Is Your Urine Healthy?

What is Urine?

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Urine is made up of excess water and dissolved waste materials which are secreted by the kidney via a process called filtration from the bloodstream and eventually expelled via the urethra from our body through a process called urination. It is an elimination process of liquid waste product from what we have been eating and drinking that our body wants to eliminate. Besides the mentioned materials, urine is also found to contain dead blood cells, DNA, numerous waste compounds generated by a cellular metabolism, other water-soluble chemicals as well as materials generated from various body processes. In a test known as urinalysis, these chemicals can be diagnosed, analyzed and detected, while in pregnant women, amniocentesis is a test used to analyze amniotic fluid, which is closely associated to urine. Its yellow color comes from a pigment that results from the breakdown of hemoglobin or the processing of dead blood cells in our liver, which is medically called urochrome, giving the urine a pale yellow color.

What Do Kidneys Do for Us?

Our kidneys do a great job for us by processing or filtering the blood plasma, while allowing sugars, vitamins, water, amino acids and other important substances back into our bloodstream. The excess salts, minerals, urea from protein digestion, water, waste of hormone, certain toxins, urochrome as well as creatinine generated from the muscle breakdown are then eliminated from our body via urination process.

From the video explanation, you understand that our kidneys act as filters to purify our blood by eliminating excess waste and fluids through its tiny filters called gomeruli. When our kidneys are healthy, the glomeruli can purify the blood bring by the artery and waste from the bloodstream. The blood purification process occurs in our kidneys helps eliminating waste and extra fluids out of our body via the ureter in the form of urine, while the clean blood goes out of our kidneys and back into the blood vessels via the vein. Therefore, it is very important to care for your kidneys.

Why Do Urine Tests Matter?

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A urine test check is deemed necessary as its result may give you information on different components of urine, and a waste product produced by your kidneys. The regular urine test also helps to find the cause of symptoms for certain diseases. Therefore, the test can give you invaluable information regarding the status of your health and the problems your body is facing.

According to “DNA in Urine Can Reveal Disease” written by Charles Q.Choi that was published in Live Science on August 16, 2006, a simple urine test for DNA fragments helps to detect the development of malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, cancer or other potentially dangerous diseases at its early stage. In 1996, David Tomei, a cell biologist and his colleagues discovered that short fragments of DNA from the body could cross the kidney’s filters into urine. This finding is important that it might transplant organs before symptoms of inflammation manifest or genetically test fetuses for birth defects.

In a failure process of fighting off a disease due to the malfunction of some organs in our body, excess and unwanted materials can be resulted in our urine, and thereby urine is as important as feces, which can be served as a good indicator to reveal what our body has been ingesting and the condition of our body as well. Despite of this reason, certain abnormal colors in our urine can indicate health problems, diseases or the imbalances of our diet.

How to Interpret the Urine Test Results

There are more than 100 different tests involve in urine test. A regular urinalysis may include the following test:

Color

Healthy: Pale to dark yellow

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Unhealthy: Dark yellow urine is caused by dehydration; red urine is caused by the presence of blood in the urine; urine with no color indicates the resulting impact of uncontrolled diabetes as well as a long-term kidney disease. Take note that certain foods (such as blackberries, rhubarb as well as the presence of blood in the urine can turn urine red-brown) and medicines (such as Vitamin B supplement can turn your urine into bright yellow color) will also give color to your urine. Fluid balance which deals with how dark or light your urine color generally tells you how much water is in your urine. I will explain more on unhealthy urine color when we move to the subtitled “unhealthy urine” in this article.

Clarity

Healthy: Clear

Unhealthy: Cloudy or chalky. The cloudy urine is caused by blood (red blood cells), bacteria, pus, yeast, mucus, crystals, sperm, or a parasitic infection, such as trichomoniasis.

