We all remember perfectly well that your car should be inspected once a year. There are serious consequences for not having it. Do we care for our own body equally reliably? Do we get regular tests?

From the report of the Central Statistical Office "He alth and he alth care in 2016" shows that less than half (46%) of Poles have performed at least one laboratory test in the last year, the most common being: blood count (42%) and urinalysis (about 36%). Should these data be alarming? When answering this question, let's imagine that less than half of the cars on Polish streets passed a technical inspection last year. Would we feel safe? Not necessary …

So why do we not care about our safety and he alth by regularly and prophylactically performing diagnostic tests? The same report by the Central Statistical Office indicates that people who assessed their he alth as very good used laboratory tests three times less (23%) than those who assessed them as bad (about 74%) or very bad (about 68%). ). In other words, we only test ourselves when we feel bad. At the same time, the data of the Central Statistical Office show that what discourages Poles from performing tests is the long waiting time for an appointment with a doctor for a referral (23.2%), no referral (19.1%), fear (14.2%) or lack of money (14%).

Meanwhile, taking care of your own he alth does not have to be time-consuming, scary or expensive. We also do not need a referral from a doctor. A visit to a pharmacy is enough, where you can buy simple diagnostic tests.

A few words about urine testing

The urine test is one of the most basic and oldest diagnostic tests. Its history dates back to ancient times - urine analysis was then based on an organoleptic assessment of its appearance, taste and smell. With the progress of medicine and the development of analytical techniques, the number of analyzed parameters increased. Currently, urine laboratory testing includes the assessment of several parameters, most often measured in a semi-automatic or automatic manner.

Worth knowing

The daily amount of urine excreted by a he althy person ranges from 600 to 2500 ml. It consists of: 96% water, 2.5% nitrogen productsmetabolism (mainly urea), 1.5% mineral s alts and minimal amounts of other substances.

Why is urine testing so valuable in assessing the condition of the body? Well, its qualitative and quantitative composition is a reflection of the processes taking place in the body. Urine is produced in the kidneys and contains metabolic products (most often those useless or harmful to the body). Any deviations in its composition from the accepted norms indicate irregularities in the functioning of the organism.

The general urine test consists of a physico-chemical test and a microscopic evaluation of the urine sediment. Chemical properties are routinely assessed using strip tests. Interestingly, the diagnostic laboratory uses exactly the same test strips for this purpose, which can also be purchased at a pharmacy. They allow the assessment of the 10 most important urine parameters, the deviations of which may indicate a disease.

URS 10 TEST general urine test - try it out

Author: Hydrex

URS 10 The test allows you to perform a comprehensive urine analysis covering as many as 10 different research parameters, which include: glucose, bilirubin, ketone bodies, specific gravity, blood, pH, protein, urobilinogen, nitrites, leukocytes.

The color scale attached to the test allows you to accurately determine the level of deviation of the obtained results from the norm. The test is extremely legible and easy to use. It can be used to test both children and adults.

The URS 10 test is an excellent tool for detecting inflammation of the urinary system, as well as kidney and liver problems.

Buy a test

10 most important urine parameters

  • Leukocytes- leukocytes are absent in normal urine. Their presence may indicate kidney diseases, urinary tract infections or intimate infections (in women - vagina, in men - penis area). Leukocytes can also be a harbinger of cancer (e.g. bladder cancer).
  • Nitrite- Nitrite is not present in normal urine. Their presence may indicate urinary tract infections. Nitrite in the urine is formed as a result of the reduction of nitrates by Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, which is the most common cause of urinary tract infections.
  • Urobilinogen- the norm of urobilinogen content in urine is 0.2-1 mg / dl. Its increased level may indicate, first of all, cirrhosis of the liver, severe intoxication, viral hepatitis, parenchymal or hemolytic jaundice. It can also be caused by anemia or strenuous exercise. Elevated levels of urobilinogen will also occur, and people who do this frequentlyeat fatty meals.
  • Bilirubin- in normal urine bilirubin is absent. Its presence may be a sign of jaundice or other diseases of the liver, pancreas and bile ducts. Extreme exercise, such as running a marathon, can also increase bilirubin levels. In pregnant women, the presence of bilirubin in the urine may be a sign of gestational cholestasis, which is a disease of the liver and bile ducts.
  • Protein- protein is not present in normal urine. Its presence may be due to kidney disease, infection, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, systemic lupus, glomerulonephritis, heart failure, leukemia, poisoning (lead or mercury), pre-eclampsia (in pregnant women or up to 6 weeks after delivery) .
  • pH- urine has a mean pH of 6.0. Certain foods (citrus fruits and dairy products) and medications (e.g. for acid reflux disease) can affect the pH of the urine. Alkaline reaction of urine (pH>7) may indicate urinary tract infections, kidney diseases, and may also be the result of a vegetable or milk diet. Low pH (pH <7) can occur as a result of severe lung disease (emphysema), poorly controlled diabetes, severe diarrhea, dehydration, gout, or fever.
  • Blood- blood is not present in normal urine. Its presence may indicate kidney damage (e.g. after an injury) or nephrolithiasis, in the course of which the stone damaged a blood vessel in the renal pelvis. Hematuria also occurs in women with endometriosis. It is worth remembering that red urine does not always mean the presence of blood in it, which is why it is so important to perform a diagnostic test.
  • Specific Gravity- The correct value should be between 1.015 and 1.022 g / ml. A low level of specific gravity may indicate diabetes, renal dysfunction. High levels of specific gravity may indicate kidney disease, excessive water loss.
  • Ketone bodies-Ketone bodies are not present in normal urine. Their presence is known as ketonuria and may indicate poorly controlled diabetes, a diet with a very low carbohydrate content, or an eating disorder (e.g. anorexia or bulimia). Ketone bodies in the urine are also found in alcoholics. They are also present in the urine of people who have not eaten for at least 18 hours. However, their slight presence is normal in the urine of he althy pregnant women.
  • Glucose- glucose is not present in normal urine. Her presence may bethe effect of intravenous fluid intake. Glucose is also present in the urine in poorly controlled diabetes, diseases of the adrenal glands, liver or kidneys, brain damage and some poisoning.
Worth knowing

The urine sample for testing should be from the midstream of the first morning collection. Before that, you can wash your intimate area. It is important to collect the urine for testing after an overnight (at least 5-hour) break in urination. Obviously, collect it in a clean and dry container. The test result is read off 30 seconds after it has been immersed in the sea sample, but not later than 2 minutes. Consumption of beets, currants, rhubarb, blueberries and larger amounts of carrots prior to testing may cause discoloration of the urine. Avoid strenuous exercise and intercourse before urinating for testing.

Compulsory inspection once a year

Many diseases in the initial period are asymptomatic. Before there are any noticeable syndromes or noticeable changes in the blood, the first signs of the disease may already appear in the urine. That is why general urine examination is recommended to be performed prophylactically at least once a year. It is an absolutely basic test, fast, non-invasive and thanks to the availability of home tests in pharmacies, it can be performed independently at a convenient time and at a low cost.

Category:

Urology and Nephrology