Pus is essentially a thick substance, resembling mucus, but is greenish in color, whose production is mainly triggered by an infection, such as in a wound. Normally, pus comprises of common bacteria, skin cells and white blood cells. While this substance is commonly associated with infected wounds, it may occur in your urine. Occurrence of pus cells in urine may be taken to be an indicator of an infection, either on the upper or the lower urinary tract. As such, you should seek medical attention if you notice traces of pus in urine.

Causes of Pus Cells in Urine

Pus cells in urine may be caused by an array of factors, some of which are mentioned below.

1. Uncommon Organisms

There are certain organisms, which may not be identified using a standard urine culture that is commonly used to diagnose the presence of bacteria in the urinary tract. Such organisms, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, ureaplasma, trichomonas and mycoplasma, can cause urethral infection, hence the presence of pus in your urine. To ascertain the presence of such organisms, the doctor may order for a special test.

2. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

This is among the leading causes of pus cells in urine. The infection may be affecting any of the organs in the urinary system, such as the kidneys, the bladder or the urethra. However, the commonest of UTIs is cystitis, an infection affecting the bladder. Usually, the infection is not serious and may be treated using antibiotics. People suffering from UTIs tend to have a large number of bacteria in their urine.

3. Kidney Disorders

There are various noninfectious conditions that can affect the kidneys and lead to the appearance of pus in the urine. Such disorders include interstitial nephritis, glomerulonephritis, renal papillary necrosis, polycystic kidneys and lupus nephritis. In addition to the traces of pus in urine, the conditions manifest in various clinical symptoms.

• ŸKidney Stones: When present, kidney stones will lead to irritation, hence inflammation of the urinary tract. This will, in turn, result in pus cells in the urine. In addition to pus in urine, kidney stones can also lead to the presence of blood stains in the urine. The appearance of traces of blood in the urine of kidney stone patients is because of the presence of red blood cells in the urine.
• ŸRenal Papillary Necrosis: This is damage to the kidneys, resulting from analgesic abuse or diabetes. The condition may also make the patient to pass urine containing pus.

4. Cancer

The appearance of pus in urine may also be a sign of cancer of the bladder or the kidneys. The likeliness of contracting such cancers increases with increasing age, with those aged more than 40 years being more prone. If the cause is cancer, the urine will also contain traces of blood in addition to pus cells.

5. Tuberculosis (TB)

Though very rare, the appearance of pus in your urine may be a result of urinary TB. This condition cannot be detected through a urine culture, hence the need for further examination to diagnose it.

6. Prostatitis

This condition occurs in men and involves the swelling of the prostate glands. The condition may also lead to the presence of pus cells in urine.

7. Interstitial Cystitis

This is a condition that affects the urinary bladder, but is noninfectious. The condition is more prevalent in ladies than in men and may also cause you to pass urine that contains pus cells. However, a urine culture cannot be used to diagnose the condition.

8. Other Causes

While the ones mentioned above are the main causes of pus in the urine, there are also other causes that may lead to the same. Such causes include stress, exercise, dehydration as well as some drugs. Another common cause of pus in urine is prostate surgery. This surgery will lead to an increased amount of pus cells in your urine for a couple of months.

Home Remedies for Pus Cells in Urine

Note: Before trying any remedy for the presence of pus cells in your urine, you should consult your doctor.

1. Increase Fluid Intake

If the pus is resulting from a urinary tract infection, taking about 10 glasses of water every day can help solve the issue. Increasing fluid intake will increase the amount of urine being passed out; hence flush out the bacteria that are infecting the urinary tract. Additionally, you may combine the water with other fluids, such as fruit juices, coconut water and vegetable juices. The minerals and vitamins in such fluid also strengthen the immune system, hence enhancing recovery from the infection.

2. Baking Soda

Taking baking soda lowers the acidity of urine, making the medium less conducive for the bacteria in the urinary tract. This will gradually reduce the number of the bacteria in the tract, thus cure pus in urine. To take this remedy, you should dissolve half a spoonful of baking soda in a glass of water and take the solution twice a day.

3. Vitamin C

The essence of vitamin C in the body is that it strengthens the immune system, hence assisting the body to fight infections. Additionally, higher amount of the vitamin in the body will increase the acidity of urine. Since the majority of bacteria are not adopted to survive in such acidic conditions, they will perish.

As such, it is advisable to increase vitamin C intake if you notice pus in your urine, by taking vegetables and fruits like guavas, bananas, Indian gooseberries, oranges, papaya, kiwi fruit, grapefruits pineapples, broccoli and cabbage, cantaloupe, strawberries, red and green peppers as well as cantaloupe.

4. Garlic

In addition to its ability to enhance the functioning of the immune system, garlic also has powerful diuretic properties. As such, garlic will boost the immune system; hence help the body to fight the infection in the urinary tract. Additionally, it will also increase the amount and frequency of urination, which will help in flushing the bacteria in the urinary tract.

As a remedy for pus cells in urine, you can take garlic supplements or prepare some from fresh garlic cloves. To prepare the remedy, you should mash up a number of cloves and mix them with a cup of hot water, allow the solution to stand for about five minutes and then strain it. You should then take two to three glasses of the solution in a day.

5. Yogurt

Yogurt contains large quantities of good bacteria. It is such good bacteria that help the body to fight the bad bacteria, such as the bacteria causing pus in urine. Additionally, yogurt has a mild diuretic property.As such, it also increases the amount and frequency of urination; thus flushing out bacteria in the urinary tract. If the doctor has prescribed antibiotics for the conditions, you should also take yogurt every now and then to help replenish good bacteria in the body.

Medical Treatment for Pus Cells in Urine

With so many causes of pus in urine, the exact cause of the condition has to be ascertained for the correct remedy to be administered. In most cases, treatment for the condition is rather easy; the doctor will prescribe the appropriate antibiotics to get rid of the pus cells in your urine. However, if the pus is a result of a sexually transmitted infection (STD), a special medication will have to be administered to get rid of the causative infection.