What a Urine Test Can (and Can’t) Reveal About Your Health

You might think urine tests just check for urinary tract infections (UTIs). The reality is that even a small sample can reveal kidney damage, blood sugar problems, and various infections long before symptoms appear.

At Peaks Medical and Urgent Care in Dillon, Colorado, our lab services include urinalysis to catch problems early and keep you healthy. Here’s everything you need to know about what urine tests screen for and when you might need additional testing.

What shows up in urine tests

A standard urine test checks for substances that shouldn’t normally be present in large amounts. Your kidneys filter about 50 gallons of blood daily, keeping what your body needs while removing waste products. When something goes wrong with this filtering process, abnormal substances appear in your urine.

We test for several key markers:

• Protein
• Glucose (sugar)
• White blood cells 
• Red blood cells 
• Bacteria 
• Ketones
• Crystals from kidney stones
• Abnormal waste product levels 

Abnormal findings don’t always mean you have a disease; we consider your symptoms and medical history before making any diagnosis.

Conditions urine tests can detect

Urinalysis helps diagnose several medical conditions, often before symptoms develop. Some examples include:

• Kidney disease 
• Diabetes and prediabetes 
• UTIs
• Kidney stones
• Liver problems 
• Severe dehydration 
• Bleeding in the urinary tract
• Certain genetic disorders affecting kidney function

Early detection through routine screening gives us time to intervene before these conditions cause serious health complications.

What doesn’t show up on a urine test

Urine testing has limitations and can’t give you the full picture of your health. While s urinalysis may be part of your diagnostic plan, certain conditions usually require more extensive testing, such as:

• Heart disease and blocked arteries
• High cholesterol levels
• Most cancers
• Thyroid disorders
• Hormone imbalances

Understanding these limitations helps set realistic expectations about what urine testing can accomplish. Don’t assume a normal urine test result means you’re completely healthy.

Factors that affect results

What you do before testing changes the chemistry we measure. Several things can alter your results.

For example, heavy exercise temporarily increases protein levels, and dehydration concentrates your urine contents and can skew measurements. Medications can change your urine color or chemical reactions; even certain foods can affect color — beets turn urine pink.

Another factor that can affect your results is the time of day you take your urine sample. Morning urine is most reliable for urinalysis.

We sometimes repeat abnormal tests when results don’t match symptoms. One unusual reading doesn’t automatically indicate disease, especially if you feel fine otherwise.

When to schedule a urine test

Early detection is crucial for infections, chronic conditions, and certain deficiencies. Always listen to your body and come in for a screening right away if you experience:

• Burning sensation during urination
• Frequent bathroom trips
• Blood in your urine
• Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
• Pelvic pain

These symptoms need prompt evaluation regardless of suspected causes.

Urine tests are an essential part of taking care of your health, whether you’re visiting for a routine screening or you think you have an infection. If you need urine testing or have urinary concerns, contact Peaks Medical and Urgent Care at 970-485-6826 or visit our clinic for same-day care and on-site lab services.