A urine test can detect kidney disease, diabetes, microhematuria, etc.
Urine is the blood that circulates throughout the body and is collected in the bladder after waste products have been filtered out by the kidneys and then excreted. Because it has passed through every corner of the body, the health of the major organs can be manifested through urine. A good look at my urine helps detect serious illness early. Even in the bathroom, pay attention to the color of urine or bubbles, and if you feel any abnormalities, it is good to do a urine test.
◆ Sudden dark brown or red urine… Pancreatic cancer with jaundice, suspected liver cancer
Dark urine can be a sign that your body is dehydrated. However, there are cases where it turns dark brown or red. Jaundice should be suspected if the skin itches and the whites of the eyes and skin turn yellow. The color of the stool may also change to white or grey. Jaundice is one of the most common symptoms of pancreatic cancer as well as liver disease. If the color of the urine changes significantly, you should suspect jaundice and seek medical attention in hospital (internal medicine) by examining the color of your skin and stool. It can also be a symptom of liver or pancreatic cancer.
◆ If you have a lot of foam in your urine and your body is often swollen… a possibility of kidney disease
If your kidneys are failing, your urine may foam and become darker and turn red. Waste products are not filtered out by the kidneys. Proteinuria should be suspected if the urine bubbles are small and numerous, and the bubbles do not disappear after several minutes. If the amount of protein excreted in the urine per day exceeds 150 mg, it is classified as proteinuria. If your body is often swollen, you should suspect kidney disease.
◆ There are no symptoms even if the kidneys deteriorate… If detected late, difficult dialysis treatment is required
The kidney, like the liver, is a ‘quiet organ’. Even if kidney function is severely impaired, it is common for no symptoms to be felt. If he is found in a state of chronic kidney disease (chronic renal failure), which developed slowly without his knowledge, extended dialysis treatment is necessary. There are not a few people who feel the symptoms and go to hospital only when end stage renal failure occurs. In the free national health examination, blood pressure, blood creatinine, etc. can be checked to find out the glomerular filtration rate and urine proteinuria. Don’t skip the check just because it’s annoying, and make sure you check the numbers.
◆ Although invisible to the naked eye… If microhematuria is present
Kidney disease, urinary bladder infections, cancer, and stones can cause hematuria, which is blood in the urine. This can be observed with the naked eye. However, there may be microscopic hematuria that is not visible to the naked eye. Glomerulonephritis, which is a kidney problem, also starts with microhematuria. If left untreated, it can develop into chronic kidney disease and require dialysis or a kidney transplant. As there are no symptoms in the early stages, it is good to look closely to see if hematuria is detected by urinalysis.
◆ The habit of observing my urine is important… yellow urine after taking nutritional supplements
I didn’t drink much water or coffee at night, but I wake up and urinate more than twice. This could also be a sign of kidney disease or an enlarged prostate. Older men are at increased risk of prostate abnormalities. The urine is yellow after consuming nutrients because the raw material of ‘riboflavin’, which is vitamin B2, is yellow. Depending on the content, it may not affect the color of urine. If you are in the habit of observing your urine, you can detect the disease early. The same goes for feces. It would be hard if I didn’t even look at what came out of my body as something dirty.
