Professional publications of doctors 

Crystals in urine in large quantities: what does this mean? Crystals of salts in urine - the reasons for the appearance of urates, phosphates, oxalates

If the urine contains crystals of urate or phosphate

We have already said that if there are salt crystals in the urine or there is already sand, measures must be taken. It is better not to bring the matter to stones in the urinary tract. And if there are stones - there is nothing to grow them even more! Because small stones can still move away on their own. If the stone is less than 5 mm in diameter, it departs by itself in 90% of cases, 10 mm - already in only 50% of cases. Often this process is accompanied by renal colic. And at the same time, there is an injustice in relation to the male sex. Feelings when a stone is discharged is generally dubious pleasure. The person "climbs on the wall" from severe pain. - Can't sit still - trying to find a more comfortable position. But men have to endure incomparably worse because of the anatomical features of the urethra.

And do not flatter yourself if everything is calm for now. Pain attacks, renal colic, complications in the form of secondary infection and bleeding from the urinary tract usually occur several years after the formation of stones. And for some time, urolithiasis is asymptomatic. Therefore, if for some reason a urine analysis was done, it is better to see for yourself whether there are crystals in it and which ones. And take action.

Let's talk about urates and phosphates.

Urate stones are composed of uric acid and its salts... The color is different and depends on the pigment inclusions, but in general they are darker. Rounded. They are often uviform.

Fall out in acidic urine. In these stones, urate salts can be combined with phosphates. Or phosphates can be separately.

What to do and what not to do if urate crystals are present in the urine.

Why does urate in urine suddenly crystallize? It is also important that they are excreted in the urine in greater quantities if their concentration in the blood increases (with gout). Local causes also matter - in the urine itself. They can be common for the formation of any stones (see the previous material, http://polonsil.ru/blog/43674212290/CHtobyi-iz-nas-pesok-ne-syipalsya%E2%80%A6), and contribute to the loss of urates ... (We will not repeat the general principles of diet for any stones in the urinary system - this can and should be looked at in the previous topic.)

When urate crystallizes in urine, adhere to a diet so that less uric acid is formed in the body. And, accordingly, less of it entered the urine. Limit the amount of protein foods. Although, in fact, it's not about the proteins. And in purines, which are contained in cells in nucleic acids. Uric acid is a breakdown product of these purines. Its amount in the body increases either with excessive intake with food, or with a violation of utilization. (This is not our topic now, but along the way - since there was such a question - with gout (a disease with impaired purine metabolism), it happens that uric acid crystals are deposited only in the joints. And there is also a combination with the crystallization of uric acid salts in the urine and the formation of stones ). And, indeed, there are more purines in protein foods. But in some types of protein foods, purines are especially high. Purines are especially abundant in intensely working muscles. More in the muscles of young organisms. Therefore, the diet is limited to meat, fish, poultry. And therefore, it is better to eat chicken and turkey breasts than legs. Veal, chicken are not desirable. Moreover, meat and fish should be consumed only in boiled form. Boil in large quantities of water and broths are not for you. Because purines come out into the broth during cooking. And in general: if your family adheres to the rules of a healthy diet, it is generally better to pour out broths - they are definitely not useful. Limit fats, especially animals. In the presence of urate stones, lean meat is recommended in an amount of no more than 150 g 2-3 times a week.

Exclude: rich broths and jellied meat, offal like heart, liver, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, strong tea, mushrooms, beans, canned food, sausages, smoked meats, cheeses, from fish - herring, sardines, mackerel, cod, especially fish caviar. Spinach is not good for you. Do not overuse tomatoes, as they also contain a lot of purines. Do not use vitamin PP preparations - niacin.

It is necessary to create such conditions so that the urates that got into the urine do not crystallize. And urates crystallize in an acidic environment. Therefore, alkaline drinks (Borjomi, milk), plant foods, which also alkalize urine, are useful. Other dairy products are also helpful.

Drink more - at least 1.5 - 2 liters per day in the absence of contraindications. Anything salty is harmful. Because it retains fluid in the body. Before going to bed, be sure to drink a glass of water.

The following alkalizing products are recommended: cucumbers, beets, peaches, dried apricots, pears, watermelons. In general, vegetables and fruits are healthy. As discussed in the previous article on urinary stones, a large amount of fiber in the diet is beneficial for stones of any composition. Therefore, bread and rice are recommended less peeled.

