The pH of urine tells about the alkalinity of the urine. The pH test measure acidity of the urine. The doctor recommend you to do a pH test when you have problems related to the urinary tract. The urine pH test is a painless and straightforward process, so you should not worry about the pH test. Diseases, diets and medicines affect the urine. It will make urine acidic or basic. When you have extremely low or high pH, it indicates that there is the possibility of forming stones in the kidney. The pH test will give you the early warning to adjust your diets to prevent the likelihood of the kidney stones.
The urine is made of water, waste and salt. What we eat and drink affect the pH of the urine. Acidic food like grains, fish, soda and sugar increase the acidity of the urine. If the urine has low pH, then it indicates the acidic urine. Means that we are at risk of diabetes, diarrhoea and starvation.
Alkaline food like nuts, vegetables, foods and high protein foods increase the pH of the urine. If the urine has high pH, it indicates our urine is alkaline, meaning that we are at risk of developing kidney stones, urinary tract infection and kidney problems.
The doctor might ask you what you ate before the pH test to evaluate the pH test result. The food we eat affects the acidic or alkalinity of the urine. If our diet has a high amount of vegetables and a low amount of meat, it is more likely to have urine pH above eight, which indicates the alkaline urine.
If our diet has a high amount of meat, it is more likely to have urine pH below five, which indicates the acidic urine.
The pH test will tell a lot about the overall health of your body. It gives an early sign of future diseases that you may face. There are no side effects of pH test, so you can quickly test the urine pH without any issues.
What is the normal pH of urine?
Each laboratory has its pH range; the normal pH range of the urine is 4.5 to 7.8. The average pH of urine is 6. The higher the value of pH indicates, the more alkaline it is. The lower the value of pH suggests, the more acidic it is. The pH above 8 indicates the alkalinity and pH below 5 means the acidic urine.’
Why is it important to test the pH of urine?
Various factors affect the pH level, so the pH test alone will not significantly tell you about your body. However, the doctor can consider testing the urine’s pH level when you have other symptoms to make a diagnosis. For example, when you have kidney stones symptoms, the doctor asks you to do a pH test to check the urine’s alkalinity. Similarly, when you have symptoms of diabetes, the doctor can ask you to do a pH test to check the pH of the urine.
How is the pH test conducted?
For performing pH test doctor need 1- 2 ounces of clean urine so that there will be no bacteria present in the urine. There are various way of conducting pH.
1>Visual: The doctor looks at the colour of the urine. Doctor checks whether your urine has blood or any other foreign material.IT also check whether urine appears cloudy or not.
2> Dipstick method: In the dipstick method, the litmus paper checks the urine’s acidity or alkalinity. The change in litmus paper colour tells about whether the urine is acidic or alkalic.
3>Microscopic
The lab will check the small amount of urine sample under the microscope. It will check whether any blood cells, crystals are present in urine or not.
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Michael S. Bardwell is a healthcare professional with a passion for advancing patient care and improving healthcare systems. With expertise in patient-centered care and a track record of implementing innovative solutions, he is a respected voice in the medical community. As a regular contributor to TAFMED.org, Bardwell shares his insights on healthcare topics and is committed to making a positive impact. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with family and giving back to the community through philanthropy.