White Blood Cells in Urine

We know them as the guardians of our body, protecting us against any infection and foreign material. They are the ones who make sure that we get rid of our routine or normal cough, cold, fever, and any other disease. What I refer to are the white blood cells (WBC) or the leukocytes. These are derived from a particular cell in the bone marrow and there are different types of white blood cells. As many of us know, leukocytes are crucial indicators of how healthy a human body is. These are found in the whole body, and in the lymphatic system as well. Basically, these encompass around 1% of an adult's blood. So, one can imagine how important these are for the body's immune system.

Now, there is a flip side to this positive aspect as well. White blood cells, if present in inappropriate amounts or found in 'inappropriate regions', can be a matter of concern. To illustrate, white blood cells in urine could possibly be an indicator of a disease. The urinary system in normal conditions, takes care that there are no white blood cells in the urine. However, if at all a urine analysis shows that there are, indeed, WBCs in the urine, it can reflect that there is something wrong with the urinary system. The condition where white blood cells are found in the urine is called Hematuria. The normal process is that the kidneys filter blood and prevent the WBCs from passing into the urine. This renders that the cells have contaminated the urine either in the urinary tract or on the body's exterior.

White Blood Cells in Urine: Causes

Bladder Infections: Bladder is a significant component of the urinary system. So, any anomaly with the bladder such as infection can cause the white blood cells to be collected in the urine. It might cause a burning and painful sensation during urination, and the urine might appear to be cloudy. Any disturbance or interference with bladder clearance, sexual intercourse, and a few other pregnancy related conditions can also cause this infection, leading to the accumulation of white blood cells in the urine.

Urinary Tract Infection: One of the most common infections to affect the urinary system is the urinary tract infection. When bacteria enters the opening of the urethra, during a sexual intercourse or voiding, it might cause white blood cells in the urine. In fact, one of major symptoms of urinary tract infection is the occurrence of these white blood cells in the urine. Other symptoms include painful urination and burning sensation.

Kidney Infection: Another major reason for abnormal levels of white cells in urine could be infection of the kidneys. Kidney infection or Pyelopnephritis, starts from the urinary tract, and then it spreads to the kidneys. As mentioned earlier, kidneys are responsible of filtering the blood, and do not allow the white blood cells to enter the urine. Therefore, if the kidneys are not functioning properly and are affected by an infection, that would give way for the white blood cells to pass through into urine.

Apart from these; any disturbance and obstruction to the urinary system like bladder or kidney stone, tumor, and so on, can result in this condition.

Now the question is, what does white blood cells in the urine lead to? First and foremost, they result in urinary tract infection, as mentioned above. In addition to this, in some cases, if the white blood cells infect or contaminate urine externally, it might result in swelling of the genitals. Any kind of bacterial invasion is also signaled by high levels of WBCs. In a few situations, white blood cells in the urine can signify more serious diseases like bladder tumor or systemic lupus erythematosus, affecting the whole body. With regard to the prevention and treatment, avoiding the occurrence of urinary tract infection as far as possible is the key. If at all such infection occurs, a dose of corresponding antibiotics can free the urinary tract off the infection. That will automatically lead to absence of white blood cells in the urine. The severity and frequency of this condition will further determine if there are any serious diseases.

To cut the long story short, there is nothing very alarming in a urinary tract infection or the likes. Just that it should not exacerbate, for the simple reason that you do not want to lose your immunity which will be drained in the form of white blood cells in the urine.