What Can a Urine Test Tell You About Your Health?

Urine Test or Urine analysis is a basic test of examining the urine which does not require any elaborate preparation. Although it looks simple, it gives valuable information about the functioning of the kidneys and urinary tract. It aids in monitoring metabolic or systemic disorders.

Urine Test is usually done as a part of the routine health check-up. It is also advised in cases of suspected urinary tract infections, haematuria or renal stones. It is used for monitoring diabetes, liver diseases. In pregnancy, urine test is done to screen for gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.

Urine examination consists of:

1. Physical examination: volume, colour, transparency, odour, pH and specific gravity

2. Chemical examination: protein, glucose, ketone bodies, bilirubin, urobilinogen, bile salts, bile pigments

3. Microscopic examination: red blood cells, white blood cells, epithelial cells, casts, crystals, Bacteria

Physical examination

Normal urine has following physical properties:

Volume: 600-2000ml/day

Colour: Yellow (straw to Amber)

Transparency: Clear

Odor: Faintly aromatic

pH: 4.6-8

Specific gravity:1.003-1.035

Any variation in the physical properties may be due altered physical condition of the body. For example, dehydration causes reduced volume with dark coloured urine, whereas an increased fluid intake causes colourless urine with increased volume. Red coloured urine in severe hematuria is usually seen in Renal diseases, yellow-brown urine is seen due to bilirubin in liver diseases. Orange coloured urine may be seen in patients on Vitamin C. White coloured urine is due to Chyluria, a lymphatic flow disorder. Turbid urine can be due to the presence of pus cells and indicates that the patient is having urinary tract infection.

Chemical examination 

Normal urine does not contain protein, glucose, ketone bodies, bilirubin, bile salts or bile pigments. Protein in urine indicates that the patient is having some infection or it can be due to a systemic cause. Glucose in urine is seen diabetes. Ketone bodies may be due to dehydration or uncontrolled diabetes. Presence of bilirubin in urine indicates certain metabolic or systemic disorders like liver diseases.

Microscopic Examination 

Presence of increased white blood cells indicates an infection. Red blood cells in urine indicates bleeding in the urinary tract. Bacteria in urine is seen in urinary tract infection. 

Casts are organized elements formed only in kidneys and are generally seen in certain health conditions. Hyaline casts are seen in dehydration and exercise. Granular casts indicate kidney stress or damage. RBC casts indicate bleeding in kidney. WBC indicate infections of the kidney. Epithelial casts indicate kidney injury from toxins or infections. 

Crystals in urine are formed when minerals and other substances in the urine stick together. They can indicate a variety of medical conditions. They appear in different shapes indicating the mineral which has formed the crystals. Calcium oxalate crystals are seen in dehydration or high oxalate diet including spinach, nuts or tea. Uric acid crystals are seen in cases of gout which is a condition of high uric acid in the body. 

In short, Urine Test or Urine Analysis is a useful screening test for doctors to detect various underlying health problems early, allowing for timely diagnosis and treatment.