Odor

Healthy: Slightly “nutty” odor

Unhealthy: Maple syrup odor is caused by maple syrup urine disease (this condition happens when our body is unable to break down some of the amino acids); bad odor is caused by a urinary tract infection or UTI; sweet and fruity odor is normally caused by uncontrolled diabetes. Besides these reasons, certain foods (such as asparagus), starvation (can cause a sweet and fruity odor), bacterial infection (such as an infection with E.coli bacteria can cause a bad odor), antibiotics (such as penicillin), and vitamins can cause your urine to have different odors.

Specific Gravity

Specific gravity checks the amount of substances in the urine, and it is an indicator that shows how well the kidneys balance the amount of water in the urine.

Healthy: From 1.005 to 1.030

Unhealthy: Any figure lower than 1.005 or higher than 1.030. Any value lower than 1.005 means dilute urine which can be caused by drinking too much fluids (when you drink a lot of fluids, your kidneys produce urine with a high amount of water which has a low specific gravity), the use of diuretics, or the severe kidney disease. However, any value higher than 1.030 means very concentrated urine which can be resulted from drinking not enough fluids (when you do not drink fluids, your kidneys produce urine with a small amount of water which has a high specific gravity), loss of too much fluids (due to sweating, excessive vomiting, dehydration, or diarrhea), or the presence of substances (such as protein or sugar) in the urine.

pH

The pH is a measure of how alkaline (base) or acidic the urine is. A urine pH of 7 is neutral (neither acidic nor alkaline), 4 is strongly acidic, and 9 is strongly alkaline. In certain cases, the pH of urine is caused by certain treatments. This condition occurs when your doctor may ask you to keep your urine either alkaline or acidic in order to curb certain types of kidney stones from forming.

Healthy: From 4.6 to 8.0 (or from mild acidic to weak alkaline)

Unhealthy: Any value lower than pH 4.6 (acidic) can be caused by uncontrolled diabetes, aspirin overdose, starvation, drinking too much alcohol or antifreeze (ethylene glycol), dehydration, severe diarrhea, or severe lung disease (emphysema). Nevertheless, any value higher than pH 8.0 (alkaline) can be caused by a kidney disease, some urinary tract infections, severe vomiting, and asthma. The urine pH can also be affected by certain medicines (such as antacids) and foods (such as dairy products and citrus fruits).

Protein

Protein is normally not seen in the urine.

Healthy: None

Unhealthy: The presence of the protein in urine may indicate heart failure, preeclampsia (if you are pregnant), infections, high blood pressure, fever, hard exercise, pregnancy, kidney disease, diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), poisons (lead or mercury poisoning), kidney damage, or the presence of glomerulonephritis.

Glucose

Glucose is the type of sugar found in blood. Normally, there is very little or no glucose seen in the urine.

Healthy: None

Unhealthy: Too much glucose in the urine may be due to uncontrolled diabetes (this is because the blood sugar level is very high in the bloodstream and thus causing the sugar spills over into the urine), liver damage, brain injury, certain types of poisoning, an adrenal gland problem, and certain types of kidney diseases. The glucose is also found in the urine with the presence of Intravenous (IV) fluids. However, healthy pregnant women can have glucose in their urine during pregnancy, in which this condition is considered as normal.

Microscopic Analysis

In this test, urine is spun in a special machine (centrifuge) so the solid materials (sediment) settle at the bottom. The sediment is spread on a slide and looked at under a microscope.

Healthy: No bacteria, yeast cells, squamous cells, or parasites are present in the urine. Very few or no white or red blood cells or casts are seen. A few crystals may normally be seen.

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Unhealthy: The presence of white blood cells (pus) in the urine may be due to inflammation of the kidneys (glomerulonephritis), kidney disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a urinary tract infection (UTI), bladder tumor, or inflammation in the vagina or under the foreskin of the penis; while the presence of red blood cells may be caused by kidney stones, strenuous exercise (such as running a marathon), UTI, glomerulonephritis, a kidney or bladder tumor, SLE, kidney, ureters, urethra or bladder injury. (Note: Blood cells are normally not seen in the urine).

