Nitrates in Urine

What Does Nitrate in Urine Mean?

For people who have started experiencing certain symptoms like foul smelling urine, burning sensation during urination and any problem associated with urinary tract, then it is important to understand that there may be nitrate in your urine. The doctor will recommend some tests and this is known as urinalysis where your urine samples is analyzed. However, in the case of pregnant women, the symptoms may not even appear and that is why it is recommended that they do the tests even if they are not seeing these symptoms especially in the initial stages.

Urinalysis covers a whole lot of issues and can be used to diagnose the kidney health as well as the general health of an individual. For example, an analysis of a person’s urine can throw light on kidney problems as well as diabetes which will prompt health care officials to probe further on the issues.

It is important to note that nitrates in urine could mean the presence of bacterial infection. However, note that these kind of infection cannot be confirmed just on visual inspection due to the fact that the urine has color. The only way to be certain of the presence of nitrates is through diagnostic tests even though there could be false results where the test proves positive or negative which isn’t the case. In reality, false results hardly occur nut more tests are normally needed to confirm the presence of UTI if it was suspected. When results appear positive which and if this is not the case, it could mean that there is a vaginal contamination of urine.

E.coli is known to be the most common cause of urinary tract infection. However, there are many other bacteria that could be responsible like proteus and klebsiella. This bacteria contain urease which is an enzyme that acidifies the urine thus creating nitrates

Is there any Difference Between Nitrates and Nitrites?

There are some differences between nitrates and nitrates. In the first instance, nitrates are basically in many food that are consumed by a lot of people in the form of salt. For example, a lot of the nitrates intake come from vegetable. However, nitrates are then converted to nitrites in the digestive process. Nitrites have a whole lot of roles to play in the entire system and that is why eating vegetables is one good way to keep the body healthy.

Some studies have shown that nitrates and nitrites can kill off bacteria in the body and for this reason they tend to be used in processed foods in form of a preservative. However, there is also a study that says nitrates can be turned to nitrosamines and this could increase the risk of cancer.

What do Nitrates in Urine Indicate?

Nitrates in urine is an indication of a bacterial infection in the system. The color of the urine may be confusing especially when it looks a lot darker than the usual color but it may not be a good indicator of an infection. Whatever the case, a high level of diagnostic tests is required to spot nitrates in urine.

Nitrates in urine may indicate urinary tract infection which often comes like a burning sensation when a person is urinating. During urination, a kind of urine smell may be discovered and this should call for concern. It is important to note that not handling this properly, there is a possibility that it could escalate to more serious issues. For example, the kidney, bladder and other body organs may be at risk if nitrates in urine is not properly handled

Possible Causes for High Nitrates in Urine

There are a lot of things that can cause high nitrates in urine as seen below

Diet

The number one possible cause for high nitrates in urine is the food we eat. It is important to note that nitrates are present in most foods we consume especially vegetables and fruits. For example, meat products, lettuce and spinach are some of the most common sources of nitrates. Note that the body converts nitrates to nitrites and even to nitric oxide during digestion. Both nitric oxide, nitrates and nitrates are valuable to the body, however, nitrates when in large quantities causes more harm than good because they can cause toxicity which is very dangerous especially to infants. But note that there is a possibility of having a positive result during urinary test especially if you have consumed diet rich in nitrates.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

This normally happens in a situation where there is swelling in a part of the digestive system. This can be as a result of ulcerative colitis or even crohn disease. It is important to note that people who suffer from this kind of disease normally produce more nitric oxide and this will lead to more nitrates in urine

Urinary Tract Infection

One of the ways to determine urinary tract infection is actually the presence of nitrates in urine. It is important to note that some of the microorganism that is responsible for this can actually convert nitrates to nitrites. Proper diagnosis is needed in this case as your doctor will want to determine if there is leucocytes in your urine because it is an indication of bacterial infection. Other symptoms can also be looked for in this case and this include vomiting, muscle pain, urine odor and probably urine bubbles.

Medication

There is also a high chance that medications could be responsible for high nitrates in urine. There are some medications that have nitrates like isosorbide dinitrate, nitroglycerin. These types of nitrates are normally found in the medications that are used in the treatment of certain issues like angina. In addition, there are some malaria medications that may contain nitrates. For example, quinone derivative are known to have nitrates. Therefore, there could be a possibility of a false positive result during urinary tests for people who have taken this medication.

How to Treat it Naturally?

There are various ways to treat it naturally. However, if the high nitrate is as a result of an underlying medical condition, then prescription drugs can be used to treat the problem. The option of exploring natural treatment through home remedies is available in so many different forms as we shall see below.

Vitamin C

The importance of vitamin C in this situation cannot be overemphasized. What vitamin C does is to strengthen the immune system in such a way that helps in preventing or treating of urinary tract infection. Note also that vitamins has the capability of fighting bacteria in the urine. To get good result, it is recommended that about 1000mg of vitamin C on daily basis. This will go a long way to support the immune system and fight this disease.

Yoghurt

Yoghurt is an excellent food which is a source for good bacteria. The implication of having good bacteria in the system is that it competes with the bad bacteria and overpowers the bad bacteria to prevent infection. However, it is important to note that the best way of having good bacteria in the system is by taking yoghurt from time to time. This will help fight against the bad bacteria in your urinary tract and digestive system. In addition, eating probiotics food especially after taking in some antibiotics as this will help in restoring the microflora of the digestive tracts.

Cranberry Juice

This is one of the best known natural treatments of urinary tract infection especially when Escherichia coli is the causative agent. In most cases, the symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection are known to clear after about 2 days of taking the cranberry juice. It is a very healthy beverage for people in this condition and a natural way to treat nitrates in urine. However, you can always support it with an antibiotics if it becomes necessary to do so.

Apple Cider Vinegar

If there is one thing Apple Cider Vinegar is very good at, it has to be the ability to fight infections in the system. To overcome these kinds of problem, the body is expected to attack and fight infections. Apple Cider Vinegar is a good source to fight off these stubborn infection and they also help in fighting urinary tract infection as well. To get result with Apple Cider vinegar, it is advisable to mix it with water preferable about 3 spoons. Drink the mixture for about 3 days and this will go a long way to kill off these infections.

Remain Hydrated

It is important to keep staying hydrated all the time. Staying hydrated means drinking a lot of water every day. The importance of drinking water is that it helps in flushing out those stubborn bacteria that are present in the urinary system. You can drink just water or you could also add a little baking soda to the water. However, whatever the case, drinking enough water on daily basis and staying hydrated remains one way to treat the effect of nitrates in urine naturally.