Why Is My Pee Cloudy?
Medically reviewed by Jamin Brahmbhatt, MD
Cloudy urine, or cloudy pee, is when your urine develops an abnormal appearance that is unclear or opaque. Typical urine appears clear or pale yellow. However, cloudy urine appears to be milky or foggy and loses its transparency.
Cloudy pee can often occur due to temporary, unserious causes and may not be cause for concern. For example, if you are experiencing short-term dehydration, you can drink water or fluids to reverse it.
However, sometimes cloudy pee occurs due to serious underlying infections or diseases such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney stones, vaginitis, prostatitis, diabetes, or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). You may need to consult your healthcare provider so they can diagnose and recommend suitable treatment approaches.
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What Does Cloudy Pee Look Like?
Normally, urine can vary from clear to straw-yellow. In other cases, your urine may appear differently based on underlying infections or conditions, medications, or food intake.
Cloudy pee generally appears milky or foggy and is no longer transparent. It may occur due to the accumulation of bacteria, mucus, mineral deposits (crystals), white blood cells, or red blood cells your the urine, which can be caused by a variety of factors. Cloudy urine occurring due to a bacterial infection may also be accompanied by a bad odor.
Causes of Cloudy Pee
Several factors can cause cloudy pee, some of which may be harmless while others may indicate underlying conditions such as a urinary tract infection (UTI) or kidney stone. You may need to visit your healthcare provider if your urine is cloudy due to an unknown reason, for a long period, or in addition to other concerning symptoms.
Dehydration
Cloudy pee can occur when you do not drink enough water or lose too much water, leading to dehydration. Dehydration may be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the amount of water lost. In most cases, you can improve dehydration by drinking more water or fluids. However, cases of severe dehydration might require medical attention.
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a bacterial infection of your bladder and associated structures. If your cloudy urine occurs along with a bad or foul odor, you may have a UTI. A few other symptoms of UTI include:
Pain during urination
Blood in urine (hematuria)
Feeling the need to urinate even when your bladder is empty
Pressure or pain around the lower abdomen
If left untreated, a UTI can lead to complications. Therefore, it's important to seek medical care if you're experiencing symptoms of a UTI.
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones can lead to cloudy, bad-smelling urine due to the accumulation of bacteria in the urine. Kidney stones may stay in the kidney or move down the urinary tract to the ureter (the duct that passes urine from your kidneys to your bladder). Small stones can pass out with urine, but larger ones can lead to urine retention in the bladder, urethra, ureter, or kidney, causing pain. Other symptoms of kidney stones include:
Severe pain in the lower back
Abdominal pain
Nausea
Vomiting
Fever
Bloody urine
Your healthcare provider may recommend several treatment options for kidney stones that do not pass naturally. They may use sound waves to break up the stones (shock wave lithotripsy) or remove stones through surgery.
Diet
Your urine may appear cloudy due to the consumption of high-fat foods. A high-fat diet can contribute to a condition termed chyluria, where excretion of chyle (consisting of fats and lymph, or lymphatic fluid) occurs and mixes with the urine, making it appear cloudy. Some of the high-fat foods comprise:
Red meat
Baked and fried foods
High-fat dairy items such as butter, cheese, and cream
Palm oil
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause cloudy pee. These infections most often lead to the production of white blood cells which can mix with urine to give a cloudy appearance. Other symptoms of STIs are:
Painful urination
Genital sores
Unfamiliar discharge from the genitals
Itching and redness in the genital area
Fever
Abdominal pain
In many cases, people with an STI do not experience symptoms. However, the condition can still be passed from one person to another. Regular check-ups and testing are important for accurate diagnosis, monitoring, and management.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by high blood glucose (sugar) levels. This extra sugar is usually removed by the kidneys through urine. High levels of sugar in urine can give it a cloudy appearance.
Other signs of diabetes include:
Excessive thirst or hunger
Frequent urination
Blurry vision
Extreme fatigue
Tingling sensations in hands or feet
Over time, diabetes may put pressure on the kidneys, leading to chronic kidney diseases and kidney failure.
