIs may be treated with an initial dose of antibiotics administered intravenously, followed by several weeks of antibiotics taken orally.

Some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) will produce an inflammatory response in the body, which can result in an excess of white blood cells that cloud your urine. Some STIs also cause increased vaginal discharge, which can leak out when you urinate and cause cloudiness.

If you have an STI, you also may notice these symptoms:

Painful or frequent urination
Itching or redness of genitals
Unusual discharge from the penis or vagina
Genital sores or warts
Vaginal odor
Abdominal pain

It is possible to have an STI and experience none of these symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you think you have an STI and ask to be tested.

When you have kidney stones, you’re likely to release a high level of minerals in your urine, which can cause cloudiness. Many kidney stones will pass without medical assistance, but sometimes they cause intense pain and can halt the flow of urine.

In addition to cloudy urine, signs of kidney stones can include:

Back or side pain
Fever and chills
Vomiting
Blood in urine
Smelly urine
Burning sensation while urinating

For kidney stones that don’t pass naturally, several treatment options exist. Your doctor may use shock-wave treatment, known as extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy. They may remove the stone by inserting a scope through the urethra, or they may recommend surgery.

People with diabetes may experience cloudy urine for a number of reasons. Your kidneys have to process excess sugar in your blood, which can cause the dehydration that clouds urine. Kidney damage caused by diabetes can also keep kidneys from filtering urine appropriately.

In addition to cloudy urine, symptoms of diabetes often include:

Feeling thirsty or hungry often
Fatigue
Blurry vision
Tingling and numbness in hands and feet

Roughly 1 in 3 adults with diabetes will experience kidney disease. If you have diabetes, your doctor may conduct frequent urine testing to check for the protein known as albumin, which can indicate that you have a damaged kidney.

An inflamed or infected prostate, sometimes known as prostatitis, can cause the release of white blood cells, pus, or discharge that clouds urine.

Additional signs of prostate issues include:

Frequent need to urinate or pain when urinating
Blood in urine
Burning sensation while urinating
Pain in the back, hips, or pelvis
Painful ejaculation

If you experience any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor. They may want to conduct a prostate exam and test urine and blood samples.

Vaginitis is an infection of the vagina caused by a yeast infection, trichomoniasis, or bacterial vaginosis. An excess of white blood cells or other discharge when you have vaginitis can cloud urine.

Symptoms of vaginitis also include:

Painful urination
Vaginal bleeding
Vaginal irritation
Increased vaginal discharge
Changes in color and odor of vaginal discharge

Your doctor may perform a pelvic exam, and test your vaginal discharge and vaginal pH. Depending on the cause of the vaginitis, your doctor may prescribe an oral or topical medication to treat the infection.

Your diet can cause cloudy urine as well. Certain foods including milk, leafy greens, and citrus fruit can raise the pH of your urine and make it cloudy.

And eating foods high in phosphorus, such as meat and dairy products, can cloud urine by increasing the levels of phosphate crystals, especially if your kidneys aren’t working properly.

That can also come from consuming high amounts of vitamin D supplements.

The Takeaway

If your urine appears cloudy, it could be due to dehydration, infection, or even dietary changes. Conditions such as urinary tract infections, kidney stones, or diabetes can also contribute to this symptom. Stay hydrated and consult your doctor if the cloudiness persists or if you experience any pain or frequent urination.

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The Takeaway