Why leukocytes in urine

In addition, there may also be crystals in the urine or, sometimes, red blood cells. Both nephritis and kidney stones may also present some characteristic symptoms such as back pain, difficulty peeing and decrease in the quantity of urine. That way the doctor may be able to identify the reason for the increase in leukocytes in urine and start the adequate treatment. In relation to lab tests, a urine test will evidence a high quantity of leukocytes and a CBC will also help with diagnosis.

What to do : in order for the amount of leukocytes in the urine to decrease, the treatment for lupus will need to be done under doctor supervision. Usually a doctor will prescribe medication according to the symptoms presented by the patient, such as anti-inflammatory medication, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs. Some types of medication, such as antibiotics, aspirin, corticosteroids, and diuretics can lead to the appearance of leukocytes in the urine. Holding urine for large amounts of time can encourage the increase of microorganisms, resulting in a urinary tract infection and causing leukocytes to appear in the urine.

In addition, if you hold urine for too long, your bladder will begin to weaken and will not empty completely. This causes urine to remain inside the bladder and microorganisms to proliferate. Start to urinate into the toilet.

Move the collection container under your urine stream. Collect at least an ounce or two of urine into the container, which should have markings to indicate the needed amounts. Finish urinating into the toilet. Return the sample container as instructed by your health care provider.

Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test? Are there any risks to the test? There is no known risk to having a urinalysis or a blood in urine test. What do the results mean? Increased red blood cells in urine may indicate: A viral infection Inflammation of the kidney or bladder A blood disorder Bladder or kidney cancer Increased white blood cells in urine may indicate: A bacterial urinary tract infection. This is the most common cause of a high white blood cell count in urine.

Inflammation of the urinary tract or kidneys To learn what your results mean, talk to your health care provider. Is there anything else I need to know about a blood in urine test?

References Hinkle J, Cheever K. Hemoglobin, Urine; p. Lab Tests Online [Internet]. American Association for Clinical Chemistry; c— Urinalysis: Three Types of Examinations; [cited Mar 14]; [about 2 screens].

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; c— This involves growing bacteria from the urine to identify the cause of the infection. If the test for leukocyte esterase is positive but finds no nitrite, an infection may still be present. The test is particular to certain bacterial enzymes, which means it can pick up specific bacterial infections with more certainty. However, it is not highly sensitive, which means that the test does not pick up all bacterial infections.

Having leukocytes in the urine without nitrites can also lead to a false-positive result that points to a bacterial infection when there is none. The pathologist or technician will carry out further testing to confirm the presence of an infection. This is particularly true when there are other causes of inflammation in the urinary tract. The genital canal can sometimes pass leukocytes into the urine during the process of giving a sample.

To avoid a false-positive result, people should clean the area around the urethral opening before giving the sample, using cleansing wipes and holding their labia or foreskin aside. Take a sample halfway through urinating. The initial stream of urine may be contaminated by skin bacteria, so taking a sample this way also reduces the risk of a misleading outcome.

Leukocytes are white blood cells. They are heavily involved in immune responses that protect people from infection. There are several types of white blood cell. The two main leukocytes are phagocytes and lymphocytes.

Phagocytes are produced in the bone marrow. Their job is to engulf foreign particles, such as bacteria or parasites. This means surrounding, absorbing, and destroying a particle. Lymphocytes are the white blood cells that recognize foreign particles based on previous encounters.

Lymphocytes produce antibodies. These bind to foreign particles and allow the immune system to remember them later on, should the same infection occur. There are other types of leukocyte.

Cytotoxic white blood cells, for example, can kill other cells. A doctor will often carry out urinalysis during pregnancy to check for leukocytes. This is the same test that confirms a bladder or kidney infection.

This checks for certain pregnancy-related conditions too. One of these is preeclampsia , or high blood pressure during pregnancy.