Prostatitis
Prostatitis is a condition that causes inflammation of the prostate gland in people assigned male at birth. It causes discharge from the urethra (the tube where urine exits the body) that can mix with urine, leading to cloudy urine. A few other symptoms of prostatitis are:
Pain during or after urination
Pain in the lower abdomen, genital, or lower back
Nausea
Vomiting
Frequent urination
You may want to visit your healthcare provider if you experience symptoms of prostatitis. They may recommend blood tests and/or semen analysis, among other tests, to confirm diagnosis.
Vaginitis
Vaginitis is an infection of the vagina caused by bacterial, yeast, or parasitic infections. It often leads to white discharge from the vagina that may mix with urine to give a cloudy appearance. Other symptoms of vaginitis include:
Vaginal irritation
Painful urination
Foul-smelling vaginal discharge
Your healthcare provider may do a pelvic exam, test your discharge, and analyze the discharge under the microscope to confirm diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment options.
What Does It Mean to Have Cloudy Pee During Pregnancy?
In most cases, experiencing cloudy urine during pregnancy is not alarming. It may occur due to dehydration, vaginal discharge, diet alterations, and hormonal changes.
However, in some scenarios, it may occur due to serious conditions such as a UTI or preeclampsia, which can occur during the later stages of pregnancy.
You may want to visit a healthcare provider if you experience other symptoms along with cloudy pee. These may include:
Painful urination
Pain in the lower abdomen
Nausea and vomiting
Vaginal irritation
Fever
Treatment Options
The treatment of cloudy pee depends on the underlying cause. The treatment options for each cause include:
Dehydration: Drinking more water or fluids can help improve dehydration. Severe cases may require taking intravenous (IV) fluids and a visit to a hospital or urgent care center.
UTIs: Most UTIs caused by bacteria can improve with antibiotics. A few common antibiotics recommended for UTIs include nitrofurantoin, first-generation cephalosporins, and trimethoprim.
Kidney stones: Small kidney stones may pass naturally. For larger ones, shock wave therapy or surgery may be required to remove them.
STIs: The treatment of STIs depends on the type of STI. STIs caused by bacteria are most often treated using antibiotics.
Diabetes: Your healthcare provider may recommend insulin or other medications such as metformin to treat and manage diabetes.
Prostatitis: Several medications can be used to treat prostatitis, including antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), anticholinergics, or alpha-blocking agents.
Vaginitis: Treatment can vary depending on the type of vaginitis. Antibiotics are mostly given for vaginitis caused by bacteria and parasites while antifungals are given for vaginitis caused by yeasts.
Preventing Cloudy Pee
Two best ways by which you can prevent cloudy pee are keeping yourself hydrated and eating a healthy and well-balanced diet. You may also want to visit your healthcare provider for regular checkups if you are experiencing cloudy pee for a long time, especially if accompanied by other symptoms.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
You may want to visit your healthcare provider if your cloudy urine is not improving even after drinking adequate water or you are experiencing other symptoms such as:
Pain or burning during urination
Bloody in urine
Genital irritation or itching
Foul-smelling urine
Nausea and vomiting
Your healthcare provider may recommend conducting various exams depending on your symptoms, including urinalysis, blood tests, and or diagnostic imaging to determine the underlying cause of your cloudy pee.
A Quick Review
Cloudy pee is characterized by white or foamy urine. It can develop normally due to dehydration or diet changes, but it can also occur due to underlying diseases or infections. It is best to seek further medical care if your cloudy urine occurs after drinking enough water or is accompanied by more serious symptoms such as painful urination, bloody urine, unfamiliar genital discharge, foul-smelling urine, and genital irritation or itching.
Testing may need to be performed to accurately diagnose the condition that is causing your cloudy pee. Then your healthcare provider can prescribe appropriate treatment options that address the underlying cause.
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