What causes

  What can cause high protein levels in urine?
  Also, what does a pH level of 8.5 mean?
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Dear Thumper,
Any number of things can cause high protein levels in the urine from intense exercise to problems with the kidneys, a severe burn, diabetes and multiple other things.  If you have specific concerns about the protein level of a child you should contact your primary care provider for information and direction.  pH levels are an indication of the bodies ability to maintain normal acid-base balance.  It represent the concentration of hydrogen in solution and only indicates whether an imbalance is more acidic or more alkaline.  Disturbances in this balance may come from a variety of causes.  The normal levels also vary by age with 7.11 to 7.36 being normal at birth, 7.29 to 7.45 being normal at one day of age and 7.35 to 7.45 being normal for a child.  I assume that the 8.5 value that you are referring to is for a child, in which case it is slightly elevated.  I again would encourage you to seek the advice of your primary care provider.  If you do not have one and would like to see a member of the department of
Pediatrics at Henry Ford Health System you can do so by calling [phone] for an appointment.

This material is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered a formal medical evaluation.
If you have specific questions, please contact your primary physician or you can reach a member of the department of Pediatrics at the above number.
hfhs. rn-dh
*keywords: protein levels, pH