How to Diagnose Albuminuria

One of the roles of kidneys is to remove waste and excess fluids from the body. Albuminuria results from kidney damage, often from a chronic disease process. When the kidneys are not functioning properly, excessive albumin protein spills into the urine. Early detection of kidney disease is essential to halt further damage that can lead to kidney failure. Read on to learn how to diagnose albuminuria.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Know the risk factors for albuminuria. Diabetic kidney disease, hypertension and heart disease can cause albuminuria.
2. Ask your doctor for a specific albuminuria urine test. Routine urinalysis tests do not check for albuminuria.
3. Initiate screening for albuminuria immediately upon receiving a diagnosis of type two diabetes. The literature shares that approximately seven percent of type two diabetes patients already show signs of albuminuria.
4. Get tested for albuminuria once a year if you have diabetes. If the test shows more than 30 mg of albumin per g of creatinine, have a second test done to confirm the albuminuria.
5. Consent to a single urine specimen test in which the doctor uses a dipstick to check for excessive albumin. The doctor must administer this test on the first urine void of the day.
6. Check the albumin to creatinine ratio if an albumin-specific dipstick test yields positive results. Albumin excretion rates vary, but creatinine excretion rates are steady, which gives the doctor a more reliable indicator of kidney function.
7. Consider the possibility of a skewed albuminuria test. Fever, heavy exercise and urinary tract infections can cause a temporary elevation in albumin levels.

Tips & Warnings

• This article is not a substitute for medical advice. For an accurate diagnosis of albuminuria, you must see a physician.