Potatoes are not contraindicated. Less sugar.

Once a week - fasting day. On vegetables and dairy products. But not complete starvation! (Because during fasting, nucleic acids break down into a larger amount and a lot of urates are formed.) We need products containing citrates, calcium, magnesium, vitamins A, B, zinc.

Phosphates are composed of phosphoric acid salts... They are irregular in shape, rough, grayish or white. These stones are fragile and easily crumble. More often precipitated in alkaline urine. They are usually made of crystals. struvite... These are carbonate-apatite stones. It also contains calcium and magnesium... They are as dangerous as oxalates. Grow quickly and uneven, rough, can injure the mucous membrane.

If there are phosphate crystals in the urine... It is, of course, necessary to treat a urinary tract infection (80% of such stones are formed against a background of inflammation.)

Limit foods high in calcium and vitamin D (fish liver, oily fish, fish roe, eggs, dairy products, especially fatty ones).

Try to change the reaction of urine to the sour side: eat poultry, lean fish, cereals, beans, pasta.

In some cases, it is necessary to sharply limit and even temporarily exclude dairy, vegetables, fruits, berries, alkalizing urine. With the exception of peas, cabbage, pumpkin, sour apples, lingonberries, cranberries - this is allowed and even healthy.

The issue of the drinking regime is controversial. Usually, if there are any crystals in the urine, it is recommended to drink more. But when drinking a large amount of liquid, the acidity of urine, achieved by a special diet, will decrease, and this is undesirable. So, apparently, after all, the amount of fluid consumed should be moderate. We recommend tea, rosehip infusion, cranberry and lingonberry juice, Essentuki 17. Of the herbs, corn silk and dandelion are useful.

Calcium oxalates are poorly soluble natural compounds. The main source of oxalates is oxalic acid. It is very common in nature and is found in the roots and leaves of buckwheat and rhubarb. As a result of biosynthesis, oxalic acid accumulates due to the partial oxidation of carbohydrates. Slightly less, but still, calcium oxalates are present in black pepper, parsley, spinach, chocolate and cocoa.

In the human body, calcium oxalates are also present in a certain amount. Most oxalic acid salts are excreted on their own, but with an excessive concentration of oxalates, they can irritate internal organs - primarily the kidneys and bladder. In these organs, calcium oxalates accumulate and interfere with their normal functioning.

Note that oxalates are the most popular calculi - they are found in 80% of all visits for kidney or bladder stones.

Externally, calcium oxalates in the human body are compounds, light or dark in color, with irregularities and protrusions. It is rather difficult to dissolve deposits, since they are the hardest stones and, when passing through the urinary tract, they can damage internal organs.

Calcium oxalates are capable of growth, as evidenced by the heterogeneity of their structure in the longitudinal section. So, the largest stones can have a diameter of more than four centimeters. Large calcium oxalates are called coral stones.

Most often, small oxalates are found in children 6-7 years old, as well as over 10 years old. This is due to the restructuring of the neurohumoral regulation of the child's body. Large calcium oxalates found in the kidneys and bladder are diagnosed in adults due to improper diet, ignoring the first symptoms of the disease in advanced stages of pathology.

Reasons for the appearance

The appearance of calcium oxalates in the urine of an adult, as well as in a child, can be caused by the following reasons:

  • the content in the diet of foods containing oxalic acid or its salts;
  • a history of diabetes mellitus;
  • sharp significant dehydration of the body;
  • pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, kidney disease impairing urine flow;
  • poisoning with ethylene glycol or its compounds;
  • genetic predisposition, impaired metabolic processes from birth can also cause oxaluria;
  • the consequences of removing a piece of the ileum;
  • stress, especially during pregnancy;
  • abuse of vitamins D and C;
  • introduction of bioactive additives into the diet;
  • gestosis, the transfer of infectious diseases during the period of gestation;
  • uncontrolled use of steroids, pain medications, sedatives.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

It is possible to suspect the presence of calcium oxalates in urine even without an available test result. Usually, the symptoms in all patients are fairly typical, although they require careful differential diagnosis. Calcium oxalate salts in urine can be manifested by a combination of several signs, in particular:

  • soreness in the kidney, bladder, or ureter;
  • colic in the abdomen, appearing unexpectedly, with attacks;
  • increased urge to urinate;
  • impurities of oxalic acid salt in urine;
  • a decrease in the volume of urine excreted by the kidneys per day;
  • staining of urine in a brown color when the internal organs are damaged by fragments of stones;
  • fatigue and irritability of the patient.

