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Is It Normal To See White Deposits On Dried Urine? Should I Be Concerned?
Question: Is it normal to see white deposits on dried urine? My 2 year-old toddler drinks a mixture of formula milk and breastmilk. He pees into a plastic container before he goes to sleep at night. In the morning, I wash the container and let it air dry. When it dries, I see a white cast on the container. Is it a cause for concern?
Hi,
Welcome to XXXXXXX
Urine contains various salts like urea, chlorides, potassium, sodium, dissolved ions, organic and inorganic compounds in it.
During night urine remains stationary and salts present in urine get sufficient time to get deposited on inside of container.
During washing these salts are not removed completely, thus on drying forms a cast on the container.
Though it seems normal, still to remove doubt, it will be better to get it examined at a laboratory.
Thank you for posting your query. Hope you found my response to your query informative and helpful.
If you have further concerns in this regard, I would be happy to discuss those with you as well.
With good wishes,
Welcome to XXXXXXX
Urine contains various salts like urea, chlorides, potassium, sodium, dissolved ions, organic and inorganic compounds in it.
During night urine remains stationary and salts present in urine get sufficient time to get deposited on inside of container.
During washing these salts are not removed completely, thus on drying forms a cast on the container.
Though it seems normal, still to remove doubt, it will be better to get it examined at a laboratory.
Thank you for posting your query. Hope you found my response to your query informative and helpful.
If you have further concerns in this regard, I would be happy to discuss those with you as well.
With good wishes,
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I just did an experiment by collecting my own urine in a different plastic container and letting it stand for a few hours. After rinsing and letting it air dry, I see similar deposits, although they are not as much as my son's.
Our diet is not 100% the same, but we do eat the same types of food regularly ( pastured butter, pastured eggs, pastured chicken and bone broths, fresh goat's milk, bread, foods cooked in ghee or coconut oil, food based supplements in the form of cod liver oil and butter oil ). My son eats almost wholly home prepared food while I eat a mixture of home prepared, and fast foods.
(1) What are the chances that this is an abnormality caused by something in our diet?
(2) What symptoms do you usually observe in patients with urine abnormality?
Our diet is not 100% the same, but we do eat the same types of food regularly ( pastured butter, pastured eggs, pastured chicken and bone broths, fresh goat's milk, bread, foods cooked in ghee or coconut oil, food based supplements in the form of cod liver oil and butter oil ). My son eats almost wholly home prepared food while I eat a mixture of home prepared, and fast foods.
(1) What are the chances that this is an abnormality caused by something in our diet?
(2) What symptoms do you usually observe in patients with urine abnormality?
Hi,
Welcome again,
(1) This is not an abnormality. The same thing will happen with urine of almost all individuals. I asked you to get urine examined at a pathological laboratory, simply to remove your anxiety. There is nothing abnormal in your diet.
(2) The abnormal urine will be generally turbid. The color of abnormal urine might be different from normal. It can cause burning during micturition.
If you have further concerns in this regard, I would be happy to discuss those with you as well.
With good wishes,
Welcome again,
(1) This is not an abnormality. The same thing will happen with urine of almost all individuals. I asked you to get urine examined at a pathological laboratory, simply to remove your anxiety. There is nothing abnormal in your diet.
(2) The abnormal urine will be generally turbid. The color of abnormal urine might be different from normal. It can cause burning during micturition.
If you have further concerns in this regard, I would be happy to discuss those with you as well.
With good wishes,
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
My toddler has accidentally urinated on the balcony this afternoon, and after it has dried, I can see only a faint trace of yellowish stain. I don't see any white cast or anything abnormal.
I do not wish to proceed for laboratory examination unless there is a definite cause for alarm. I'm starting to think the white cast is a result of chemical reaction between the urine and the plastic of the container. Is that possible?
Also, what about the symptoms of people with kidney stones or those whose urine has abnormal pH etc?
I do not wish to proceed for laboratory examination unless there is a definite cause for alarm. I'm starting to think the white cast is a result of chemical reaction between the urine and the plastic of the container. Is that possible?
Also, what about the symptoms of people with kidney stones or those whose urine has abnormal pH etc?
Hi,
Welcome again,
A faint trace of yellowish stain, after urine has dried, is normal.
If quality of plastic is good, it is not expected that urine will react with it. When micturition is done on floor, most of urine flows away, and remaining amount is not sufficient to form any cast, thus situation is different.
Stone in kidney can cause severe pain in renal angle, which can radiate towards centre of lower abdomen. Crystals of same might be present in urine.
The pH of urine can vary between 4.6 and 8, with neutral being normal. The formation of renal stones is related to urine pH. Certain medicines, renal, respiratory and metabolic disorders etc can change in pH of urine.
If you have further concerns in this regard, I would be happy to discuss those with you as well.
With good wishes,
Welcome again,
A faint trace of yellowish stain, after urine has dried, is normal.
If quality of plastic is good, it is not expected that urine will react with it. When micturition is done on floor, most of urine flows away, and remaining amount is not sufficient to form any cast, thus situation is different.
Stone in kidney can cause severe pain in renal angle, which can radiate towards centre of lower abdomen. Crystals of same might be present in urine.
The pH of urine can vary between 4.6 and 8, with neutral being normal. The formation of renal stones is related to urine pH. Certain medicines, renal, respiratory and metabolic disorders etc can change in pH of urine.
If you have further concerns in this regard, I would be happy to discuss those with you as well.
With good wishes,
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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