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Cloudy Urine – Causes and Home Remedies

Urine generally has a light yellow to straw color with a transparent consistency, indicating that the urinary system is working optimally. But sometimes, an underlying health condition can cause the urine color and consistency to change. In such situations, it appears cloudy. Cloudy urine has a milky or foggy white appearance.

Cloudy Urine – Causes and Home Remedies
A one-time occurrence of cloudy urine is quite harmless. But if it occurs repeatedly and frequently, it can indicate a health issue or infection.

Causes of cloudy urine
Before figuring out how to get rid of cloudy urine, it is crucial to know what is causing it. Consulting a healthcare provider can help one get an accurate diagnosis.

One of the most common reasons for urine to appear cloudy is the presence of a high level of alkaline. Typically, urine is made of salts, water, and waste from the kidneys. The overall composition of all these directly affects the urine’s pH level, indicating whether it is acidic or alkaline. Normal urine generally has acidic-to-alkaline levels that range between 4.5 and 8 pH. If the urine is below 5 pH, it is considered to have high acid levels. But if it has a pH value of 8 or more, the urine has high alkaline levels. Too much alkaline causes the urine to look cloudy. In general, these are some of the common causes that lead to cloudy urine.

  • Dehydration
  • Kidney leakage
  • Infection
  • Vaginal discharge

In addition, there are several diseases and disorders that cause cloudy urine as a side effect.

  • Diabetes
  • Chyluria
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Preeclampsia
  • Kidney disease or kidney stones
  • Vaginitis
  • Prostatitis
  • Gonorrhea

Home remedies to manage cloudy urine
Generally, cloudy urine is often a symptom of an underlying health problem. So doctors usually start by managing the condition or issue causing this symptom. In addition to the management options a doctor prescribes, one can also follow certain measures that work as home remedies for cloudy urine.

1. Trying hydrotherapy
Water is usually considered one of the best ways to manage urinary system issues. So, one must drink sufficient water throughout the day to manage cloudy urine. This can help address dehydration problems, which are often a harmless cause of cloudy urine. Besides, if this symptom is caused by an infection like UTI, drinking water and enough fluids with electrolytes can help manage it. The fluids will flush out all the toxins and infection-causing microorganisms from the body. This will help get rid of cloudy urine and provide relief from pain and discomfort caused by the infection.

2. Drinking blueberry juice
One of the most common foods to help clear cloudy urine is blueberry juice. One can consume a glass of blueberry juice daily until the cloudy appearance of urine disappears. The effectiveness of blueberries is mostly because of the high level of antioxidants and other compounds that remove bacteria and other infection-causing germs from the urinary system. In fact, blueberry juice can be considered a natural urinary tonic. One can also add fresh blueberries to morning cereals or smoothies to get the best benefits of this colorful fruit.

3. Eating fresh pineapples
A rich source of the active enzyme bromelain, pineapples are another useful fruit that can help remedy cloudy urine. Because of these enzymes, the fruit has antimicrobial properties. This helps eliminate infections that are causing the urine to appear cloudy. Plus, pineapples have high acidic content. This can help balance the high alkaline levels in cloudy urine and restore the pH levels to normal. One can have a cup of fresh pineapple for breakfast for maximum benefits. Another alternative is to have pineapple juice. To lower the acidity levels of the juice, one can mix it with water and honey.

4. Trying cranberry juice
Drinking a glass of cranberry juice is another way to treat cloudy urine. Combine half a cup of cranberry juice with half a cup of water. Make sure to drink a glass of this mixture once daily to remove the cloudiness from the urine. Cranberry juice works similar to blueberry juice. It has natural antimicrobial properties that help to get rid of infections. Cranberry is also a natural diuretic that removes bacteria from the urinary system. To get the most out of cranberry juice, avoid the ones with sugar. This is because microorganisms, such as bacteria, generally feed off the sugar, making the condition worse.

5. Eating parsley
Having a handful of parsley a day can also help manage cloudy urine. This green herb has natural diuretic properties that increase the output of urine. As a result, all the harmful microorganisms and toxins are flushed out of the body. In addition, parsley also has anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe the urinary tract. One of the best ways to remedy cloudy urine is to have parsley juice. Blend a handful of parsley with a carrot, beets, or both, or half a cucumber. Drink this concoction once a day to get the best benefits.

6. Increasing vitamin C intake
Vitamin C can effectively lower the alkaline levels in the body. This can help get rid of urine’s cloudy appearance quite quickly. For this, one needs to have foods rich in vitamin C. These include citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and persimmons; green veggies like kale, mustard spinach, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts; and other foods like lemons, papayas, lychees, kiwi, cantaloupe, black currants, sweet yellow peppers, and guavas.

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