Diagnosis of oxalic acid salts in urine is carried out in a laboratory way. For this, general and biochemical urine tests are performed, according to the results of which the amount of oxalates can be estimated. Their presence is also evidenced by blood impurities. With concomitant inflammation, an excess of protein and leukocytes is found in the urine. As a rule, oxaluria is not diagnosed on a single urinalysis, but this gives rise to prescribing repeated and additional research methods. When collecting daily urine, the doctor's suspicions are mostly confirmed.

In case of possible oxaluria, it is very important to consider the formed calculus at an early stage, to assess its shape, size, location, and possible causes of the disease. All this will influence the choice of treatment method. For this, the patient undergoes an ultrasound examination, on which all parameters of interest to the doctor can be determined.

Calcium oxalate salts are very clearly visible on ultrasound and it is difficult to confuse them with other types of calculi. With early diagnosis, calcium oxalates can be removed with the least difficulty for the patient and the development of urolithiasis can be prevented.

Treatment principles

Treatment of the disease occurs with the help of medications and vitamins. Among the drugs, patients are prescribed antibiotics and antispasmodics. Thanks to these groups of drugs, it is possible to relieve inflammation in the urinary tract, soreness and spasm and help small salts of oxalic acid to move unhindered to the exit.

Usually Platyphyllin or No-shpa is prescribed as antispasmodics, and Sulfadimethoxin and Biseptol are considered effective antibiotics in this case.

Additionally, doctors prescribe vitamin courses, in particular Thiamin, Retinol and Pyridoxine. To saturate the body with magnesium, Asparkam or Xidefon are recommended.

Diet for oxaluria

Treatment of oxaluria is impossible without a properly selected diet. Foods with an excessive content of oxalic acid should be excluded from the diet. This means that you should not use rhubarb, figs, gooseberries, plums, strawberries. And also it is necessary to abandon preservation, which contains a large amount of salt.

Doctors recommend limiting the intake of carbohydrates and table salt, and with an exacerbation of the disease, for a while, exclude dairy products. In order to remove salts, you can drink the mineralized water of Naftusya and Essentuki, but a little - no more than two and a half liters per day.

At an early stage, the disease can be cured within a month, but patients must follow the diet after complete healing. Indeed, with a predisposition of the body to oxaluria, the disease may reappear.

Calcium oxalates present in the human body do not cause problems if their amount is small and they are easily excreted in the urine. Otherwise, patients threaten to face oxaluria - an excess of calcium oxalates, leading to the formation of calculi in the body. In order to prevent the development of the disease, it is necessary to adhere to proper nutrition and water regime.

The kidneys are the organs responsible for the excretory function of the body. Thanks to the work of these organs, all substances entering the bloodstream are filtered. They are responsible for maintaining water-salt and electrolyte metabolism. In addition, they produce the hormone "erythropoietin", which is necessary to ensure the function of hematopoiesis. You can evaluate the work of the kidneys by analyzing urine. There are many different laboratory techniques for this study. In addition to the fact that according to the state of the secreted fluid, one can find out about the presence of inflammatory processes and a violation of the filtration capacity of the kidneys, sometimes crystals are found in the urine. Normally, they should not be. Therefore, the appearance of crystals indicates functional impairments. In some cases, these changes are observed in the presence of stones. Sometimes this phenomenon indicates a predisposition to certain kidney diseases. In this case, the pathology itself may not yet develop.

Crystals in urine: the reason for the appearance in healthy people

Crystals are accumulations of salts that form urinary sediment. Their appearance in small numbers is not always a deviation and sometimes occurs in healthy people. If the crystals in the urine are significantly increased, then this indicates a violation of mineral metabolism. There are the following reasons for the appearance of salts in OAM:

  1. The predominance of certain foods in the diet. These include meat, tomatoes, asparagus, sorrel, lingonberries. The fact is that this food contains a large amount of acids, which crystallize and precipitate.
  2. Increased perspiration during exercise.
  3. Taking some antibacterial medicines (drugs of the sulfonamide group, ampicillin).
  4. Drinking unfiltered tap water.
  5. Alkaline urine reaction. It is observed in the presence of inflammation in the kidneys.

