Urinary Acidification

What is urinary acidification?

Acidic urine denotes that the urine has a low pH value. The urine has an acidic pH because of many factors like diet and medications. Increased levels of sodium and excess acid reserved by the body acidifies the urine. The kidneys change the acidic levels in the urine to maintain a constant pH of the blood. If left untreated, high acid levels in the urine can lead to kidney failure.

What are its main associated signs and symptoms?

The main signs and symptoms associated with urinary acidification are:

• Pain while urinating
• Shortness of breath
• Vomiting
• Confusion
• A headache
• Blood in the urine
• Becoming tired without much effort
• Fatigue
• Sleepiness

What are the main causes?

The main causes of urinary acidification are:

• Cranberry juice
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Respiratory diseases that cause acidosis
• Dehydration
• Acidosis (presence of too much acid in the body fluids)
• Renal tubular acidosis
• Hyperchloremic acidosis
• Lactic acidosis
• Diabetic acidosis
• Consuming food items like buttermilk, yoghurt and soda
• Starvation
• Alcohol overuse
• Medications, for example, furosemide
• Diarrhoea
• Non-vegetarian diet

How is it diagnosed and treated?

Urinary acidification is diagnosed by using the following methods:

• Acid loading test: This test includes a blood as well as a urine test. It measures the kidney’s function of distributing acid while producing urine in the presence of excess acid in the blood
• Urine pH test: This test measures the level of acidity in the urine
• Referring to medical history to look for medications or an underlying disease that can be the cause of urinary acidification
• An ultrasound of the kidney or bladder may be ordered to look for any abnormalities in these organs

Urinary acidification is treated using the following methods:

• Balanced vegetarian diet
• Urinary alkalinising agents
• Pain relievers
• Plant-based dietary supplements
• Drinking plenty of fluids and water
• Ascorbic acid i.e., vitamin C supplementation.

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