What Your Urine Says About Your Health

When you go pee, you are probably not thinking about what this activity may reveal to you about your health or well-being. However, it does not hurt to pay attention to details, such as how often you go, color, odor and any discomfort during the process. These could all be subtle indicators that something is wrong.
Pale or Weak
Light colored urine with no or very little odor is usually a result of heavy water intake. As a rule, this is the one type of pee that is nothing to worry about medically. You will probably notice an increased frequency of bathroom breaks under these circumstances, but other than the inconvenience, it is nothing to worry about.
Sweet Odor
Have you noticed a sugary sweet odor when you use the bathroom? If it is not coming from your air freshener, you will want to pay attention. Urine is not supposed to smell sweet and this could be an indicator of a serious medical condition. Generally, this can mean that blood sugar is being excreted through the urine, which is a common indicator of diabetes. Your doctor will want to run further tests if you are noticing sweet-smelling urine.
Weird Odors
Strange odors from urine can be a little concerning; however, it is probably a result of something you ate. Specific foods can result in weird urine odor, most notably asparagus. Foods like this, when broken down, release a sulfur containing amino acid. As a rule, the odor will clear up as soon as the food has completely cleared the body.
Tea Colored
Extremely dark urine can be an indicator of dehydration or in some cases blood. Kidney and bladder infections can cause some bleeding which will pass through the urine, as can cancer. When your pee is dark drink several glasses of water and check again, if it is dehydration it should begin to clear otherwise make a doctor's appointment.
Fluorescent
Do not be alarmed if you have neon, yellow colored urine. In most cases, you need to look no further than your daily multivitamin. Beta-carotene is well-known for brightening the pee and usually means most of the supplement is passing through the body, though you are probably absorbing some nutrients from them. If you are really concerned, stop taking the vitamins for a few days and see if the problem persists.
Blood
Bright red blood in the toilet or on the toilet paper is a very scary experience, and it can be a serious issue. This is a common sign of a urinary tract infection, but it is also one of the main signs of bladder cancer in both women and men. Regardless of what you think may be the cause; blood in the urine should never be taken lightly. Schedule an appointment with your physician as soon as possible.
Extreme Urgency
Does it seem like you always gotta go? Before you become too alarmed, you may want to take a look at your lifestyle. If you are carrying around a bottle of water everywhere you go, it is not hard to figure why you need to go all the time. Other changes such as increased fruit and vegetable intake could be to blame as they are higher in water content.
Aging and taking high blood pressure medications tend to lend to the frequent urination problem as well. Your kidneys and bladder are aging right along with you, which means there may be some frequency changes. On a serious note, men who notice a weak urine stream and frequent urges should see their doctor; an enlarged prostate could be the root cause.
Leaky Pipes
Another commonly advertised urinary problem is leakage. This can happen when the pelvic floor becomes weakened through stress of childbirth, though even those who have never had children may experience this problem. When the floor is weak, exercise, gymnastics and even coughing or sneezing can result in a small amount of leakage. Kegel exercises are good for strengthening the pelvic floor and preventing this problem. (Squeeze and release as if you were starting and stopping urine flow).
You may also experience urge incontinence, which is different from typical leakage. This happens when there is a problem in the bladder; it may fire without alert, emptying before you get the urge to go to the restroom. Make a doctor's appointment to get a clearer picture of what is going on.
Burning
Even a slight burning sensation is usually a sign of an impending urinary tract infection. For sexually active women this is a particular problem, Close proximity of the urinary tract to the vagina and anus creates a cross contamination scenario in which bacteria can easily travel from one to the other. The good news is oral antibiotics will clear the infection and good hygiene will help prevent re-occurrence. (Women should wipe front to back)
N. Curtis has written dozens of health articles and is the author of the Amazingly Informative and Extremely Entertaining Free Special Health Report "It's Your Body, You Can Die If You Want To!" Check it out now at http://www.youcandieifyouwantto.com/

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