Cloudy pee usually means one of two things: you need more water, or you have a urinary tract infection. Cloudy with burning, urgency, or tummy pain points to infection; cloudy alone often just means drink more.
The NHS notes that dark or smelly pee as an only symptom is usually dehydration. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you judge the pattern.
What to do
Common questions
Why is my pee cloudy?
Two explanations cover most cloudy urine. The benign one is concentration: when you have not drunk enough, urine turns dark and can look cloudy or smell stronger, and the NHS notes that if dark or smelly pee is your only symptom, not drinking enough water is the likely cause. A glass or two of water should clear it within hours. The other is a urinary tract infection. MedlinePlus lists urine that looks cloudy or reddish or smells bad as a UTI symptom, usually with company: pain or burning when you pee, needing to go more often or more urgently, night-time trips, lower tummy pain, or pain in your back under the ribs. A UTI needs a urine test and usually antibiotics, and the NHS points women aged 16 to 64 to a pharmacist as the first stop in many areas. Cloudiness after sex, or with discharge, is worth a check for sexually transmitted infections as well. The urgent pattern: cloudy pee plus a high temperature, shivering, or pain in your back under the ribs suggests the infection has reached a kidney - same-day medical help. And cloudy urine that stays cloudy despite drinking well, or keeps coming back, deserves a urine test even without other symptoms. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you judge the pattern.