Flair

Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter

Everyone does it, but we often don't pay attention to it. After we do it, we just flush it away and move on. However, your urine may reveal more than you think.

The appearance and odour can give clues as to what is going on in your body. Urologist Dr Hope Russell-Dunn explained that a urine test is normally done when one visits the doctor to determine what is going on with one's kidneys. She said that doctors often test for Hematuria, which is the presence of blood in the urine. Hematuria can either be gross (meaning the urine is visibly reddened from blood), or occult (meaning the blood is micro-scopic and not visible to the naked eye). She said that when blood is found in the urine, it should be a cause for alarm.

She further stated that often when traces of blood are found in the urine it is assumed to be as a result of an infection.

"But sometimes it may be due to a cancer in the urinary tract, or a stone. It may also be as a result of straining to pass urine due to enlarged vessels," said Dr Russell-Dunn.

She noted as well, that there are certain foods with red colouring that may cause the urine to have a reddish colour. But to be on the safe side, one must always check with a doctor.

Looking Clear

The urologist said if the urine is as clear or colourless as water then it might be that you have been drinking a lot of water. She also noted that while any colour urine could be an indication of kidney problems, when it is clear it could be a sign of chronic renal failure, due to the fact that the kidneys are unable to pull excess water from urine.

Yellow or deep amber

She said when the urine is deep amber colour it means that you might not be drinking enough water and the body is trying to conserve on water as much as possible. Thus, the urine becomes more concentrated. Some medications can cause the urine to be a bright yellow colour. For example, the body only uses the amount of vitamins it needs at the time (after intake) and excretes the excess through the urine. Therefore, Dr Russell-Dunn advised that you take vitamins more than once daily.

Brown colour

When the urine is of brown colour, that may be an indication that there is some old blood present in the urinary tract and is now passing through the urine. Also it could be an indication that you might be dehydrated.

Light amber/slightly yellow

Dr Russell-Dunn told Flair that the best colour for your urine should be light amber, without any spots, odour etc. Anything outside of that, you should be cautious and always check with your doctor. She added that if there is any form of foul odour, one should check with a physician immediately. If there is a sweet odour or if some spills on the floor and ants gravitate to it, that might be a sign of diabetes.