3. Cloudy Urine
Cloudy urine is one of the most telling, and often ignored, signs of urinary tract infection. Urine, which is the result of a complex filtration process that takes place in the kidneys, is mainly composed of water and a small quantity of solutes which typically do not affect the transparency of the fluid.
When for some reason, such as having a UTI, the number of solutes present in the urine increases, it loses its transparency and begins to take on a cloudy appearance as if some solid material was dissolved in it.
Urine from a healthy individual may range from a pale yellow to a rich amber color. However, it remains transparent even in stronger concentrations levels and contains minute quantities of urate crystals and cells.
In the presence of a urinary tract infection, urine becomes contaminated with large quantities of bacteria and white blood cells and thus becomes opaque and cloudy. In cases of severe infection, pus is often detected in the urine.