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The presence of casts in the urine can mean metal poisoning (such as mercury or lead), poor blood supply to the kidneys, heart failure, a bacterial infection, inflammation or damage to the tiny tubes in the kidneys. (Note: Casts are certain types of kidney diseases which can cause plugs of material, medically termed as casts. They are formed in tiny tubes in the kidneys. Eventually, these casts get flushed out in the urine. They can be made of waxy or fatty substances, red or white blood cells, or protein. The presence of different types of casts can mean what type of kidney disease that may be present).

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The presence of bacteria in the urine can mean UTI, while the presence of parasites or yeast cells (such as the parasite that causes trichomoniasis) can mean an infection of the urinary tract. (Note: Normally, there are no bacteria, parasites, or yeast cells seen in the urine. If these are present, it can mean you have an infection).

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The presence of large amounts of crystals, or certain types of crystals can mean damaged kidneys, kidney stones, or problems with metabolism (show you how the body is using food). In the cases of certain types of urinary tract infections and some medicines can also introduce or increase the number of crystals in the urine. (Note: Healthy people normally have very few crystals seen in their urine).

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The presence of squamous cells in the urine may indicate that another urine sample needs to be collected.

Ketones

The body makes substances called Ketones (or Ketone bodies), when fat is broken down for energy. These substances are then passed in the urine.

Healthy: None

Unhealthy: The presence of Ketones in the urine can mean a very low carbohydrate diet (a diet low in sugars and starches), alcoholism, severe vomiting, uncontrolled diabetes, poisoning from drinking rubbing alcohol (such as isopropanol), starvation or eating disorders (such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa). When someone does not eat (fast) for 18 hours or more, Ketones can also be seen in the urine; this happens particularly when someone is sick and cannot eat, or vomits for several days. The presence of large amounts of Ketones in the urine can mean a very serious condition, or the presence of diabetes ketoacidosis. For healthy pregnant women, low levels of Ketones may be seen in their urine, in which this condition is considered as normal.

Bilirubin

Bilirubin is a substance formed by the breakdown of red blood cells, and it is usually passed from the body in feces. Therefore, the presence of Bilirubin in the urine is considered abnormal and unhealthy.

Healthy: None

Unhealthy: The presence of Bilirubin can mean a damaged liver, or that the flow of bile from the gallbladder is blocked or clogged.

Bence Jones Protein

Bence Jones Protein is an abnormal protein which is often found in the urine of approximately 50% of people suffering multiple myeloma, according to the clinical reports. The normal urine test does not include test for Bence Jones Protein, unless someone is suspected suffering multiple myeloma.

Healthy: None

Unhealthy: The presence of Bence Jones Protein is found more common in people with a rare type of cancer called multiple myeloma.

Urobilinogen

Urobilinogen is a substance formed by the breakdown of Bilirubin. Like Bilirubin, it is passed from the body in feces. Therefore, the presence of Urobilinogen in the urine is considered abnormal and unhealthy.

Healthy: None

Unhealthy: The presence of Urobilinogen can mean a sign of liver disease (such as hepatitis, cirrhosis) that the flow of bile from the gallbladder is blocked or clogged.

Nitrates

Bacteria that cause a unitary tract infection (UTI) can produce an enzyme that changes urinary nitrates to nitrites.

Healthy: None

Unhealthy: The presence of Nitrates in the urine may be caused by UTI.

Leukocyte Esterase

Leukocyte esterase (WBC esterase) shows leukocytes (or white blood cells [WBCs]) in the urine.

Healthy: None

Unhealthy: The presence of WBCs in the urine may be caused by UTI.

What does Your Urine Smell Like?

Urine odor has a close relationship with the concentration and volume of variety chemical substances excreted by our kidneys. Basically, highly concentrated urine (may be caused by dehydration) tends to have an extremely strong smell of ammonia, while the diluted urine does not have much odor. Besides these reasons, many medications (such as certain vitamins) and foods (such as asparagus) too, can indirectly introduce odor in your urine. In most cases, the urine odor is temporary in nature and thereby causing no serious illness. Nevertheless, at times when you have an unusual urine odor as listed below, it might be an indication of some underlying medical conditions or diseases (such as a urinary tract infection). If you are concerned about the odor of your urine, I advise you to talk to your doctor.

