As you might know from healthcare providers asking for a urine sample, your urine can tell a lot about what’s going on in your body, from how hydrated you are to whether you might have a urinary tract infection.
Even though a qualitative urine analysis performed by your doctor, can give many clues about your health, there are some signs you can see for yourself whenever you go to the bathroom.
Your urine colour, transparency and frequency all provide insight into your well-being. Find out in this article what your urine says about your health.
Cloudy Urine
Cloudy urine occurs when your urine has a hazy or milky colour that is not a normal, clear, light yellow. Cloudy urine is generally harmless but frequent and repetitive cloudy urine could be as a result of not drinking enough water (dehydration), an infection (UTIs, STIs), a medical condition (kidney stones, diabetes), or bodily fluids mixed with urine, such as blood, semen, or vaginal discharge.
Too Frequent Urination
If you are gulping down ounces of water, you will pee frequently. But if it is happening without too much water intake, then it could be a sign of a medical issue.
Frequent urination is often caused by diseases that affect parts of the urinary tract, including the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra. Other conditions, such as diabetes, prostate problems, and pregnancy are also common causes of frequent urination.
Foul Smelling Urine
Most of the time, urine does not have a strong smell if you are healthy and drink plenty of fluids. Most changes in urine odour are not a sign of disease and go away in time. Some foods and medicines, including vitamins, may affect your urine’s odour.
However, foul-smelling urine may be due to bacteria. Sweet-smelling urine may be a sign of uncontrolled diabetes or a rare disease of metabolism. Liver disease and certain metabolic disorders may also cause musty-smelling urine.
Blood In Urine
Blood in your urine could come from anywhere in the urinary tract, including the bladder, kidneys or urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body).
Most causes of blood in your urine are not serious, but you shouldn’t ignore it, because it can also be a sign of a serious medical condition that needs treatment, such as a kidney disease, urinary tract infection, bladder disease, or prostate problems.
Dark Coloured Urine
Dark urine is most commonly due to dehydration. A flow that’s dark brown also could be caused by bile getting into your urine, a sign of liver disease. Rusty or brown-coloured pee also is a symptom of porphyria, a rare disorder affecting the skin and nervous system. If rehydrating doesn’t lighten up your urine, see your doctor.
Pain During Urination
Painful urination (dysuria) is when you feel pain, discomfort, or burning when you urinate. It could be as a result of urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, sexually transmitted infections, prostate infection, something pressing against the bladder (ovarian cyst, kidney stones), certain medications you took, or a sensitivity to chemicals in products.
Foamy Urine
Urine is typically flat, but it can appear foamy in certain circumstances. It could be because your bladder is full and the urine is hitting the toilet fast enough to stir up the water, or as a result of dehydration. It can also be a symptom of kidney disease that allows large amounts of protein to pass into a person’s urine.
If a person notices foamy urine frequently, or if foamy urine accompanies other symptoms, they should see a doctor.
