Leukocytes in the urine in small quantities a normal finding, however, high levels may be a sign of a urinary tract infection or another condition like, lupus, kidney problems or cancer. This urine tests also looks other urine characteristics, like red blood cells, epithelial cells, microorganisms and proteins, which can help to identify a diagnosis.
It is normal to have 0 to 5 leukocytes per microscopic field or 10, leukocytes per ml of urine, and this range is not considered to be significant. However, the doctor may order further testing if other abnormalities are noted in the urine e.
A urinary tract infection or UTI is the most commonly occurring reason for increased levels of leukocytes in the urine. High levels indicate that the immune system is trying to fight off a fungal, bacterial or parasitic infection by fungus.
With infection, other characteristics will also be noted in the urine, such as the presence of epithelial cells and the microorganism responsible for the infection. Learn more about UTI symptoms and check-out our online symptoms quiz to assess your risk.
What to do : If infection is suspected, the doctor will likely order a urine culture test, which is a urine test that attempts to isolate and identify a possible microorganism that is causing the infection. Depending on the microorganism, the doctor will then recommend indicated treatment.
If a bacterial infection is confirmed, for example, and the patient is symptomatic e. Read more about the UTI treatment options your doctor may consider. If a fungal infection is confirmed, the doctor will likely prescribe antifungal medication, such as fluconazole or miconazole.
The medication chosen depends on the type of fungus identified. If parasites are the cause of the infection, e. Trichomonas spwhich is the most common type Hälsa och Vård parasitic infectionthe doctor will likely treat with metronidazole or tinidazole.
Kidney dysfunction, as is seen with nephritis or kidney stones, can also cause elevated levels of leukocytes in the urine. Kidney problems can also leads to crystals in the urine or, sometimes, red blood cells. Both nephritis and kidney stones may also present with some characteristic symptoms such as back pain, difficulty peeing and decrease in the quantity of urine.
They will likely order an ultrasound and urine testing in order to identify the the reason for the increase in leukocytes and start the appropriate treatment. Complete our online kidney symptoms quiz to determine your risk for kidney disease.
In the presence of this disease, urine testing will often show high levels of leukocytes. This combined with CBC blood testing can help with diagnosis. What to do : Correcting leukocyte levels in the urine is typically done under medical supervision.
Usually, the doctor will prescribe medication according to the symptoms presented by the patient, such as anti-inflammatory medication, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs. In short, by managing symptoms related to lupus, it is possible to decrease urine leukocyte levels.
Some types of medication, such as antibiotics, aspirin, corticosteroids, and diuretics can cause elevated leukocyte levels in the urine.