
Meaning Of White Blood Cells In Urine – There are many reasons why your doctor may ask for a urine sample. You might not think about it, but your urine says a lot about your overall health, so it’s a useful indicator for many diagnoses.
If your sample results reveal the presence of white blood cells, also known as your ‘immune’ cells, you will want to identify possible causes. Bupa UK clinical officer Dr. Matthew Brown explains what the appearance of white blood cells in a urine sample could mean for your health:
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Meaning Of White Blood Cells In Urine
White blood cells, also called leukocytes or white blood cells, help protect your body against infections. They are constantly produced in your bone marrow and patrol your body, rushing to your defense at the first sign of infection.
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‘Think of your white blood cells as your immune cells,’ says Dr Brown. ‘They flow through your blood to fight viruses, bacteria and other sources of infection. ‘White blood cells detect sources of infection and help prevent disease.’
It is important to remember that there are usually no blood cells in the urine. While your kidneys filter your blood and remove waste and water to make urine, they do not allow blood cells to pass through. So what gives?
Most causes of white blood cells in your urine are not serious. But ‘This can sometimes mean you have a medical condition that requires treatment, such as a urinary or kidney infection,’ explains Dr Brown.
From where? For similar reasons, we see whiteheads on our throat when we have a sore throat, and whiteheads on our skin when we suffer from infected acne; White areas are collections of white blood cells that form pus.
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‘It is important to note that white blood cells do not appear in the urine,’ Dr Brown adds. ‘They are usually taken when a doctor tests a urine sample you have provided. If you notice visible blood in your urine, it is important to contact your doctor immediately.’
Inflammation is another reason for having white blood cells in your urine, and it can be caused by kidney stones, immune disorders, allergies, or growths anywhere along the genitourinary tract.
What symptoms are associated with white blood cells in the urine? These all depend on the health condition that causes them to appear. Dr Brown explains that if a bladder infection is to blame, you may experience pain in your lower abdomen, feel tired or unwell, or experience pain when passing urine.

Kidney stones, another possible cause, can also cause similar symptoms as well as severe back pain, nausea, vomiting, or fever. ‘If you’re experiencing any unusual symptoms, it’s best to have them checked by your doctor,’ he adds.
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What’s the next step? Dr Brown explains that if you have white blood cells in your urine, your doctor may ask you some questions to find out what’s causing it.
If they suspect an infection, they may prescribe you antibiotics and send a urine sample for culture and sensitivity to identify any microorganisms.
‘In such a situation, it is very important that you finish the full course of antibiotics, even if you start to feel better,’ says Dr Brown. ‘The doctor may change your antibiotics after receiving the results of your urine sample and if your symptoms have not improved.’
If no infection is present, further tests may be needed to measure kidney function and determine the shape of the kidneys using x-rays. Alternatively, your doctor may recommend a cystoscopy, which allows doctors to see inside your bladder using a narrow, flexible telescope.
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‘If the cause is unclear, your doctor may order other tests depending on your age and other symptoms,’ Dr Brown says. ‘It’s important to remember that your doctor should discuss the next steps with you. If you have any questions, it’s best to let your doctor know. ‘Leukocytes are white blood cells that are vital for immune system defence. Leukocytes in urine may indicate an infection or inflammation in the urinary tract.
The presence of leukocytes in the urine may be a sign of an infection. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is often responsible for increased levels of leukocytes in the urine.
This article will explain what it means to have an excess of white blood cells in the urine and how to treat a urinary tract infection.
An unusually high number of leukocytes in the urine indicates inflammation or infection along the urinary tract, usually in the bladder or kidney.
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These will be seen in a urine test. During pregnancy, women are tested for urinary tract infection during their first prenatal visit, and they may need testing at other times during their pregnancy as well. Other people may need testing depending on their health, symptoms, or history of recurring infections.
The doctor may perform a dipstick test, in which a chemical strip detects an enzyme called leukocyte esterase, which indicates the presence of white blood cells typically associated with an infection. The dipstick test also highlights nitrites, which are waste products from the breakdown of certain bacteria.
The presence of nitrite in urine is highly specific for some bacterial infections. Nitrite does not occur in all types of bacteria.
The absence of leukocyte esterase in the urine means that the urine probably does not contain white blood cells and is therefore less likely to carry infectious agents.
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The doctor or laboratory technician may also perform a urine culture. This involves testing bacterial growth in the urine to determine the cause of the infection.
If the leukocyte esterase test is positive but no nitrite is found, infection may still be present.
The test is specific for certain bacterial enzymes; This means it can detect certain bacterial infections more precisely. However, it is not very sensitive, which means the test cannot detect all bacterial infections.
The presence of nitrite-free leukocytes in the urine can also lead to false-positive results indicating a bacterial infection when there is no bacterial infection. The pathologist or technician will perform further tests to confirm the presence of infection.
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This is especially true when there are other causes of inflammation in the urinary tract. Sometimes, during the sample collection process, leukocytes from the genital tract may pass into the urine.
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 urination. The first urine stream can be contaminated by skin bacteria, so sampling this way also reduces the risk of misleading results.
Phagocytes are produced in the bone marrow. Their job is to swallow foreign particles such as bacteria or parasites. This means surrounding, absorbing and destroying a particle.
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Lymphocytes are white blood cells that recognize foreign particles based on previous encounters. They contribute to “adaptive” immunity, the complex ability of the immune system to remember an infection and produce specific and effective responses to it.
Lymphocytes produce antibodies. These bind to foreign particles and allow the immune system to remember them later in case the same infection occurs.
A doctor often performs a urinalysis to check for leukocytes during pregnancy. This is the same test that confirms a bladder or kidney infection.
This also checks for some pregnancy-related conditions. One of these is preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy. Protein in the urine and high blood pressure measurement may indicate preeclampsia.
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UTIs are common during pregnancy, and doctors often find leukocytes in the urine, indicating the presence of an infection. However, some pregnant women may experience bacterial infection in their urine without causing any symptoms.
Most UTIs cause manageable infections that the individual can treat with antibiotics. The doctor may prescribe a number of different antibiotics, but will only prescribe certain antibiotics to women during pregnancy.
More severe or severe infections with complications, such as abscesses, kidney involvement, or infections that occur during pregnancy, may require more intensive treatment, including hospitalization.
Once the bacteria is identified, the doctor may need to change the course of antibiotic medications. Certain bacteria can only be treated with certain antibiotics. White blood cells (WBCs) are also called leukocytes. They protect the body from infections by fighting foreign invaders such as viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites. Phagocytes and lymphocytes are forms of white blood cells (WBCs).
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Phagocytes engulf foreign particles such as bacteria. Lymphocytes recognize foreign particles based on previous encounters. Lymphocytes form our body’s adaptive immunity. They also produce antibodies that bind to foreign particles so their destruction can be recognized.
Because leukocytes help fight diseases and infections, high levels of leukocytes in the urine may indicate an infection or inflammation in the bladder or kidney. This means the body is trying to fight an infection in the urinary tract. It can also indicate damage to the ureters, bladder, and urethra.
It may also indicate kidney stones. A high leukocyte count in urine may also indicate hypertension, diabetes or other kidney diseases. A persistently high number of leukocytes in the urine can negatively affect the kidneys or bladder. excess leukocytes
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