If, due to the listed reasons, amorphous crystals appear in the urine, this is not a pathological condition. However, consuming large amounts of acidic foods is thought to be a predisposing factor for kidney stones.

The appearance of amorphous crystals in pathology

Crystals in urine can be different. It depends on which salts they are formed from. Crystals are classified into phosphates, urates, and of all these substances, kidney or bladder stones can form. In some cases, calculi contain several different salts at once. Phosphates often precipitate during a bladder infection (cystitis), they also appear due to increased excretion of urata - this is an accumulation of salts.Excessive production of this substance indicates a violation of mineral metabolism in the body (gout). In addition, urates are often present in urine in chronic renal tissue diseases (nephritis, CRF). Most often, calculi are composed of calcium, which is excreted in large quantities and forms crystals. Oxalates in urine are observed in diseases such as pyelonephritis and diabetes mellitus.

The presence of some types of crystals always indicates pathological conditions. These include salts of gipuric acid, an accumulation of cholesterol, bilirubin, leucine, tyrosine, hematoidin. Normally, these substances should not be excreted by the kidneys.

Symptoms if you have crystals in your urine

Most often, the presence of crystals in the urine does not appear in any way. Especially if there is a small amount of salt accumulation. Symptoms occur with the formation of calculi and the development of urolithiasis. In this case, the work of the kidneys is disrupted due to obstruction of the calyx-pelvic system. Also, calculi can accumulate in the bladder and enter the ducts. As a result, a syndrome such as renal colic develops. The patient complains of severe pain in the lower back, radiating down the abdomen and groin area. Due to the fact that there is a stone in the ureter, the flow of fluid is difficult. Pain in renal colic is so strong that the patient takes a forced position: on the side with the legs brought to the stomach. Crystals in the urine of a child are most often observed due to inflammatory pathologies (acute and chronic pyelonephritis, cystitis). Such ailments are accompanied by an increase in body temperature, nausea, pain in the lower back and abdomen (more often on one side).

Diagnostics in the presence of crystals in urine: interpretation of analyzes

Urates, phosphates and calcium crystals in urine are detected by microscopic examination. In addition to OAM, a biochemical blood test is performed. The presence of crystals in urine is indicated by a "+" sign. For example, the notation “urates +++” means that these substances are abundant. The pH level is also determined. If this indicator is normal, a more in-depth examination is carried out. Nechiporenko, ultrasound of the kidneys, excretory urography are performed. In some cases, it is necessary to conduct a study of the parathyroid glands. In addition to laboratory and instrumental diagnostics, it is necessary to find out: what food products the person consumed before taking the OAM, whether he drinks unfiltered water.

Amorphous crystals in urine: treatment

After finding out the reason for the appearance of crystals in the urine, treatment is prescribed. If there are large stones in the kidneys, surgery is required. In cases where crystals appear against the background of some kind of disease (pyelonephritis, diabetes mellitus, gout), treatment should be directed to the underlying pathology. With the development of renal colic, antispasmodic drugs (tablets "No-shpa", "Drotaverin"), uroseptics are prescribed.

How to prevent crystal formation in urine

To prevent the formation of crystals in the urinary sediment, it is necessary to take OAM periodically. After all, the accumulation of salts is often not accompanied by any symptoms. It should be remembered that crystals rarely form with proper nutrition. Therefore, it is worth eating foods containing acids in limited quantities. It is not recommended to drink "raw" unfiltered water. In the presence of inflammatory and metabolic diseases, it is necessary to follow the doctor's prescriptions.

Due to the most important physiological processes, the human body secretes liquid, a natural waste product, called urine or urine. Probably many people know that our urine contains many different trace elements, enzymes and compounds.

In a clinical study, salts may be detected in urine analysis. These are substances that crystallize and precipitate. With a single detection of salts and in the absence of other pathological abnormalities, this parameter is not always indicative. But in our body, all elements must be optimally balanced, and if, upon repeated examination, urine remains too saturated with salts, this may be a signal for the development of certain diseases and serious complications in the body. Such patients should be under the special attention of doctors and should be sent for a more detailed examination.

Today we will tell you what salts are in the urine, why they appear, and whether this fact can be a reason for worry.

Varieties of salts in urine

The composition of human urine can vary, depending on the diet, lifestyle, the presence of infections and disorders, and even on the habitat. About 90-95% of urine is water, the remainder is proteins, enzymes and salts.

