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10 Effective Home Remedies to Help with Cloudy Urine
Simple ingredients from your kitchen can restore your urine color back to normal.
Specialty: Naturopathic Medicine
Dr. Emily Gannaway is a public speaker at MediPro Holistic Health and grew up with the influence of multiple doctors in her family. Inspired by the work of her sister as an emergency room doctor, she began developing a deep interest in both... more
The health of our body’s digestion and excretion systems are measured by the normal straw-yellow or transparent urine we pass. Any changes in color or appearance suggest the presence of an underlying problem. The most common causes of cloudy urine are dehydration or a urinary tract infection (UTI). You may use home remedies to help with cloudy urine if none of these have yet turned into complicated problems. But how do you know whether you are in the early stages or not? Generally, if you have murky urine but no accompanying symptoms, that can indicate that the illness is in its early stages. And it is essential to pay attention to cloudy urine and take steps to restore it to normal as both dehydration, and UTI (the conditions most commonly responsible for it) can lead to serious health complications if left unattended.
To find out in detail about how to tackle cloudy urine with simple remedies at home, read on!
What Causes Cloudy Urine?
Cloudy urine can occur due to mild dehydration, but if it’s unaccompanied by other symptoms, it usually goes away on its own. Pus can also be present in the urine and make it cloudy. This pus can be due to –
- Vaginal infections like yeast vaginitis
- Cystitis (bladder infection)
- Gonorrhea (a type of STD)
- Chlamydia (a type of STD)
- Kidney stones damaging the ureter walls (1, 2)
Diseases like preeclampsia, diabetes, and heart disease that affect the normal functioning of the body can also lead to cloudy urine. However, this is a rare occurrence.
Let us now learn about how a cloudy urine looks like and the signs and symptoms that accompany it.
Cloudy Urine Signs & Symptoms
When the urine is not clear or transparent (can have its characteristic pale yellow color) and has some viscous fluid in it (pus), it is said to be cloudy. Although cloudy urine can be the only symptom you are experiencing, when it is resulting from a UTI, there are many other symptoms that accompany it. These include –
- Persistent urge to urinate
- Inflammation during urination
- Passing small volume of urine frequently
- Urine appears murky
- Urine takes on a pinkish hue or visible traces of blood
- Foul-smelling urine
- Severe pain in the pelvis (3)
Cloudy urine is inevitable in those who contract cystitis or UTI. However, listed here are certain home remedies you can try to ease the pain and inflammation.
How Often You Should Do This
Have a glass of this once every day, and your urine should be back to normal in just a few days.
Why This Works
Baking soda is alkaline in nature, and it helps neutralize the acidity in urine, alleviating the inflammation and the symptoms of UTI, like cloudy urine (5).
Why This Works
Blueberry juice contains many antioxidants and compounds that inhibit and even eliminate the UTI-causing bacteria (6). If blueberry juice is unavailable, you can replace it with some shredded blueberries in your morning cereal.
What You Have To Do
Eat pineapple as part of your breakfast or as a morning snack.
How Often You Should Do This
Have a cup every day to get rid of cloudy urine.
Why This Works
Rich in the active enzyme bromelain, pineapples have been found to be quite effective in dealing with urinary tract infection. This fruit possesses antimicrobial properties and can kill the infection-causing microorganisms (7).
What You Have To Do
Dilute the cranberry juice with some water and drink it.
Why This Works
Cranberry juice, like blueberry juice, is one of the best natural remedies for cloudy urine and UTI. It is a natural diuretic that also prevents bacteria like E.coli (which causes UTI) from sticking to the lining of the tract (8). It not only treats the condition of cloudy urine but can also prevent it.
Why This Works
Parsley acts as a natural diuretic which means that it increases urine output. An increased urine excretion implies increased chances of washing out the harmful microorganisms from the urinary system. Parsley also increases circulation in general and has anti-inflammatory properties. These can help in the recovery process after the UTI has cleared up (9).
Why This Works
This vegetable is one of the best-known sources of vitamins A and E and iron. It also contains many antimicrobial compounds which eliminate UTI causing bacteria (10). It is thus widely used as a home remedy for cloudy urine and UTI.
