Urine tests - what you need to know

Regular excretion is important so that substances that are no longer needed during metabolism can be removed from the body and our water balance can be regulated. Even before the urine sample is examined more closely in the laboratory, the color, smell and quantity of the urine are of key importance.

For example, if the urine is small and dark in color, these factors may indicate that you have not consumed enough fluids or that your kidneys may not be working properly. The average amount of urine that a healthy person excretes each day is 500 to 2000 milliliters. Normally, your urine should be clear, yellow in color and not cloudy.

Cloudy and flaky urine, on the other hand, can indicate a urinary tract infection and a reddish color can sometimes mean blood in the urine.

However, you will only get accurate results by testing your urine with a test strip or in a laboratory. Of the five standard urine tests mentioned, two can be done by you at home, while the remaining three are done in a laboratory.

Our urine has a pH value between 5 and 6, which means it is slightly acidic. The pH value can also be checked using a urine test. If it is below 5, the urine is acidic and can lead to severe diarrhea or diabetes mellitus. A pH value higher than 6 can mean a urinary tract infection.

Normally, your urine contains little to no protein. However, if a certain amount is found in the urine, it may be a cause of kidney disease.

Our kidneys are responsible, among other things, for the sugar in our blood. However, once a certain amount of sugar is reached, the kidneys cannot keep it in the body, so it ends up in the urine. This can lead to diabetes mellitus or certain types of cancer, among other things.

Certain urinary tract germs lead to the formation of nitrite.

Ketones are also not normally present in urine. They are a sign of increased fat breakdown in the body or incorrectly controlled diabetes mellitus.

Red blood cells in the urine can be the cause of a urinary tract infection or bladder cancer. White blood cells usually indicate an inflammation of the kidney or bladder.

The rapid urine test is carried out using a test strip, which is also available in pharmacies without a prescription. You can therefore carry out the test yourself at home. However, you should only do this after consulting your doctor and not use the test for self-diagnosis.

Rapid urine tests are usually part of routine examinations in general practitioners' practices, during preventive examinations during pregnancy, as part of admission to hospital or as screening before surgery.

Rapid urine tests are also used for acute abdominal pain, stomach or back pain, painful urination and when blood is discovered in the urine. Some diabetics check their sugar levels using a rapid urine test.

How is the rapid urine test performed?

Once you have collected the urine sample in a cup, hold the test strip, which is divided into different colored fields, in the urine for a few seconds. After a while, the fields on the strip change color depending on the concentration of the respective substances in the urine.

On an accompanying urine test tube you can see which color indicates normal and which indicates abnormal values. If you compare the colors of the test strip with the tube, you will receive the corresponding results.

How is the rapid urine test performed?

Many substances contained in urine can only be detected when a certain amount is present. The amount that is necessary for the test to be verifiable represents the norm. If substances are present in smaller or larger quantities, this is referred to as a deviation from the norm.

A rapid urine test can be used to check pH, proteins, sugar, nitrite, ketone, bilirubin, urobilinogen, and red and white blood cells.

How is the rapid urine test performed?

For example, if elevated protein levels are found in the urine, this can indicate inflammation of the kidneys. Ketones and sugar in the urine can be the cause of elevated sugar levels, and leukocytes (white blood cells) and nitrite can indicate a bacterial infection.

However, the results of a rapid urine test are not always reliable. For more accurate results, the urine sample must be examined in a laboratory. However, if the discoloration on the test strip produces unusual results, you should definitely speak to your doctor.

Urine status is often used for diabetes, certain blood disorders and kidney stones. Urine status can also be used to clarify and monitor urinary tract infections, bleeding in the kidney or urinary system and diseases of the kidney or liver.

How is the urine test performed?

This test method consists of three parts:

1. Color, clarity and concentration of the urine sample are assessed
2. The chemical composition of the urine is examined using a test strip
3. The urine is then examined for bacteria, cells and cell components using a microscope

Which substances are being investigated?