1. Strong ammonia odor: dehydration, not enough fluids
2. Foul odor: bacterial infection of the bladder or kidneys
3. Sweet odor: uncontrolled diabetes
4. Maple syrup odor: a rare and inherited metabolic disorder, maple sugar urine disease
5. Musty odor: a rare and inherited metabolic disorder, phenylketonuria, liver disease

What is the Simple Test to Diagnose Your Urine’s Health Condition?

Here are some commonly asked questions to self-diagnose the state of your urine. If you have an abnormal color of urine, please check to answer the questions below, or perhaps visit your doctor. Prior to this, there are a few things (as listed below) to bear in mind while observing your urine. The questions below will assist you to diagnose and understand the health condition of your urine.

1. What’s the underlying color of your urine?
2. How long have you experienced the abnormal color of your urine? Is the same color persisting throughout the day?
3. How often do you urinate in a day? Are you urinating more frequently or less frequently?
4. Do you always have an urgent need to pass urine?
5. Has the volume of your urine increased or decreased?
6. Do you see blood in your urine? (If yes, when did you first notice blood in your urine?)
7. Does your urine have an odor? Is there an unusual odor?
8. Have you taken any medications or over the counter drugs that might have caused the abnormal color of your urine? (Please be sure to check if the unexpected color change in pink, red, or smoky-brown urine is due to a medication that you have taken recently)
9. Have you eaten foods that may cause discoloration in your urine, like beets, rhubarb, berries or colored candies?
10. Do you have any pain or other symptoms with urination? (any other symptoms like pain in your back, abdomen, or side while passing urine; fever, nausea, weight loss, diarrhea or vomiting; dribbling; pain with intercourse; nightmare urination; discharge from vagina or penis)
11. Have you taken enough fluids?
12. Do you have a lack of appetite?
13. Do you have any allergies?
14. Have you had a recent injury?
15. Have you had previous record of urinary or kidney problem?
16. When did this urine abnormal color begin? Did this abnormal condition begin suddenly?
17. Did your clear, dark-brown urine accompany by Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes) and pale feces?
18. Does your abnormal urine color persist without any logical explanation?
19. Have you had any recent diagnostic or surgical procedures involving the urinary tract?

After doing this self-diagnose urine test, if you find you have two or more of the listed conditions and the abnormal condition persists more than a day, you are advised to make an appointment with your doctor for further treatment. Similarly, if you are concerned about the abnormal color of your urine, you are always encouraged to see the doctor as soon as possible.

What are the Causes of Unhealthy Urine and Their Respective Diseases?

Generally, normal or healthy urine ranges from pale yellow to deep amber, a resulting color of a pigment called urochrome. Your urine color is not always normal as its variation can be the result of certain foods, or medications that you have been consumed recently. The variation always requires prompt medical assistance as certain colors can indicate diseases, problems, or imbalances in your diet.

The abnormal or discolored urine is normally caused by certain food dyes (such as dyes used in some sugary cereals can change the color of urine) or foods, supplement or prescription drugs, and medications. These changes in urine color are always temporary and harmless as it will go away later. Occasionally, though, the abnormal urine color may be signs of certain diseases which reflect the health conditions of your body, a sign of an infection or serious illnesses.

The color of normal urine may vary everyday as it depends on how much water you have been drinking. The more you drink, the clearer your urine is (fluids dilute the yellow pigments in urine); the little you drink, the concentrated your urine is (severe dehydration produces urine the color of amber). When the color changes beyond what is characterized as normal, in which your urine appears in cloudy white, dark brown, red, blue or pink, you should consult your doctor immediately. These color changes are always occurred without other symptoms or painless. However, if the abnormal color is due to a urinary infection, you may have frequent urination, fever, sweating, burning pain with urination, abdominal pain (the pain usually comes in waves), strong-smelling urine (normal urine should have little or no odor), a strong and persistent urge to urinate.

