When Is Mucus in Urine Normal and Abnormal?

Medically reviewed by Matthew Wosnitzer, MD

Urinary mucus is constantly produced by mucous membrane cells in the urinary tract to flush out bacteria that might cause infection. Having small amounts of mucus in urine is normal and healthy. If you notice "stringy" material after urination or urine that is sticky, it's possible that you're experiencing an abnormal increase of mucus caused by a number of factors.

These include a urinary tract infection (UTI), sexually transmitted infections (STIs), kidney stones, or another health issue.

Read on to learn what you need to know about the normal and abnormal causes of mucus in urine for women and men, when to get a urinalysis (urine test) to see if you have too much mucus in your urine, how cervical mucus can throw off a urinary mucus diagnosis, and treatment options.

Causes of Mucus in Urine

The body produces more mucus as a first line of defense when it needs to trap unwanted allergens, flush away bacteria, or get rid of a virus. The gelatinous consistency of mucus creates a vehicle for sweeping trapped infectious material or foreign particles out of the body.

In the same way your body constantly produces nasal mucus to keep your nose and respiratory tract healthy, it also perpetually produces mucus in the urethra, a part of the urinary tract that drains urine from the bladder, to keep these areas healthy.

It's completely healthy and normal for small amounts of this urethral mucus to be present in urine; large amounts aren't normal.

Abnormally excessive mucus in urine may be caused by the following:

• UTI

• STI

• Kidney stones

• Bladder cancer (in rare cases)

In Women

Pregnancy, menstruation, ovulation, and birth control pills can all increase the thickness of urinary mucus in women, which makes it easier to see. It's also not uncommon for women to confuse cervical mucus coming from the vagina for urinary mucus.

UTIs, also called bladder infections, can create abnormal amounts of mucus in urine for both women and men. However, women get UTIs about 30 times more frequently than men. One reason women get more urinary tract infections is because their urethra is shorter, which makes it easier for bacteria to make its way into the bladder and cause infection.

Bacterial vaginosis (when bacteria in the vagina becomes imbalanced) and vaginal yeast infections (a fungal infection in the vagina) can also cause excess mucus production that mixes with urine.

In Men

Sexually transmitted infections can cause excessive urinary mucus in both women and men. However, excess mucus in urine from STIs like gonorrhea or chlamydia is often more easily perceived when men pee.

Inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis) can cause urethral discharge that makes urine look cloudy, and it may contain mucus.

Kidney stones can also cause excess mucus in urine. Although women and men can both get kidney stones, men are slightly more likely to experience kidney stone disease (KSD).

Retrograde ejaculation pushes semen into the bladder instead of exiting from the penis during a man's orgasm. Because semen that's trapped in the bladder can mix with urine, the sticky discharge when peeing for the first time after sex can be mistaken for an problem with the urine.

Signs of Mucus in Urine

Normal mucus in urine is a clear, gelatinous fluid that's usually thin and odorless. It's not abnormal, though, to see some mucus threads in your pee that have a slightly off-white color or cloudiness.

Large amounts of mucus, however, may indicate an infection of the urinary tract, the reproductive tract, or the gastrointestinal tract. See your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

See a healthcare provider if there's an abnormal amount of mucus threads in your urine or if your urine seems thicker and stickier than usual, have a yellowish-green color, or give off a foul odor. 

What Is a Urinalysis?

A urinalysis is a test of the urine. Urinalysis is the gold standard for determining if someone has excessive mucus in their urine. This easy-to-do test, which only requires a urine sample, is usually administered in a medical setting. If initial results show abnormalities, more testing is usually needed to determine the underlying cause of unusual mucus production.

How to Treat Unusual Mucus in Urine

Antibiotics are used to treat unusual mucus in urine that’s caused by a bacterial infection in the urinary tract. If abnormal urinary mucus is caused by a sexually transmitted infection, successful treatment of the STI will clear up the excess mucus. Similarly, if excess urinary mucus is caused by kidney stones, treating this condition should return mucus production to normal.

Complications of Untreated Symptoms and Delayed Testing

Excess mucus in urine is often a warning sign of an underlying condition that should be treated promptly. If you're experiencing abnormal amounts of urinary mucus, don't delay speaking to a healthcare provider and getting a urinalysis. Complications of untreated symptoms could include a urinary tract infection starting in the bladder and spreading to the kidneys, causing acute pyelonephritis (kidney infection).

Summary

Having small amounts of mucus in the urine is not abnormal. Mucus keeps your urinary tract healthy. It helps flush away bacteria that can cause bladder infections. Having small amounts of clear or slightly cloudy mucus threads in your urine is normal.

Seeing greenish-yellow mucus or an abundance of cloudy threads in the toilet bowl or wall urinal after peeing may be a sign of a urinary tract infection. Other causes like sexually transmitted infections and kidney stones can also create excessive urinary mucus. Speak to a healthcare provider if you notice abnormal amounts of mucus in your urine or if it's discolored, looks stickier than usual, or smells bad. 

Read the original article on Verywell Health.