In addition to the substances that are also examined using the rapid urine test, a urine status also checks for creatinine, bacteria, casts, crystals and epithelial cells in the urine.

What results can the urine test provide?

If cholesterol crystals are found in the urine, this can mean that the cholesterol level in the urine is high. Cylinders, on the other hand, can indicate kidney disease, such as pyelonephritis.

If abnormal values ​​are detected, more detailed tests may follow, such as a blood test.

A urine culture is used to examine whether your urine contains pathogens. A urine culture is usually performed when a urinary tract infection is suspected.

How is urine culture performed?

The midstream urine sample you collect is sent to a laboratory where plates containing culture media on which pathogens can grow are dipped into the sample. The container in which the sample is collected is then tightly closed and placed in an incubator for one to two days.

If pathogens such as bacteria and fungi are present in the urine, they can grow into colonies during this period due to the nutrient media.

Which substances are being investigated?

As mentioned, urine cultures are used to check urine for pathogens such as bacteria and fungi. If these are actually present in the urine, the size, shape and color of the cultures already provide an indication of which bacteria and fungi they might be.

What results can urine culture provide?

Once it has been determined which bacteria and fungi are present in the urine, an appropriate antibiotic can be prescribed for treatment.

The 24-hour urine collection test method is used to check for increased excretion of hormones and their metabolic products due to possible diseases of the hormonal system.

How is the 24-hour urine collection method performed?

As the name suggests, this is a procedure in which you collect your urine in a container over a period of at least 24 hours. This container is provided to you by the doctor's office and usually contains an additive that prevents bacteria from growing in the urine during the collection period.

It is best to start the method on a new day. However, the first sample is not collected after getting up; instead, only the time of the first urination is recorded.

At this point, the 24 hours in which you collect every drop of your urine in the container begin. You should keep the container in your refrigerator during this period. Once the 24 hours have passed, collect the first urine that you excrete after this period in the container and thus end the collection period.

The urine is then sent to a laboratory where it is examined.

Which substances are being investigated?

The 24-hour urine collection method is used to determine how much of certain substances your body excretes.

What results can the 24-hour urine collection provide?

The test results will tell you how much protein and creatinine your urine contains. If your urine contains too little creatinine, it is a sign that your kidneys may not be working properly.

If there is too much protein in your urine – i.e. proteinuria – this can indicate certain diseases such as heart failure, diabetes mellitus, pyelonephritis, urinary tract infection or kidney cancer.

The pregnancy test is probably the best test method in the urine test category. The focus here is not on determining an infection or disease, but on the possible beginning of a new life.

Pregnancy tests are usually used when a woman has missed her period for a long period of time. Some pregnancy tests can give a result as early as 8 to 10 days after the missed period. However, pregnancy tests are not 100% reliable. The result can be distorted by the following circumstances:

• performing the test too early
• taking certain medications
• You have consumed a lot of fluids

For this reason, you should always consult a gynecologist to be on the safe side. Pregnancy tests are freely available in pharmacies, drugstores, department stores and on the Internet.

How is the pregnancy test performed?

The exact way to use the pregnancy test is explained in the respective package leaflet. However, pregnancy tests, like rapid urine tests, are usually best carried out after getting up with morning urine, with the test being held under the urine stream while urinating.

Which substances are being investigated?

A pregnancy test will show a positive result if your urine contains the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is produced in the placenta.

What results can a pregnancy test provide?

With the help of a pregnancy test, a pregnancy can be confirmed provisionally – until the final result is available from the gynecologist.

What are the risks of a urine test?

In principle, urine tests are risk-free. However, as already mentioned, various circumstances can distort the test result, meaning that a prescribed treatment or prescribed medication may not achieve the desired improvement.

In exceptional cases, the urine sample is taken using a catheter. This method can lead to infections and injuries to the urethra. However, there are usually no serious risks to be feared with a urine test.