Among the salts that can appear in human urine, there are several varieties, we will consider each separately.

Urate salts in urine

This variety is often detected in urine sediment during analysis.

It is customary to call urates the salts of uric acid in urine, which are the end product of the processing of purine, nitrogenous bases. Things appear as a result of the ongoing "acid-base" reactions in the body.

Usually, urates in urine accumulate with an unbalanced diet, namely with excessive consumption of purines: meat and broths, offal, sprat and herring, mushrooms, smoked meats, cocoa and chocolate. It is no coincidence that patients who have increased uric acid crystals in the urine, first of all, are prescribed a special "purine-free" diet with the use of food as much as possible enriched with magnesium, potassium, zinc and vitamins A and B. Without restrictions, you can eat: fruits, berries (especially grapes ), nuts and dried fruits, vegetables, dairy drinks and eggs. Doctors advise increasing the daily water intake to 2.5 liters, as well as diversifying the diet with alkaline mines. waters.

Urates in large quantities in urine can manifest themselves with a strong loss of fluid by the body (with "loose stools", vomiting, excessive sweating), with fever, after prolonged physical. load.

Quite often, urate salts in the urine of a child increase. For this phenomenon, experts use the term uraturia or uric acid diathesis. This condition in children is often associated with metabolic disorders and proper renal filtration. As already mentioned, the provoking factor is the consumption of large amounts of purine bases in food, namely meat products, which trigger a chain reaction leading to the formation of uric acid.

In any case, if a significant excess of this salt in the urine is found, it is better to consult a nephrologist who will analyze the situation and, if necessary, prescribe a subsequent set of therapeutic measures.

Oxalates

If too much oxalates were detected during a clinical study of urine, the doctor's first suspicion will arise that the patient is consuming a large amount of products containing oxalic acid (especially sorrel, celery, spinach, parsley) and ascorbic acid (citrus fruits, radishes, apples , rosehip, currant, ascorbic acid, etc.).

Crystalline particles of oxalates provoke irritation of the mucous membranes, urinary tract, microhematuria. The detection of this type of salt is of great diagnostic value in identifying many urological ailments. An increased content of this salt in urine, in medical language, is called oxaluria. Depending on which metal in the body led to the formation of oxalic acid, some types of oxalates are distinguished, namely: calcium, ammonium, sodium, potassium oxalate. If calcium salt is found in urine, the doctor can conclude that there is a metabolic disorder or that the patient has a certain ailment.

The most likely causes of oxalate in urine are:

  • Improper nutrition;
  • Diabetes mellitus in a patient or an incorrect / unprofessional approach to the treatment of this disease;
  • Oxalosis, a hereditary pathological disease associated with a violation of metabolic and metabolic processes, including the formation and maintenance of the basic functions of oxalic acid;
  • Excessive, unauthorized use of ascorbic acid and vitamin D;
  • Development of urolithiasis, various infectious and inflammatory pathologies in the kidneys and urinary system, pyelonephritis;
  • Sometimes, the deposition of oxalates can be caused by intestinal disorders or diseases, previous surgery or removal of part of the intestine.

In medical practice, there is such a concept as hyperoxalaturia, that not everyone knows this, since this violation is quite rare and is associated with chronic excessive excretion of oxalic acid, precipitation of calcium oxalate stones, nephrocalcytosis. Often, this pathology develops already in the first years of life, renal failure progresses. There is no special therapy for this condition, the salt level can be temporarily lowered if you consume large amounts of water and thereby increase the rate of urination, roughly speaking, "flush the kidneys."

To reduce oxalate salts in urine, the patient needs to drink at least 2 liters of water per day, and eat foods with magnesium and vitamin gr. B.

Phosphates in urine

Many phosphate compounds can occur in the urine of even a healthy person as a result of an alkaline reaction in the body. More often, this happens due to an abundant meal or overeating on the eve of the study, especially for foods with a high concentration of phosphorus (fish / caviar, milk / sour milk drinks, cereals, alkaline mineral water, etc.).

But besides this, in the sediment, phosphate salts can be found in the urine in an increased amount, under the following circumstances:

  • After gastric lavage;
  • With prolonged vomiting;
  • With fever and severe loss of water;
  • With Fanconi syndrome (hyperphosphaturia, systemic metabolic changes associated with an increase in the amount of bicarbonate);
  • Less commonly, with hyperparathyroidism (endocrine system disease).

