In this test, urine is spun in a special machine (centrifuge) so the solid materials (sediment) settle at the bottom. A diet low in sugars and starches (carbohydrates), starvation, or severe vomiting may also cause ketones to be in the urine.
Large amounts of ketones in the urine may mean a very serious condition, diabetic ketoacidosis, is present. When fat is broken down for energy, the body makes substances called ketones (or ketone bodies). WBCs in the urine may mean a UTI is present. Leukocyte esterase shows leukocytes ( white blood cells ) in the urine. Nitrites in urine show that a UTI may be present. Bacteria that cause a urinary tract infection (UTI) make an enzyme that changes urinary nitrates to nitrites. Glucose can also be found in urine when the kidneys are damaged or diseased. When the blood sugar level is very high, as in uncontrolled diabetes, the sugar spills over into the urine. Normally there is very little or no glucose in urine. Glucose is the type of sugar found in blood. Fever, hard exercise, pregnancy, and some diseases, especially kidney disease, may cause protein to be in the urine. Protein normally isn't found in the urine.
Normal urine specific gravity how to#
For example, your doctor may instruct you how to keep your urine either acidic or alkaline to prevent some types of kidney stones from forming. Sometimes the pH of urine is affected by certain treatments. A urine pH of 4 is strongly acidic, 7 is neutral (neither acidic nor alkaline), and 9 is strongly alkaline. The pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline (basic) the urine is.
When you do not drink fluids, your kidneys make urine with a small amount of water in it, which has a high specific gravity. When you drink a lot of fluid, your kidneys make urine with a high amount of water in it, which has a low specific gravity. The higher the specific gravity, the more solid material is in the urine. It also shows how well the kidneys balance the amount of water in urine. This checks the amount of substances in the urine. coli bacteria can cause a bad odor, while diabetes or starvation can cause a sweet, fruity odor. Some diseases cause a change in the odor of urine. Urine does not smell very strong, but it has a slightly "nutty" odor. Bacteria, blood, sperm, crystals, or mucus can make urine look cloudy. Some medicines, blackberries, beets, rhubarb, or blood in the urine can turn urine red-brown. Vitamin B supplements can turn urine bright yellow. How dark or light the color is tells you how much water is in it. Many things affect urine color, including fluid balance, diet, medicines, and diseases. A regular urinalysis often includes the following tests: More than 100 different tests can be done on urine. What you eat and drink, how much you exercise, and how well your kidneys work can affect what is in your urine. Urine has hundreds of different body wastes. The kidneys take out waste material, minerals, fluids, and other substances from the blood to be passed in the urine. The test can give information about your health and problems you may have. A regular urine test may be done to help find the cause of symptoms. A urine test checks different components of urine, a waste product made by the kidneys.