Talk to your doctor if the abnormality in terms of changes in urine color persist a day or two or there are repeated episodes, or do not seem to link to dyes, foods, supplement or prescription drugs, and medications. Now, take a look at their potential causes and related diseases:

Foamy Urine

Foamy urine occurs occasionally in the urine and it is usually not getting more noticeable, and thus you do not have to worry about. It can mean that you urinate too quickly or may be due to mild dehydration causing more concentrated urine. To solve this problem, you are recommended to replenish your body with more fluids to see if it goes away. If the condition persists, you should aware of the sign of protein (proteinuria) in your urine. Keep in mind that large amounts of protein in your urine may be an indication of a serious kidney problem. In this case, or if you are concerned about foamy urine, you are advised to consult your doctor so that a urine test can be carried out to detect whether protein is or not present in your urine.

Tea-Colored or Dark Brown Urine

Dark brown urine can be an indication of a serious or chronic health conditions. It could be caused by foods (such as rhubarb, fava beans, or aloe), medications (such as the antibiotic metronidazole or nitrofurantoin which treats urinary tract infections; the antimalaria drugs chloroquine and primaquine), copper poisoning, a muscle relaxant; laxatives containing cascara or senna, and methocarbamol, melanoma cancer, liver disorders (especially cirrhosis , acute viral hepatitis or hepatitis), a rare and inherited disease called tyrosinemia, acute glomerulonephritis, and a kidney disease that disturbs the ability of kidneys to get rid of excess fluids and waste products.

Clear Urine

Clear urine is a typical characteristic of a liver disorder such as acute viral hepatitis, or cirrhosis. In some cases, if you have been drinking an excess of water or diuretics such as beer or coffee, your urine may either little or no color (You do not have to worry about if it happens occasionally and other than the conditions described here).

Blue Urine

Urine with a bluish tint can be caused by a pseudomonas bacterial infection, a dye commonly used in some medications that treat urinary pain (such as Urised, Trac Tabs), effect of artificial color in certain drugs, , effect of artificial color in foods, familial hypercalcemia (a rare, inherited disease, or sometimes called “blue diaper syndrome”, which causes high levels of calcium, and thus people with this inherited disorder tend to have blue urine), and some medicines (such as the anti-nausea drug phenergan, several multivitamins, amitriptyline, doxorubicin, cimetidine [Tagamet], indomethacin [Indocin]).

Greenish Urine

Urine with a greenish tint can be caused by a urinary tract infection, effect of artificial color in certain drugs, medications (such as doxorubicin, indomethacin, and amitriptyline), bile problems and effect of artificial color in foods (such as asparagus gives urine a greenish tinge). A brighter or light green urine color is an indication of an excess of B vitamins.

Orange Urine

Orange urine is caused by foods (food culprits here include large consumptions of carrots, vitamin C and carrot juices). Not only large amounts of carotene, the orange pigment in carrots squash and other vegetables cause the urine to turn orange, but also they can discolour the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. Other factors include dehydration (when you drink too few fluids, a substance called urochrome becomes concentrated, making much deeper color in your urine), and some medications (such as phenazopyridine [Pyridium] which treats urinary tract discomfort or UTI infections, the blood thinner warfarin [Coumadin]), recent use of some laxatives, consumption of B complex vitamins or carotene, certain chemotherapy drugs, and the antibiotic rifampin.

Yellow Urine

Urine with a yellowish tint can be caused by excess sweating (result in deeper yellow urine). It is also an indication that you have not been drinking enough fluids.

Dark Yellow Urine

Dark yellow urine is an alarming sign of liver problems or jaundice. It can also be caused by recent use of laxatives or consumption of B complex vitamins or carotene. However, it may also mean that you have not been drinking enough fluids. Therefore, be sure to replenish your body with adequate amount of fluids before jumping to conclusions.

