How to Monitor Urine for Illness

Urine is a sterile waste product excreted from the body several times per day. The characteristics of urine are indicative of good or poor health. Learn how to monitor urine for illness at home and clinically to protect your health.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Monitor urine output and frequency. Urine volume can signify moderate problems or indicate severe health concerns. Frequent urination is often caused by a bladder infection or urinary tract infection which can be cleared up with antibiotics. Frequent urination is also a symptom of diabetes and must be tested for glucose levels for further study. Reduced urine volume can signify dehydration. Dehydration occurs when a person doesn't drink enough liquids. Low urine output also occurs with bladder conditions and kidney disease.
2. Observe urine color. Healthy urine is light yellow in color. Deep yellow, red or brown urine is concentrated urine. It's normal for the first urination of the day to be darker due to lack of urination throughout the night. However, if your urine is consistently dark (and diet is not the culprit) this could indicate an infection. Clear (like water) urine is an indication of good hydration. Consistently clear urine can be indicative of health issues, however, like diabetes insipidus.
3. Smell your urine. Normal fresh urine has a light odor that smells more like ammonia the longer it sits. Strong, foul-smelling urine that is not caused by diet (asparagus, for instance, leads to foul-smelling urine) can be caused by infection, most commonly a urinary tract infection. Sweet-smelling urine is indicative of higher glucose levels and is common with persons who are diabetic.
4. Test urine for protein, glucose and white blood cells. Protein in urine could indicate kidney disease. In pregnant women, consistent, high levels of protein can lead to a dangerous condition called preeclampsia. Glucose levels in urine can be symptomatic of diabetes (although eating foods high in sugar can cause a small amount of glucose in urine.) The presence of white blood cells indicate the body is fighting an infection.

Tips & Warnings

• Diet and certain medications can cause urine to change in volume, color, smell and frequency. Always tell your doctor the medications you take and any special diet you adhere to when you suspect illness.