Urine testing

A urine test checks different components of urine, a waste product made by the kidneys. A regular urine test may be done to help find the cause of symptoms. The test can give information about your health and problems you may have.

The kidneys take out waste material, minerals, fluids, and other substances from the blood to be passed in the urine. Urine has hundreds of different body wastes. What you eat, drink, how much you exercise, and how well your kidneys work can affect what is in your urine.

More than 100 different tests can be done on urine. A regular urinalysis often includes the following tests.

· Color. Many things affect urine color, including fluid balance, diet, medicines, and diseases. How dark or light the color is tells you how much water is in it. Vitamin B supplements can turn urine bright yellow. Some medicines, blackberries, beets, rhubarb, or blood in the urine can turn urine red-brown.

· Clarity. Urine is normally clear. Bacteria, blood, sperm, crystals, or mucus can make urine look cloudy.

· Odor. Urine does not smell very strong, but has a slightly "nutty" odor. Some diseases cause a change in the odor of urine. For example, an infection with E. coli bacteria can cause a bad odor, while diabetes or starvation can cause a sweet, fruity odor.

Urine tests also identify: specific gravity, pH, protein, glucose, nitrites, leukocyte esterase (WBC esterase), ketones, red or white blood cells, casts, crystals, bacteria, yeast cells, or parasites, squamous cells.