If you recently got a urine test done and the results revealed high levels of albumin, you suffer from a pathological condition called albuminuria. It is a type of proteinuria. Proteins such as albumin and immunoglobulin help in coagulation, maintain a balance of body fluids and also fight infections. These proteins are required to perform several essential functions. Kidneys remove the waste from protein-rich blood through millions of tiny filtering screens called glomeruli. As these proteins are big in size, they should not be able to pass to the urine through the glomeruli. The fact that these are found in urine indicates that the person is suffering from a kidney dysfunction. Read more on protein levels in urine.

Albumin in Urine: Causes
Ideally albumin should not be present in the urine, but when the kidneys are not working properly, some amounts of this protein might pass through the glomeruli and therefore, can be found in the urine. Thus, levels of albumin in urine can be used to diagnose the condition of kidneys. High albumin levels reveal that the glomeruli present in our kidneys are damaged. Determining the quantity of albumin in urine, therefore, helps in indicating whether an individual is suffering from any renal disease or not. Those people who are suffering from kidney diseases need to get the levels of albumin in urine monitored in order to assess the condition of their kidneys. The test which is done to determine the level of albumin in urine is called as microalbumin test.

On the whole, the normal range of urine albumin is around 0 - 8 mg/dl. So, if a urine sample test displays a reading of 2 mg/dl, it means 1 liter of urine contains 0.02 grams of albumin. When the reading is higher than the normal albumin levels, it indicates that the kidneys are not working properly. Read more on protein in urine causes.

Albumin in Urine: Symptoms
Albuminuria is generally caused when kidneys get damaged due to diabetes. Generally people suffering from type 1 diabetes are at an increased risk of developing albuminuria. Other conditions such as high blood pressure, cirrhosis, heart failure or systemic lupus erythematosus can also have an adverse effect on the kidneys and lead to albuminuria. It will be difficult to detect the symptoms of albuminuria in the initial stages, but if left undetected, large amounts of albumin may be leaked into the urine and the patient might experience symptoms such as foamy urine, swelling of the hands, feet, abdomen and face.

In case of pregnant women, the level of albumin in urine during pregnancy must be monitored. It is believed that women with high albumin levels in urine are likely to have premature deliveries. High levels of albumin in urine generally indicates blood vessel problems which might affect the fetal growth in an adverse manner and trigger a premature delivery. Read more on protein in urine symptoms.

Albumin in Urine: Treatment
It is very important that the level of albumin in urine is monitored with the help of tests frequently. A routine dipstick test is performed to see whether the big protein molecules are retained in the blood and only smaller impurities are filtered by the kidneys. Sometimes proteins can appear in the urine due to high levels of protein in blood, therefore, it is important to check the protein levels in blood also.

If the kidney is damaged, albumin levels in urine will be high even if blood levels are normal. As far as the treatment of albuminuria is concerned, the underlying cause has to be treated. If a person is suffering from diabetes and hypertension, it is very important that blood glucose level is kept under control. Those who are suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure may need angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) to protect kidney function. Doctors might also prescribe certain diuretics in order to get rid of the excess fluids from the body.
 

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