Tap to Read ➤

Why Does Urine Foam

Divya Bichu
Is foamy urine a reason to worry? Why does urine foam? What causes foam in urine? To find answers to all these questions, keep reading.
Urine is the waste product of your body secreted through the kidneys and excreted through the urethra. It is a transparent solution that has a typical color ranging from pale amber to dark amber. The body has to get rid of certain wastes from the bloodstream, like nitrogen, urea, etc., which passes through urination.
A healthy person's urine is normally clear and free-flowing like water. So does that mean you should be concerned if your urine foams or takes a different color when it hits the urinal?
Why does urine foam up in the first place? Well, nothing to worry about as such; however, it may be an indication of something being wrong with your system, and that you need to fix it

What Does Foam in Urine Mean

Foamy urine can also be a sign of kidney or liver disorders. Bubbles in urine is also one of the early symptoms of diabetes. Sometimes, people diagnosed with kidney stones also pass foamy urine.
When something goes against the normal working of the system, it is only wise you consult a medical practitioner, who will examine you and ask you to go through a simple urine test. During this test, urine sample is collected and sent to the laboratory for testing.
The results of this test will help you know why does urine foam, and you will be treated accordingly to fix the problem.

Why Does Urine Foam Up

Proteinuria

Sometimes, you experience your urine foaming up or there are bubbles in the urine when it hits the toilet pot. Producing a foamy or bubbly urine means the presence of certain proteins in the urine, which normally should not be present.
No doubt, urine contains small amounts of proteins, but when it contains large amounts of proteins, the result is foamy urine. This condition, in medical terms, is referred to as Proteinuria. Too much protein in urine reacts with the atmospheric air during urination, and foams up or bubbles are formed in the toilet bowl.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Another reason why urine foams up is UTI (urinary tract infection), or let's put it the other way, foaming of urine is one of the symptoms of UTI. When microorganisms thrive in the genital areas of both males and females, it causes a urinary tract infection. These microorganisms cause the urine to foam, along with a burning sensation.

Logical Explanation

Now this might sound funny, but has a logical reasoning. Sometimes, the cause for foamy urine or bubbles in urine could be nothing but the fast cascading effect, i.e., when the liquid hits a hard surface of the toilet pot or bowl, it is bound to create bubbles or the foaming effect. The elements present in the urine, its surface tension and the force with which it hits the toilet surface, are enough factors responsible for the urine to foam up.

Acidic Urine

The pH of urine is normally 7, which means it is neutral. When you include certain foods like meat or cranberries in your diet and consume medicines which contain ammonium chloride or chlorothiazide diuretics, they contribute to the reduction of the pH level in the urine, thus making the urine acidic. Acidic urine is likely to be frothy, and therefore, foams up when hits the toilet bowl.
Foamy urine in the toilet bowl is actually not a grave situation, but one can easily go through a simple urine test to find out the cause, so that treatment becomes easier if diagnosed with any problem.