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Urine is a watery, typically yellowish fluid stored in the bladder and discharged through the urethra. Also, it is one of the body’s chief means of eliminating excess water, salt, and urea- a nitrogen compound.

Doctors administer a urinanlysis test to detect illnesses such as urinary tract infections, kidney disease and diabetes. The test can check the appearance, concentration, and content of the urine. For example, a urinary tract infection will make urine look cloudy instead of clear. Moreover, increased levels of protein in urine can be a sign of kidney disease. Furthermore, unusual urinalysis results will often require more testing to uncover the source of the problem.

Blood in Your Urine

Call your doctor immediately if you see blood in your urine. It could be caused by something fairly harmless, like hard exercise, medication, or certain foods. Or it may be a sign of something more serious like kidney disease, an enlarged prostate, bladder cancer, or sickle cell anemia.

Urine Examination

Some foods and medicines can change the color of your pee. For example, beets can make it reddish or dark brown, asparagus can make it green, and carrots can turn it orange. Certain antacids can turn your pee a shade of blue, and some chemotherapy medicines can make it orange. Sometimes an unusual color can be a sign of a health problem. Talk to your doctor if your pee suddenly changes color and you’re not sure why. For example, if you are dehydrated, your urine will display a certain color shade, see below:

Urine Smells

Foods, vitamins, and medication can all change the way your urination smells. For example, asparagus causes an ammonia-like odor. It will also stronger if you don’t drink enough water or you take vitamin B-6 supplements every day. But some other illnesses such as diabetes, bladder infections, kidney infections, and liver failure will also change the way your urine smells. Call your doctor if you notice these types of changes.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Urination can be several colors such as red, brown, green, or cloudy accompanied by a strong smell.  UTIs usually happen when bacteria has gotten into the bladder or urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. Antibiotics is the treatment.

Hyperglycemia

This happens you have too much sugar (glucose) in your blood. High levels of glucose also can show up in your urination. You can’t tell by looking at it, but your doctor can check by testing a sample. It can indicate diabetes and may lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness.

Diabetes

Ketones in your blood and urine indicates diabetes.. Your body makes these when it starts to break down fat for energy because it can’t use sugar for energy like it should.

Dehydration

If the urine looks dark and you’re not going as often as usual, this may indicate that you don’t have enough water in your body. You also will feel tired and nauseas. Your doctor will test a sample of your urine to see how much water is in it.

Diabetic Kidney Disease

Foamy urination can mean you have more protein than normal and this is often the earliest sign of kidney failure. Excess protein damages your kidneys’ small blood vessels. Consequently, your body holds on to abnormal high amounts of salt, water, and waste in your blood.  Your doctor will test your urine for a protein called albumin to find out if you have it.

Glomerulonephritis

This is a tough word to pronounce but it’s a dangerously serious disease. Bloody or foamy urine is a symptom. It swells your face and ankles and may also cause muscle cramps and itchy skin. It happens due to tiny filters in one of your kidneys getting inflamed. Hence, fluid and waste will build up in your body and and cause high blood pressure or kidney failure. Glomerulonephritis can be brought on by other several health issues, including diabetes, an infection, or an autoimmune disease.

Vasculitis

If this affects your kidneys, your urine may be tea-colored and you can also have a fever and body aches. It happens when your own antibodies, which your body makes to fight germs, attacks the small blood vessels in one of your organs instead. Left untreated, it leads to blood and protein in your urine and eventually your kidneys will stop working.

Blockage

If you can’t go or you feel like you have to go often but don’t pee much when you do, that can mean something is keeping it from coming out. You may also see blood in your urine, or it might look cloudy. A blockage can be caused by an enlarged prostate, kidney stones, bladder cancer, or blood clots, among other conditions.

Kidney Stones

If your doctor thinks you have kidney stones — when certain minerals form tiny rocks that block the tubes you use to urinate, your urine will be tested for excess calcium. These tests can also help find problems with your small intestine, parathyroid glands, and kidneys.

Lupus

This disease happens when your immune system mistakenly attacks a certain part of your body. If it affects your kidneys (lupus nephritis), it will cause bloody or foamy urine. There’s no cure, and doctors aren’t sure what causes this condition that mostly affects women.

Conclusion

Monitor your urine closely for any changes in color and frequency as it can indicate symptoms of serious disease. Watch this very informative video on urinanlysis:

Terminology of Urinalysis – Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com