Tip
Combine parsley and celery with vegetables like carrots, cucumber, broccoli, and some ginger if you like. This healthy juice packs a double punch against the urinary tract infection.
How Often You Should Do This
Have 1-2 cups of ginger tea in a day.
Why This Works
Ginger is one of the best-known spices and is used to make cakes, curries, tea, and even herbal remedies. It is a known anti-inflammatory agent that also contains potent antimicrobial compounds. The anti-inflammatory characteristic helps alleviate inflammation in the bladder while the antimicrobial compounds eliminate the infection (11).
[ Read: Home Remedies To Treat Prostate Problems ]
Why This Works
Coriander seeds are diuretic and antimicrobial in nature (12, 13). This is the best combination of properties that benefit the body when trying to treat cloudy urine and related UTI symptoms.
10. Vitamin C
Cloudy urine is generally a sign of dehydration or UTI and usually clears up on its own. However, sometimes it may be a result of pus in the urine or other underlying conditions. Depending on what’s causing the situation, cloudy urine may be accompanied by other symptoms such as frequent urination, inflammation, foul pain, severe pelvic pain, or traces of blood in the urine. Home remedies to help with cloudy urine include the use of hydrotherapy, vitamin C, baking soda, ginger, blueberry juice, celery and coriander seeds. Seek medical treatment if these remedies fail to resolve the situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does The Color Of Your Urine Say About You?
Urine color signifies your health to a great extent. Here is what you need to know – • Transparent – This means that you might be drinking a LOT of water. Consider drinking a little less! • Pale Straw Color – This indicates a healthy, well-hydrated body. • Transparent Yellow – This urine color is considered normal. • Dark Yellow – Even though this is normal, it is best if you add more water to your daily intake. • Amber or Honey – Your body needs more water for sure! • Syrup or Brown Ale – Drink plenty of water and see if the urine color lightens. If it doesn’t, you might have liver disease. • Orange – This indicates severe dehydration. Increase your water intake immediately. If the problem persists, then it may indicate liver or bile duct issues. • Pink or Reddish – If beets, blueberries or rhubarb weren’t eaten recently, there is blood in your urine. This could be due to many reasons. Consult a doctor immediately. • Blue or Green – This may be due to a rare genetic condition. It could also be due to a food dye or some medication. If the situation doesn’t get better, check with your doctor.
Avoid These Foods That Make Your Urine Cloudy
Consuming these foods in large quantities can cause your urine to become cloudy – • Cocoa and chocolate • Coffee and black tea • Soy drinks • Milk • Spinach, Swiss chard, asparagus, and beets • Organ meats like brain, liver, kidneys, etc. • Baker’s yeast, brewer’s yeast, and yeast extract supplements • Increased intake of vitamin B supplements can also cause cloudy urine
Is It Bad For Urine To Be Cloudy?
Cloudy urine can indicate the starting stages of a urinary tract infection or even a kidney stone. If left untreated, it can give rise to other health complications.
Is It Normal For Urine To Be Cloudy During Pregnancy?
It is fairly common to have a cloudy urine during pregnancy. To avoid any complications, get yourself checked and use the right remedies to treat it as soon as possible.
Is Cloudy Urine a must-have symptom in Women with UTI?
Cloudy urine may or may not be experienced while a woman has a UTI. It is not a symptom that is experienced in every case.
Why Does Urine Smell Bad?
Under normal circumstances, urine does not really have a strong odor. Sometimes our diet can change this smell. High sulfur food like asparagus or vitamin B6 supplements can make urine stink. Dehydration can cause urine to smell because of the ammonia in it. A fishy stench indicates an infection. If the smell of your urine changes for a considerable period and drinking water doesn’t help, get yourself checked for a UTI.
We hope that the information provided in this article helps you restore the normal state of your urine. If pain and inflammation accompany it, these remedies can also help with that by flushing out the toxins and the infection- causing organisms from your body. Always start with the hydrotherapy remedy to treat cloudy urine as hydration is usually what your body needs.
Do you know any other treatment for cloudy urine? Simply leave a comment below and share your tips with us and our readers.