It is discovered through a urine test.

Microalbuminuria indicates that yourkidneysarent functioning optimally and can sometimes be a sign ofkidney disease.

It also is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

In the United States, microalbuminuria is thought to affect roughly 4.6% of the general population.

Microalbuminuria is less serious thanalbuminuria.

Albuminuria means you have too much albumin in your urine.

It is a sign of more significant kidney disease.

Your healthcare provider may order a microalbuminuria test if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.

This is because people with these conditions are at greater risk for developing kidney disease.

This article discusses microalbuminuria, its causes, diagnosis, and treatment.

Symptoms of Microalbuminuria

Usually, microalbuminuria does not cause any symptoms.

If microalbuminuria goes undiagnosed, your albumin levels will continue to rise.

One of the symptoms you might notice when this happens is foamy urine.

Kidney damage can also cause swelling of the hands, ankles, face, or abdomen.

Causes of Microalbuminuria

Microalbuminuria is because of kidney damage.

Usually, you wont need to do anything special to prepare for the test.

Its important not to confuse urine albumin tests withblood tests for albumin.

Results from blood albumin tests give some different information about potential health problems than urine albumin tests.

Who Needs Urine Tests to Detect Microalbuminuria?

Microalbuminuria is often the first detectable sign of early kidney disease.

People who are at risk of kidney disease may need to have regular urine tests for microalbuminuria.

You also might need to have tests for microalbuminuria if you already know that you have kidney disease.

This can help your healthcare providers monitor your condition and see how it is responding to treatment.

Thats because certain factors can increase the amount of albumin in your urine temporarily.

These might include dehydration, fever, recent intense exercise, or urinary tract infection.

Treatment

Different treatments are available to address microalbuminuria.

Lifestyle Interventions

Lifestyle interventions are an important part of treatment.

Treatment Goals

Treatment goals will depend on your specific situation.

In some cases, after treatment, you may no longer show signs of microalbuminuria.

This is a good sign that you are helping to prevent kidney damage over the long term.

In other cases, the goal might be to stop microalbuminuria from worsening.

Your kidneys might already have a certain amount of damage that cant be healed.

But its important to work with your treatment team to prevent your microalbuminuria from worsening.

Microalbuminuria itself isnt thought to cause those problems directly; its just an indicator.

Summary

Microalbuminuria means you have a small amount of a protein called albumin in your urine.

Microalbuminuria can be an early sign of kidney disease, though it is not as serious as albuminuria.

If you have microalbuminuria, early treatment can help prevent you from developing more serious kidney damage.

Treatments may include medications and lifestyle changes such as exercise and a low-sugar, low-salt diet.

Work closely with your health team to find the best ways to protect your kidneys and your overall health.

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