A single increase in phosphate in urine does not have a special diagnostic value and often doctors advise to properly prepare for the study and retake the analysis.

A more alarming symptom is the detection of triple phosphates in urine. This name applies to phosphate stones, which are not able to dissolve in water. The detection of such crystalline compounds is a clear sign of the development of urolithiasis. Usually, stones of phosphate calculi originate in the upper part of the urinary canals, including the renal pelvis, calyx.

The danger of these salt formations is that they are capable of growing in a fairly short time (several months and even weeks), forming a large stone. Such formations can branch out and fill the entire renal system inside. Over time, renal function decreases, and then ceases altogether. At this stage, the patient is offered a nephrolithotomy - removal of stones by dissection. When irreversible changes have occurred, the removal of the organ is sometimes required.

Experts have noticed a certain pattern, and most often triple phosphates are found in the urine of a child or an elderly person. This can only be attributed to the fact that such patients have, as a rule, weakened immunity and are more prone to developing infections and viruses. In middle-aged adults, it happens more often that tripelephosphate crystals in the urine are increased in women than in men.

Since kidney stones are often bacterial waste resulting from the development of inflammation of the urinary system, to prevent their formation, it is imperative to adhere to a healthy lifestyle, eat a healthy and balanced diet, avoid overeating, and maintain proper and regular personal hygiene.

Amorphous crystals

Those substances that do not have a clear structure and shape are called amorphous. Amorphous crystals are formed from phosphates. Hearing about the presence of amorphous phosphates in the urine, you should not immediately sound the alarm, perhaps the loss of salts is caused by an error in the daily diet.

The same applies to the situation when, according to the results of the analysis, amorphous urates in the urine, crystallized substances that color the urine precipitate in a brownish or pinkish color are revealed. Normally, such crystals should be in a single quantity, or absent altogether. However, it is possible to improve the functioning of the kidneys and bring the analysis back to normal with the help of diet therapy and the correct (specifically for your body) nutrition.

One way or another, when a person is diagnosed with amorphous phosphates in urine in large quantities, it is necessary to consult with a specialist in order to exclude the option of developing a more severe pathology.

Salts in urine during pregnancy

As a rule, salts in urine are found in the early stages of pregnancy, in the first trimester. And often, this is due to early toxicosis, when you do not want to eat and drink at all because of nausea, and a lot of fluid leaves with vomiting. So, the body becomes dehydrated, and small salt deposits accumulate in the urine, which are fixed as amorphous crystals in the urine during pregnancy.

In expectant mothers, there are 3 possible causes of salt in urine:

  • Improper / unbalanced diet (for example, vegetarianism, or vice versa, excessive consumption of meat);
  • Dehydration of the body due to too little water intake;
  • Genitourinary infections.

To exclude the development of any diseases and disorders, a woman will most likely have to undergo an additional examination, do an ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder, and also pass a daily urine test for salt.

The laboratory will determine how many crystals are fixed in the test sample, and which substances are dominated by phosphates, urates and oxalates in the urine. There should be no misunderstandings after passing such an analysis, the result will be as truthful as possible.

To detect an increased salt content, the patient himself can, just look at his collected urine, it will be too cloudy and have a noticeable sediment. As a result of the analysis, the presence of salts is fixed by pluses opposite the corresponding parameter. The norm of salt in urine is the absence, 1 (+) or 2 (++) plus.

When 3 or 4 pluses are recorded in the form, amorphous crystals in the urine, triple phosphates or dangerous calculi are found, the patient needs specialist help, clarification of the cause of health problems and appropriate treatment. The complex of therapeutic measures should be chosen by the doctor, based on the nature of the sediment in the urine and the reason that provoked this condition. Significant deviations cannot be ignored. After the completed treatment, it is imperative to re-test for salt crystals in the urine.

Take care of your health!

Many even the simplest studies can provide information on how the body as a whole, and even some of its organs and systems in particular, works. That is why everyone, without exception, even with full health, should from time to time (once a year in the same month, if possible) visit the polyclinic at the place of residence and undergo a full examination. Such a preventive examination also implies the delivery of general blood and urine tests, the decoding of which is dealt with by the therapist. But the data of such studies can be interpreted independently. Let's clarify why salt crystals appear in the urine, what this means in a child and during pregnancy, why they can be increased.