Red, Reddish-Purple or Pink Urine

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Red, reddish-purple or pink urine is caused by the presence of red blood cells or droplets of blood (medically termed as hematuria, may be caused by a strenuous exercise [normally seen in urine of some professional boxers, as droplet or red blood cells are seen in their urine after a fight]), kidney disease, urinary tract infections (a characteristic of UTI disorder in which bleeding occurs such as cystitis), internal bleeding within the urinary system in areas such as the bladder, prostate, kidneys or other parts of the urinary tract, enlarged kidney to prostate or bladder stones, Wilms’ tumor (in children), a slight injury to the bladder or kidney (can result in reddish urine), kidney disease and infection, bladder tumor, and, occasionally, bladder or kidney cancer, hypernephroma, Hemolytic anemia, porphyria, certain toxins (such as chronic mercury or lead poisoning can cause urine to turn red), foods (such as blackberries, beets and rhubarb can turn urine red or pink), chemical food reactions (acidic urine will turn red after consuming blackberries, while alkaline urine will look reddish after eating rhubarb), side effects of some medications (some laxatives such as EX-lax, prescription drugs include antipsychotics [such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine) and thioridazine], and the anesthetic propofol [Diprivan]), and poisoning (may be resulted from high levels of excreted porphyrins, pigments that are found to discolour the urine [a color of port wine] of people who have porphyria [a disease that affects skin and nervous system]). This type of urine can also occur after trauma to the urinary tract or kidneys. Take note that this type of urine is not included the reddish urine due to menses.

Cloudy, Turbid, or Murky Urine

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Urine with cloudy, murky or turbid characteristic could be caused by a urinary tract infection (in this case, your urine emit an offensive odor, and often with some urinary bleeding); the presence of mucus, bacteria, red blood cells, white blood cells, epithelial cells, fat, or phosphates, and kidney stones. Other factors which cause urine to appear cloudy, turbid or murky are foods (such as asparagus, rhubarb, or berries can discolor urine), certain medications, enlarged prostate glands (for male older than 50 can have occasional urinary blood in his urine), bladder stones, kidney inflammation (after post-infection glomerulonephritis [a viral or bacterial infection] which causes visibly seen urinary blood in children), strenuous exercise (distance runners are more likely at high risk, or those who have been exercising vigorously can also have some urinary bleeding).

Final Remark

I sincerely advise you to see your doctor right away if:

• You find difficult to urinate
• You feel pain with heavy menstrual bleeding or sexual intercourse (problems may arise from your reproductive organs)
• The red blood cells or droplet of blood is seen in your urine that lasts more than 24 hours or which does not seem to link with foods, dyes, prescription drugs, medications, and supplements. Also, you should consult your doctor if you have two or more than two episodes of reddish urine (which is not caused by menses) as soon as possible without any delay.
• You have shaking chills, nausea, fever, or pain in your side, back or abdomen
• You have suffered with night-time urination, urine dribbling, or difficulty starting your urinary flow (which might be related to your prostate problem)
• Your urine has an extremely strong, foul or bad odor (may be an indication of disease)

Also, tell your doctor about these unusual symptoms to get an appropriate evaluation and treatment, particularly you have burning with urination, urgent urination, unexplained weight loss, or blood in urine visible to your naked eyes. Additionally, you should seek prompt medical assistance if you have dark brown urine, accompanying with pale feces, yellow skins and eyes as these may be symptoms of a chronic liver problem. Bear in mind that these conditions often require prompt and thorough examination and treatment. In some cases, hospitalization is always necessary.

Now, you can gain more health knowledge by visiting my health blog entitled HealthAssist. More upcoming updates and latest health information is right on the way!

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Before leaving you, let me ask you, “Are you all doing fine or healthy?” I hope you enjoy reading my articles, and hopefully you have benefited from my articles so far. Be sure to take good care of your health, before the death knocks at your door. Do not attempt to neglect your health. Let’s fly towards zero disease, but optimum health! Take care and be in good health! Good luck!