Test Strips For Urinalysis - What Are The Benefits of Using Them?
Posted by Just Fitter on
Introduction
Urine test strips are small pieces of paper that contain chemicals designed to react with specific substances in the urine. These tests are commonly used to screen for pregnancy, diabetes, kidney disease, and other medical conditions.
The importance of urine
Urine is a waste product of the body produced by the Kidney. The kidney filters blood by removing waste and balancing water, minerals and salts. Clean filtered blood is exits the kidney and circulates through the body.
Excess water, waste products and excess mineral and salts leave the kidney via the urinary tract, are stored in the bladder and then evacuated via the urethra.
By analyzing urine, it is possible to understand the state of the body. The presence or absence of certain molecules, and the measurement of other properties can indicate potential health issues in the Kidney, Urinary Tract or elsewhere in the body.
Urinalysis test strips
Urinalysis test strips are pieces of plastic or waterproofed paper that have a number of absorbent pads soaked with different chemical reagents.
When a urinalysis test strip is dipped into a urine sample the chemically impregnated pads react with the urine. Dependent on the result of the chemical reaction certain interpretations about the properties of the urine can be interpreted.
Each pad on the urinalysis test strip has a different chemical reagent. It is possible to buy Urinalysis Dipsticks with only one reagent pad or to buy one with up to 12 reagent pads. The more pads there are, the more molecules or properties are being tested.
Some of the tests available for home urinalysis testing include:
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Leukocytes and nitrites to test for urinary tract infections (UTI)
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Red blood cells to test for bleeding or wounds in the urinary tract.
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pH, or the acid-base balance of urine
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Proteins which may be a sign of kidney damage
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Specific gravity which can give insight into the body's hydration
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Glucose which may be an indication of diabetes
What is urinalysis?
A urinalysis is a laboratory test. It can help your doctor detect problems that may be shown by your urine.
Many illnesses and disorders affect how your body removes waste and toxins. The organs involved in this are your lungs, kidneys, urinary tract, skin, and bladder. Problems with any of these can affect the appearance, concentration, and content of your urine.
Urinalysis is not the same as a drug screening or pregnancy test, although all three tests involve a urine sample.
Urinalysis is often used:
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prior to surgery
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as a preemptive screening during a pregnancy checkup
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as part of a routine medical or physical exam
Your doctor may also order this test if they suspect that you have certain conditions, such as:
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diabetes
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kidney disease
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liver disease
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urinary tract infection
If you already have a diagnosis for any of these conditions, your doctor may use urinalysis to check on the progress of treatments or the condition itself.
Your doctor may also want to do a urinalysis if you experience certain symptoms, including:
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abdominal pain
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back pain
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blood in your urine
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painful urination
A urinalysis is a simple test that looks at a small sample of your urine. It can help find problems that need treatment, including infections or kidney problems. It can also help find serious diseases in the early stages, like kidney disease, diabetes, or liver disease. A urinalysis is also called a “urine test.”
A urine test can include three parts:
Visual exam. The urine will be looked at for color and clearness. Blood may make urine look red or the color of tea or cola. An infection may make urine look cloudy. Foamy urine can be a sign of kidney problems.
Microscopic exam. A small amount of urine will be looked at under a microscope to check for things that do not belong in normal urine that cannot be seen with the naked eye, including red blood cells, white blood cells (or pus cells), bacteria (germs), or crystals (which are formed from chemicals in the urine and may eventually get bigger and become kidney stones).
Dipstick test. A dipstick is a thin, plastic stick with strips of chemicals on it. It is dipped into the urine. The strips change color if a substance is present at a level that is above normal. Some of the things a dipstick examination can check for include:
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Acidity (pH) is a measure of the amount of acid in the urine. A pH that is above normal may be a sign of kidney stones, urinary infections, kidney problems, or other disorders.
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Protein is an important building block in the body. Everyone has protein in their blood. But it should only be in your blood, not your urine. Your kidneys play a role in this process. Healthy kidneys remove waste products and extra water from your blood, but leave behind the things your body needs, like protein. When kidneys are injured, protein leaks into your urine. Having protein in your urine suggests that your kidney's filtering units are damaged by kidney disease.
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Glucose (sugar) is usually a sign of diabetes.
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White blood cells (pus cells) are signs of infection.
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Bilirubin is a waste product from the breakdown of old red blood cells. It is normally removed from the blood by the liver. Its presence in the urine may be a sign of liver disease.
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Blood can It can be a sign of an infection, a kidney problem, certain medicines, or even heavy exercise. Finding blood in the urine requires further testing. It does not mean you have a serious medical problem.
A urinalysis can help to detect many diseases before you feel symptoms. Finding and treating a problem early can help keep serious diseases from getting worse.
In conclusion, urine test strips are useful tools to check whether you have any infections or diseases in your urinary tract.
Urine test strips can help you determine whether you have an infection or not. You should use them when you feel unwell or have symptoms such as fever, chills, burning sensation while passing urine, pain during urination, frequent urge to pass urine, blood in urine, or cloudy urine.
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