It’s always disturbing when you get a lab report from your doctor and there’s an abnormality. If you’ve had your urine checked recently, your doctor may have told you that you have traces of protein in your urine. The official medical name for finding protein in your urine is called proteinuria. What causes proteinuria and should you be concerned?

As you may already know, the kidneys are two organs located in the back, below the rib cage that act as filtering devices to eliminate waste materials from the body. The job of the kidneys is to eliminate waste products that could be harmful if allowed to build up. When the blood is filtered by the kidneys, usually proteins are reabsorbed and re-enter the blood stream with minimal amounts ending up in the urine. In certain conditions where the kidneys aren’t functioning properly protein enters the urine, causing the condition called proteinuria.

How do you know if you have protein in your urine? Proteinuria is usually detected when your doctor uses a special dipstick to test your urine which changes color in the presence of protein. In severe kidney disease, large amounts of protein can be detected, but, in some cases, your doctor will find only traces of protein in urine.

The good news is that although traces of protein in urine can be indicative of kidney disease as well as a variety of other medical conditions, it’s not always a serious sign. There is something called benign proteinuria which means that protein is present in the urine in the absence of known disease. This condition is more common in adolescents and young adults. What causes proteinuria in the absence of disease?

Up to five percent of adolescents may have trace of protein in urine when a urine sample is taken when they’re standing up. The protein disappears when a sample is taken lying down. This is called orthostatic proteinuria. Other non-serious causes of protein in the urine can be fever, vigorous exercise, or stress.

How can you make sure you have benign proteinuria rather than a more serious condition? Your doctor may either repeat the urine test to see if the traces of protein disappear, or he or she may recommend a twenty-four hour urine collection for protein. To get a twenty-four urine protein, your doctor would ask you to collect all of your urine over a twenty-four hour period and bring it into the office. This will allow the amount of protein to be quantified which can give an indication as to whether there’s a more serious problem. Your doctor will also want to collect blood to check kidney function measurements known as BUN and creatinine.

If you or your child is found to have benign proteinuria, your doctor will follow you over time while periodically checking your urine for protein. Benign proteinuria in adolescents will often resolve as he or she enters adulthood.