3 March 2021
Dr Lee Fang Jann has written the following article on urine dipsticks and Starmed Specialist Centre originally published it on 30 September 2020. View the original article here.
Dr Lee Fang Jann is a Senior Consultant at Starmed Specialist Centre for Urology & Male Subfertility. He is a Urology and Renal Transplant surgeon with subspecialty focus on men’s health, male subfertility and minimally invasive kidney and prostate surgeries.
Firstly, let's look at the role of urine in our bodies. The excretion of urine regulates the balance of water in our bodies. The body generates waste substances during metabolic processes and discards these substances as it excretes urine. This means that your urine is able to provide useful information on the current status of your health, even with just a simple urine dipstick test.
Next, we will look at the function of a urine dipstick test.
The urine dipstick test checks the appearance, concentration and content of your urine. As such, many medical disorders (such as urinary tract infections (UTI’s), kidney disease and diabetes) can be detected and/or managed by analysing the results of the test.
The urine dipstick is usually a thin, plastic stick with strips of chemicals on it. The dipstick is dipped into your urine sample and the chemical strips on it change colour depending on:
The urine dipstick highlights the presence of compounds such as proteins, glucose, ketones, hemoglobin, and nitrites.
Finally, the following colour chart in this article is displayed for general reference and is not intended for self-diagnosis. Please consult your doctor to seek a clearer understanding of your urine dipstick test results.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out Starmed Specialist Centre's article on what each part of the dipstick test means.
Need help understanding your results or concerned about your urinary health?
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