Nobody really desires to think about it, but peeing is a necessity of life – and of health. Along with the profit of feeling (literal) relief while you urinate, characterizing your urine comprises essential clues about what is occurring in your body.
It’s actually quite helpful. Your urine can let you know while you’re well hydrated or if it’s essential to drink more water, and when something’s not right and it is time to talk over with your doctor.
Most of the time we just do our thing and the next thing we predict about is washing our hands. But now and again you could notice that something is flawed with your urine. Perhaps it’s dark yellow and smells stronger than usual. Perhaps it’s cloudy or it burned on leaving. When do you have to talk over with your doctor?
As a reminder, no health topic is embarrassing for doctors. But we get it – talking about what goes on in the bathroom could be awkward. We’re here to reply the query: what does my pee say about my health? We’ll discuss how the urinary system works, the best way to tell if peeing is normal, and what to do if it is not.
What is urine? How the urinary system works
Your urinary system has a vital purpose – it filters waste and excess fluid from your blood, making a by-product called urine (or pee) after which moving it out of your body. The urinary system is made up of several different organs that work together in a particular order. Your urinary system includes two kidneys, two ureters, a bladder, and a urethra.
Kidneys
Your kidneys are two fist-sized organs situated slightly below your chest on either side of your spine. The kidneys filter and balance body fluids by removing liquid waste (called urea) and maintaining proper levels of water and essential chemicals comparable to sodium and potassium. Daily, the kidneys filter about 120-150 liters of blood to balance fluids and take away waste. In total, the kidneys produce about 1-2 liters of urine per day.
Ureters and bladder
After the kidneys have done their job, urine passes through the ureters (two thin tubes) into the bladder. Positioned in the pelvis between the hip bones, the bladder is a balloon-like organ that stretches and expands because it fills with urine. It serves as a sort of reservoir for pee until it is time to remove it. Because urine comprises waste and bacteria, it is important to pee often. If urine is held in for too long or if the bladder doesn’t empty completely, bacteria have the opportunity to multiply, resulting in a greater risk of infection.
Urethra
We cannot voluntarily control our kidneys, but we’re capable of control our bladder. So after we feel the presence of urine (the urge to urinate) and choose it’s the right time and place to go, we use the pelvic muscles to compress the bladder and expel the urine. This sends urine right into a connected tube called the urethra, which then leads out of the body for our urine to exit. Each ladies and men have a urethra, although their anatomical location is different.
Healthy urine is normally pale to medium yellow in color, clear, and has a subtle urine odor. These characteristics let you know that you just are drinking enough water and nothing is clearly abnormal.
After we are dehydrated, our pee will smell strongly of ammonia and will likely be dark yellow or amber in color since it has not been diluted with enough water. Soon after increasing your water intake, it is best to notice that the color and smell of your urine develop into more normal again.
Watch your pee usually so you already know what’s normal for you and might act faster if something seems off.
Signs that your pee isn’t normal
Peeing could be abnormal for several reasons. Most of these usually are not a cause for concern, but sometimes they is usually a symptom of a more major problem. Listed here are some signs that your pee will not be healthy:
Dark yellow or amber urine
Dark yellow or amber urine is very concentrated, which signals that you just are very dehydrated and wish to drink water as soon as possible. Even drinking a glass or two after noticing dark yellow urine could make a difference on your next visit. When your urine returns to a brighter yellow color, you may know you are hydrated again.
Transparent or colorless pee
Urine that is totally colorless and appears like water is an indication that you just are over-hydrated. (Yes, that is true.) An excessive amount of water in the body can impair the body’s delicate water, sodium, and electrolyte balance. Overhydration can result in something called water intoxication. The kidneys will normally take care of this for those who occur to drink more water than usual (even far more than usual), but excessive water intake can result in serious health problems. Severe cases of overhydration are rare, but too rapid a drop in electrolyte levels could be life-threatening.
Pink or red pee
Urine with a pink, red or rusty brown tint suggests the presence of blood. When the urine comprises blood, it known as hematuria. Hematuria could be brought on by a spread of aspects, including kidney stones, kidney disease, and a urinary tract infection (UTI)kidney injury (often from being hit involved sports), enlarged prostate, cancer or other condition. In case you notice blood in your urine, don’t fret, but make an appointment with your GP as soon as possible. They might perform urine lab tests or refer you to a urologist to assist diagnose the underlying cause.
