URINE TEST OR URINALYSIS

Like blood, urine also used to diagnose diseases. It is called urinalysis. It will reveal so many things related with kidneys, urinary tract organs etc. Please read below to know more about urine test.

A urinalysis checks different elements of urine, a waste product made by the kidneys. A normal urine test may be done to find the cause of symptoms. The test can give details about your health and problems you may have.The kidney   expels waste material, minerals, fluids, and other elements from the blood to be passed in the urine. Urine has hundreds of  body wastes. What you eat, drink, how much you exercise, and how well your kidneys work can affect what is in your urine. So that urine tests are effective ways to monitor how the body is working. A urine test can be done by collecting a urine sample..

A urine test can

§        Diagnose urinary tract disease/infection symptoms

§        Show effectiveness of kidneys and other urinary  organs

§        Show drugs or chemicals in the blood

§        Help you monitor the overall health of your body

§        Confirm red urine (Hematuria) is really blood

§        Diabetes

§        Kidney stones

§        Kidney or liver diseases

§        Urinary tract infection

§        High blood pressure (hypertension)

Urine Test Types

Urinalysis often includes the following tests.

§        Urine Odor - Diseases caused by bacteria can cause a bad odor, while diabetes can cause a sweet, fruity urine odor

§        Urine Gravity or Density - tests substances in the urine and shows how well the kidneys balance water in urine

§        Urine PH - tests acidity (alkaline) of urine. Urine pH of 4 is strongly acidic, 7 is neutral, and 9 is strongly alkaline

§        Urine protein - tests protein presence in urine. Protein should not be present in urine, but hard exercise, pregnancy, and some diseases, especially kidney disease, may cause presence protein in urine. Presence of specific protein called Albumin is referred to as referred to as Albuminuria

§        Urine Color - shows fluid balance, diet, medicines, and diseases. Level of darkness tests amount of water the urine. Vitamin B supplements can turn urine bright yellow. Some medicines, blackberries, beets, rhubarb, or blood in the urine can turn urine red-brown

§        Urine Clarity - tests bacteria, blood, sperm, crystals, or mucus can make urine look cloudy

§        Urine glucose - tests glucose levels in blood. When blood sugar level is very high, it can be a sign of diabetes, or damaged kidneys

§        Urine Nitrates and Urine Nitrites - tests for urinary tract infection (UTI) to see level of enzyme that changes urinary nitrates to nitrites, which indicate UTI

§        Leukocyte esterase (WBC esterase) - test white blood cells in the urine, indicating UTI. More about Leukocytes

§        Urine Ketones - large amounts of ketones in the urine may mean diabetic ketoacidosis

§        Microscopic urine analysis - tests urine sediment for red or white blood cells (not usually found in urine), inflammation, disease, or injury to the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra.

§        Urine casts - some urine tests show casts that form in tiny tubes in the kidneys, showing kidney disease may be present

§        Urine crystals - urine test showing many crystals may indicate kidney stones or metabolism problems

§        Bacteria, yeast cells, or parasites in urine indicate infection

§        Squamous cells in urine - typically a sign that something went wrong with the test and it has to be re-done

§        Before the urine test, do not eat foods or medicines that can color the urine and do not exercise strenuously before the test, as that may effect urine color and cause misleading urine test (Urinalysis)  results

Other substances that may be found in a urine test:

§        Other urine tests include

§        Dipstick urine test

§        Pregnancy urine test

§        Alcohol urine test

§        Cocaine urine test

§        Marijuana urine test

§        Chlamydia urine test

§        STD urine test

§        General drug urine test

§        Bilirubin - a substance formed by the breakdown of red blood cells, not typically found in urine. If Bilirubin is present, it may mean liver damage or that flow of bile from the gallbladder is blocked

§        Urobilinogen - a substance formed by the breakdown of bilirubin. Large amounts of Urobilinogen can be a sign of liver disease (cirrhosis, hepatitis)

§        Bence Jones protein - abnormal protein found in the urine tests in about 50% of people with a rare type of cancer called multiple myeloma
Follow these links to know more about urine test.
Lab Test Online
WebMD
wikipedia