Urine tests - what you need to know

Regular elimination is important to ensure that metabolic waste products, which are no longer needed, are expelled from the body and our water balance is regulated. Even before a more detailed examination of the urine sample in the laboratory, the color, smell, and amount of urine are already of significant importance.

If the urine is present in only small amounts and has a dark color, these factors may indicate, among other things, that you have not consumed enough fluids or that your kidneys may not be functioning properly. The average amount of urine a healthy person excretes daily is 500 to 2000 milliliters. Normally, your urine should have a clear, yellow color and not be cloudy.

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

However, you will only receive accurate results through an examination of the urine with a test strip or in the laboratory. Of the five mentioned standard urine tests, two can be performed by you at home, while the remaining three are conducted in a laboratory.

Our urine has a pH value between 5 and 6, making it slightly acidic. A urine test can also be used to examine the pH value. If it is below 5, the urine is acidic and can lead to severe diarrhea or diabetes mellitus. A pH value higher than 6 may indicate a urinary tract infection.

Normally, your urine contains a small amount or no protein at all. However, if a certain amount is detected in the urine, it may be a reason for a kidney disease.

Our kidneys are responsible, among other things, for the sugar in our blood. However, beyond a certain amount of sugar, the kidneys cannot retain it in the body, causing it to enter the urine. This can lead to diabetes mellitus or certain types of cancer, among other things.

Some specific urinary tract bacteria lead to the formation of nitrite.

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

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

The rapid urine test is conducted with a test strip, which is available in pharmacies without a prescription. You can therefore perform the test independently at home. However, you should only do this in consultation with your doctor and not use the test for self-diagnosis.

Rapid urine tests are usually part of routine examinations in general practices, during prenatal check-ups, as a component for hospital admission, or as a precaution before surgery.

Additionally, rapid urine tests are used for acute lower abdominal pain, abdominal or back pain, painful urination, and when blood is detected in the urine. Some diabetics use a rapid urine test to check their sugar levels.

How is the urine rapid test conducted?

If 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 some time, the fields on the strip change color depending on the concentration of the respective substances in the urine.

On a corresponding urine test tube, you can see which coloration indicates normal and abnormal values. By comparing the colorations of the test strip with the tube, you obtain the corresponding results.

How is the urine rapid test conducted?

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

With the help of a urine rapid test, the pH value, proteins, sugar, nitrite, ketone, bilirubin, urobilinogen, as well as red and white blood cells can be checked.

How is the urine rapid test conducted?

If elevated protein levels are detected in the urine, for example, it may indicate inflammation of the kidneys. Ketone and sugar in the urine can be the cause of elevated sugar levels, and leukocytes (white blood cells), as well as nitrite, can indicate a bacterial infection.

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

The urine status is often used in diabetes, certain blood disorders, and urinary stones. A urine status can also help clarify and monitor urinary tract infections, bleeding in the kidney or urinary system, as well as diseases of the kidney or liver.

How is the urine status conducted?

This test method consists of three parts:

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

Which substances are examined?

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

What results can the urine status provide?

If cholesterol crystals are found in the urine, for example, they can indicate an elevated cholesterol level in the urine.Cylinders, on the other hand, can indicate kidney diseases, such as a kidney infection.

If abnormal values are detected, more precise examinations can 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 the urine culture conducted?

The midstream urine sample you provided is sent to a laboratory, where plates with nutrient media, on which pathogens can grow, are dipped into the sample. The container in which the sample is collected is then tightly sealed 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 examined?

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

What results can the 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 metabolites due to possible disorders 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 by the doctor's office and usually contains an additive that prevents bacteria from growing in the urine during the collection period.

You should ideally start the method on a new day. However, the first sample after waking up is not collected, but only the time of the first urination is recorded.

At this point, the 24-hour period begins during which you collect every drop of your urine in the container. You should keep the container in your refrigerator during this period. Once the 24 hours have passed, collect the first urine you pass after this period in the container and end the collection time.

Subsequently, the urine is sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Which substances are analyzed?

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 provide information about the protein and creatinine content of your urine.If your urine contains too little creatinine, it is a sign that your kidneys may no longer be functioning properly.

If there is too much protein in your urine – indicating proteinuria – it may suggest certain conditions such as heart failure, diabetes mellitus, a kidney infection, a urinary tract infection, or kidney cancer.

The pregnancy test is arguably the most delightful testing method in the category of urine tests. Here, the focus is not on detecting an infection or illness, but on the possible beginning of a new life.

Pregnancy tests are mostly used when a woman's period has been absent for an extended period. Some pregnancy tests can provide 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:

• conducting the test too early
• taking certain medications
• consuming a large amount of fluids

For this reason, you should definitely consult a gynecologist for confirmation.Pregnancy tests are freely available in pharmacies, drugstores, department stores, and on the Internet.

How is the pregnancy test conducted?

How exactly the pregnancy test must be applied is explained to you in the respective package insert. As a rule, however, pregnancy tests are best conducted like urine rapid tests after getting up with the morning urine, with the test being held under the urine stream during urination.

Which substances are being tested?

A pregnancy test shows a positive result when 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 preliminarily determined – until the final result from the gynecologist is obtained.

What risks are associated with a urine test?

In general, urine tests are risk-free. However, as previously mentioned, various circumstances can distort the test result, which may prevent a prescribed treatment or medication from achieving the desired improvement.

In exceptional cases, the urine sample is taken using a catheter.With this method, infections and injuries to the urethra can occur. However, as a rule, you do not have to fear any serious risks with a urine test.