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Normally, your urine has only a tiny bit of protein in it. That's because your kidneys work to keep protein in your bloodstream.

If you get protein in your urine when you are not pregnant, it probably means you have a kidney problem. If you get protein in your urine when you are pregnant, it probably means you have preeclampsia.

You get protein in your urine with preeclampsia because the illness damages the lining of your blood vessels. This lets protein in your blood leak out of your blood vessels. The protein that leaks out in your kidneys goes into your urine.

To check for protein, you urinate into a cup. Then a special paper strip is dipped into the urine. The strip is called a dipstick. So this test is known as a dipstick test.

This test shows whether you have protein in your urine and roughly how much. A tiny bit of protein is nothing to worry about. Doctors call this a trace.

If you have more than a trace of protein, it is written as one or more "plus" signs (+). The most you can have is four plusses (++++). The more plusses you have, the more protein you have in your urine and the more serious your preeclampsia is.

If you have just one plus (+) of protein in your urine, it may mean you have an infection instead. Your doctor may ask you to give some more urine to do a different test for this.

Dipstick tests are not always reliable. So if this test shows protein in your urine, you will have another test.

To get a better idea of how much protein you have in your urine, you'll be asked to collect all the urine you make in a 24-hour period.¹ This big sample of urine is then tested in a laboratory.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.