Urine is essentially a solution of various salts. When urine stands, they may well precipitate - in other words, form crystals. The formation of crystals is facilitated by a lower temperature. By the presence of certain crystals of salts in the resulting urine sediment, it can be concluded that the reactions change to the acidic or alkaline side. Excessive amounts of salt in the urine can contribute to the development of various health problems.

If a small amount of salt in the urine was found in a single study and the patient does not have any other health problems, this analysis can be considered as non-indicative. In most cases, an increased amount of salts in the urine does not indicate an excessive saturation of urine with salts, since such a phenomenon can be explained by changes in the colloidal composition of urine and its reactions, in addition, it can be observed in response to the consumption of certain foods.

However, the detection of a significant salt sediment in the urine or its regular fixation can be considered a symptom of impaired kidney function or ailments of the digestive tract and other health problems.

Salt crystals in urine are normal

Salt crystals in urine can be found in patients of different ages. With absolute health, they are most often recorded in preschool children, which is explained by the peculiarities of their nutrition, the reduced ability of the kidneys to break down a significant amount of chemical elements, and, in addition, by fluctuations in the level of acidity. The number of salts found in urine is usually indicated on the analysis decoding form with pluses - from one to four. Doctors usually consider the presence of two pluses as a variant of the norm.

Why are salt crystals in the urine of a child increased?

Most often, urates are found in children's urine (they usually fall out in urine that has an acidic reaction), oxalates (fall out in an alkaline or acidic environment), as well as phosphates (most often fixed in an alkaline environment).

Urates are a precipitate of uric acid and its salts. In childhood, they may appear in the urine in response to the consumption of foods rich in purine bases. Such food is represented by meat broths, meat, sardines, sprats, herring, offal and legumes. In addition, urates can precipitate when a person constantly drinks strong black tea, cocoa, while consuming various smoked meats, mushrooms and chocolate.

Sometimes such salts are found after physical exertion, due to fever, dehydration, urine acid diathesis, leukemia and gout.

Oxalates in children's urine can precipitate when eating food in which vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and oxalic acid are abundant. Also, this phenomenon is possible with congenital malfunctions in the metabolic processes of oxalic acid, which is manifested by urolithiasis or inflammatory kidney damage. Also, oxalates increase with pyelonephritis, diabetes mellitus, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or with ethyl glycol poisoning.

As for phosphates, their increase can be observed in absolute health, including due to a decrease in the acidity of urine against the background of overeating. This phenomenon is possible with the consumption of food enriched with phosphorus, with an alkaline reaction of urine. Phosphates can precipitate in the urine after gastric lavage in case of poisoning, due to cystitis, vomiting, Fanconi syndrome, fever and hyperparathyseosis.

Why are salt crystals in urine increased during pregnancy?

Normally, expectant mothers rarely record an increase in salt crystals in the urine. Of the relatively natural factors that can cause such a violation, one can name the peculiarities of the diet (as well as in childhood), severe toxicosis in the first trimester of pregnancy and even until the end of the first half of it (vomiting) and excessive sweating. In addition, in many pregnant women, phosphates are found in the urine in an insignificant amount, this phenomenon is explained by a shift in the acid-base balance to the alkaline side, which is often observed during the period of bearing a baby.

In other cases, an increase in salt crystals in the urine is most likely indicative of a health problem. They can be represented by a variety of disorders: a deficiency of certain nutrients or an excess of them (for example, an increase in oxalates may indicate a lack of magnesium), various intestinal and inflammatory diseases (including diseases of the genitourinary system), endocrine disorders, stress, drug overdose funds, etc. Therefore, if an increased amount of salt crystals in the urine is found, the expectant mother needs to undergo additional examination and, if necessary, treatment, adhere to the diet recommended by the doctor.

Folk remedies

Quite often, salt crystals in the urine are increased due to the development of inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system. A similar situation can be observed with pyelonephritis. To correct such a disease, you can use not only medicines, but also herbs, for example, the medicinal plant thyme. Brew a tablespoon of the crushed flowers of this plant with one glass of boiling water. Insist the medicine for half an hour, then strain and take a tablespoon up to five times a day. This infusion can be used both in childhood and during pregnancy.

The feasibility of using traditional medicine should be discussed with your doctor without fail.