Your Urine's Silent Signals: 5 Key Clues to Detect Serious Health Conditions

Urine is not just excess excess water and by products excreting your body through the kidneys, it also holds the key to your health. The analysis of urine provides doctors with information that extends beyond kidney function. The initial warning signs of severe medical conditions emerge through changes in urine appearance and smell. The human body uses changes in urine to gauge potential diseases, including infections, liver problems, kidney diseases and cancer. Here are 5 times urine gives clues about serious diseases and how to recognise them...

The presence of dark or brown urine, typically indicates severe problems with the liver or kidneys. This occurs because the liver can get damaged from hepatitis or cirrhosis, leading to increased bilirubin production which causes urine to turn dark. The presence of rhabdomyolysis, represents a dangerous muscle breakdown condition which produces myoglobin from muscle tissue that enters the urine. The kidneys' inability to filter waste properly, leads to the production of extremely dark urine in patients with advanced kidney disease. This urine color remains dark even after fluid consumption, because these medical conditions differ from dehydration-related urine discoloration. Medical tests need to be started right away, when you experience yellow skin (jaundice) together with fatigue and abdominal pain.

The presence of blood in urine (hematuria) through pink or red urine indicates urinary tract infections (UTI), kidney stones, bladder and kidney cancers. The presence of red urine without dietary influence, requires medical evaluation because it indicates a serious health issue. The presence of blood in urine can be accompanied by painful urination, burning sensations and increased frequency of urination, and lower back pain. Often patients choose to disregard these warning signs, which could lead to serious disease detection. As a next step, doctors need to perform urine tests and imaging procedures to determine the source of the problem and begin appropriate treatment right away.

The presence of infection in the urinary tract or kidneys, leads to urine that appears cloudy. This occurs because under these conditions, the urine contains white blood cells, bacteria and crystals, which create its cloudy appearance. The presence of strong or unpleasant odors in urine too, indicates an infection. The presence of proteinuria in urine indicates damaged kidney filters, because protein leaks through the urine when it becomes foamy. The first sign of kidney disease appears through protein loss in urine, which becomes worse when left untreated. Medical professionals need to examine kidney function immediately when patients show swelling in their hands and feet, and when their urine becomes foamy.

Urine can smell different because of hydration levels and the kind of food we eat, but persistent foul odours usually point to health problems. The bacterial growth in urinary tract infections produces urine that smells like ammonia, or has a sweet or foul odour. The body produces specific odours through waste accumulation in rare metabolic disorders including phenylketonuria, and maple syrup urine disease. The smell of urine changes when liver diseases develop. Medical assistance becomes necessary when urine odour persists for extended periods, and shows colour changes, pain, fever or confusion, because these symptoms point to infections or metabolic disorders that need treatment.

The rare occurrence of green or blue urine stems from bacterial infections with Pseudomonas species, and from specific medication and dye side effects. Green urine appears after consuming food colorants or taking amitriptyline, or propofol medications. However, medical evaluation of green or blue urine is necessary to check for possible infections and liver problems, when these colors persist. The first sign of urinary tract infection which needs antibiotic treatment often presents as an abnormal urine color. A doctor's examination will determine the source of the issue to prevent additional complications.

Disclaimer: This article is informational only and not a substitute for medical advice