Cloudy pee
When urine appears cloudy or has a milky consistency, there could be many causes, including dehydration, kidney stones, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), UTIs, or other health changes. Try drinking more water to see if that turns it back to a transparent, light yellow. If that does not help, see your doctor immediately – especially if you will have other symptoms, comparable to pain or a burning sensation when urinating.
Pee that smells bad
Similar to the above symptoms, the unpleasant smell of urine can have many causes. Some of these include dehydration (high levels of ammonia), certain foods (most famously, asparagus), vitamins and supplements, or an underlying medical condition. In case you are well hydrated, have not eaten asparagus recently, and are not taking vitamins that may cause this, see your doctor immediately.
Other symptoms when peeing
Along with the color and smell of your urine, for those who notice other symptoms comparable to pain, burning, urgency to urinate, leakage of urine, or anything, these could also be signs of an issue which will require prompt treatment. Consult with your doctor about what you are experiencing so you may get a diagnosis and treatment plan if needed.
Everyone has their very own schedule, but typically, urinating 6-8 times in 24 hours is taken into account normal for somebody who’s healthy and never pregnant. In case you are in the bathroom greater than this, you could experience frequent urination.
One other condition that is commonly confused with frequent urination is overactive bladder (OAB). An overactive bladder is a separate condition that causes you to feel like it’s essential to pee more often than you wish or experience a sudden strong urge to urinate.
A related bladder condition is urinary incontinence, which is the involuntary passing of urine that may cause leakage. Urinary incontinence is more common in the elderly, but it may possibly also occur after childbirth or for other reasons. Pelvic floor therapy might help.
Keep yourself (and your pee) healthy
Peeing is vital – it’s how liquid waste leaves our body and keeps many of our other systems running easily. Listed here are some things to do not forget that will help keep your urinary tract (and the rest of you) healthy.
Drink lots of water
Our bodies are 50-60% water, depending on the person. And the ratio of water in our blood is even higher at 90%. That is why it is so essential to drink enough water on daily basis. Amongst many other advantages, staying hydrated regulates the body’s temperature, helps maintain normal blood pressure, delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells, relieves constipation and is of course essential for the urinary system.
So how much water should we drink every day? For a generally healthy person, the really useful day by day intake of water is 4-6 glasses. Attempt to drink enough to go to the toilet a minimum of every few hours. If you will have certain medical conditions or are taking diuretics, your doctor may advise you to drink more water than usual.
Exercise usually
Physical activity has many advantages for our overall health, from helping us maintain a healthy weight to improving our ability to deal with stress. It’s even good for our urinary health. Regular exercise might help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles to provide your urinary system more support and higher muscle control. Exercise also helps our body metabolize food and fluids more efficiently and might prevent constipation.
Watch out with food, drinks and medications
Certain foods and drinks can irritate the bladder. Some of these include alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods, tomato-based foods, chocolate, acidic fruits (mainly citrus), and lots of others.
Go when you will have to go
While you feel the urge to urinate, don’t wait too long. The more time urine spends in the bladder, the greater the likelihood for bacteria to grow and possibly result in an infection.
Completely empty your bladder
For the same reason, at all times attempt to empty your bladder until there’s nothing left. When it’s emptied every time, there are significantly fewer bacteria in the urinary tract, reducing the risk of infection.
Don’t strain to pee
The bladder is designed to release urine very efficiently just by gently squeezing the muscles surrounding the bladder. There is no such thing as a must strain the abdominal muscles because it is completed with defecation. Using more pressure can strain the pelvic muscles and might result in incontinence. In case you feel like it’s essential to use more force to remove the urine, it could possibly be an indication of a urinary problem and it is best to talk over with your doctor.
Do pelvic floor exercises
Pelvic floor exercises, comparable to Kegel, are small squeezing movements that might help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles – they support the bladder and other functions of the urinary system. Strengthening these muscles can offer you more control over your urinary and bowel functions, and even relieve pelvic pain. Kegel exercises are sometimes described as pretending it’s essential to pee, but then holding it back.
When to talk over with your doctor about irregular urination
Peeing is not the coolest topic, but for those who’re attentive, it may possibly contain essential clues about your health.
Next time you are on the toilet, attempt to memorize the healthy pee chart. As you develop into more aware of what certain changes in your urine may mean, you’ll need a greater idea of what your body is telling you. Sometimes it’s only a cue to drink more water, but for those who notice changes comparable to cloudiness, blood, an unpleasant odor, or anything unusual, see your doctor. Whether it is a general practitioner, an obstetrician-gynecologist or a baby’s pediatrician, they’re all there to assist.
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