29.03.2024

Acidic urine

Acidic urine – an indicator, received at the laboratory. It quantifies the reaction of the biological fluid. In violation of metabolic processes varies greatly with the ratio of compounds with acidic and alkaline properties. Change in the pH level of urine, usually indicates the development in the human body the pathological process is localized in one of the vital systems.

What does the pH of urine

Acidity of urine is the ratio of the contained hydrogen and hydroxyl ions.

In the process of metabolism in the urine do the compounds in the hydrolysis which the formation of substances that can move the pH in the acid or alkaline side. The indicator is important when recommending patients specific pharmacological drugs or products for therapeutic nutrition. If the biochemical analysis revealed the increased acidity of the urine that requires further diagnosis to determine the cause of abnormalities and pathology.

Urine with lower pH is an informative parameter to improper functioning of the kidneys. There is also the reverse side of the problem – acidic urine can provoke a saline diathesis, to accelerate the crystallization of mineral salts. The pathological processes cause the formation in the cups and pelvis, stones, which further aggravate the kidneys will have a negative impact on other systems of life.

How to decode received values of acidity of urine:

  • 5-7 pH values are within the normal range;
  • below 4.5 pH – acidic urine;
  • pH above 7.5 is alkaline urine.

If at carrying out of laboratory tests, the patient was discovered acidic environment of urine, experienced doctors offer to retake a biological sample for the study a few days. The fact that some food products and medicines have the ability to acidify or alkalize urine. The doctor will create the diet plan of the patient for 2-3 days. Confirmation of the obtained values indicates a violation of metabolism in the human body.

The acidity of the urine is determined using test strips

What factors change pH of urine

The change in the acidity of urine indicates problems in the body caused by the metabolism. But this criterion also may be due to the use of products sakikawa urine and (or) drinking water treatment person. Lack of fluid leads to increased concentration of urine, slow process of hydrolysis. Urologists or gastroenterologists at the beginning of treatment they are trying to correct the acidity of the urine, prescribing patients a diet.

In the daily diet included the products after cleavage of which are formed compounds with the properties of alkalis or acids:

  • increase proteins and fats leads to urine pH shift to the acid side;
  • the predominance of carbohydrates contributes to the appearance of alkaline urine.

Acidic urine is formed due to the accumulation of organic acids or mineral compounds with similar chemical properties. In people with diabetes in addition to elevated levels of blood glucose, urine ketone body find. They have the ability to shift the pH of urine in the acid side. Therefore, when the sum of these values biological samples it is possible to assume the presence of disorders of the endocrine system.

Diagnostic value of acidity of the urine cannot be overemphasized. Departing from the norm of the parameters allows to detect pathology at an early stage, to avoid the unpleasant consequences of time spent therapy.

What is the impact of acidic urine occurring in the body processes:

  • organic and inorganic compounds dissolved in certain environments. Uric acid is hydrolyzed only in liquids with a pH above 7. If the value is lower, then it precipitates. Salts of phosphoric and oxalic acids dissolve quickly in liquids with the acidic environment. On these properties of minerals is the formation of stones in the kidney and bladder. Acid in urine will promote the formation of urate stones with a soft structure;
  • the pH of urine affects the reproduction of pathogenic microbes and colonization of their urinary system. E. coli aktiviziruyutsya increasing the acidity of urine. By ascending paths she quickly moves through the ureters to the kidneys. Therefore, the pH often allow you to quickly identify the causative agent of urethritis, cystitis or pyelonephritis;
  • prior to the antibiotic treatment doctors are carefully studying the values of acidity of the urine. Some antibacterial drugs do not have a therapeutic effect in acidic urine. Use in therapy of penicillins or macrolides is not justified if the urine pH below 4.5.

Determination of acidity of urine allows to adjust the power of the patient to obtain normal values of pH. This contributes to the adequate treatment of pathologies and destruction of infectious agents. Also dissolve formed kidney stones.

Acidic urine becomes the cause of urolithiasis

The reasons for the pH shift to the acid side

In addition to the pathological, there are natural causes of acid reaction urine. Many people improve their health, enhance immunity by biological or dietary supplements, forgetting about their chemical nature and ability to accumulate in tissues. These medicines and organic compounds contained in the concentrates, provoking a slightly acid reaction of the urine. The natural causes include the prevalence in the human diet of foods high in acids, lipids and proteins.

Among the negative factors of the pH shift to the acid side also includes:

  • congenital and acquired diseases of the kidney structures;
  • use in therapy of pathologies of excessive amounts of sodium chloride solution administered to the patient parenterally way;
  • education in organs urinary system infectious foci, triggering extensive inflammation;
  • the decrease in functional activity of the immune system, resulting in frequent allergic reactions and respiratory diseases in children;
  • the use of pharmacological preparations in the hydrolysis which the formation of substances with properties of acids.

Doctors belong to the causes in human acidic urine the presence of uric acid diathesis. This term will combine a variety of metabolic disorders that are characterized by malfunctioning of the tubules of the kidneys. When excess protein in the tissues begins to be deposited uric acid. That is why people have eating or sticking to a monotonous mono in the urine is found a lot of mineral salts, which by hydrolysis shift the pH to the acid side.

Causes of acidification of urine are:

  • diseases of the endocrine system, which affect the metabolism;
  • chronic alcoholism;
  • injuries and extensive burns, provoking a state of shock;
  • increased physical activity is lifting weights;
  • vegetarianism.

Some of these factors are easy to fix by reducing physical activity or proper nutrition. By just changing their way of life and re-tested to confirm the natural causes of acid reaction urine. But the absence of changes in acid-base imbalance indicates the existence of a progressive pathological process in the body.

One of the precipitating factors acidic urine is an improper diet

What can acidify the urine

Acidic urine is formed by the increase of organic compounds having the ability to lower the pH value. But this is only a side effect, but for diagnosis it is important to establish the chemical structure of a substance determine the reason for its appearance in the urine.

An alarming factor is the excess concentration in the biological liquids of the following compounds:

  • salts of acetoacetic acid. Acetoacetic acid refers to ketone bodies and is directly involved in metabolism. The high content of the oxidizer of fatty acids means the disorder of the work of the endocrine glands. In addition to diabetes, ketone bodies received in the urine in severe intoxication with poisons of plant and animal origin, as well as the formation of malignant and benign tumors;
  • the compounds vanillylmandelic acid. Acid is the end product of metabolism of the catecholamines norepinephrine or epinephrine. The compound is excreted from the body the urinary system. This means that a small amount of vanillylmandelic acid in urine is accepted as the norm. Increased concentration of substances directly indicates the presence of a pheochromocytoma is a hormonal active tumors of adrenal glands. Rarely vanillylmandelic acid is detected in the biological sample under stress;
  • Delta-aminolevulinic acid. A synthetic analog of a chemical compound widely used for the diagnosis of tumors. But the appearance of aminolevulinic acid in the urine is refers to the main symptoms of acute or chronic lead poisoning:
  • compounds of bile acids. In the urine of a healthy person, these substances do not appear even in minimum concentrations. Their detection indicates acute and chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, obstructive jaundice, which is caused by a blockage of the bile ducts. It should be noted that the significant damage of liver structures, bile acids are not found in the urine is due to their complete absence in the body;
  • amino acids. The high content of amino acids in urine is called revealed. Pathological condition develops in poisoning with salts of heavy metals, malnutrition, liver disease, infections, tumours, trauma and burns. That is, the presence in the body of process of disintegration of the tissues;
  • lactic acid. The connection can be detected in the urine when lifting and increased physical activity. Sometimes the appearance of decomposition products of lactic acid indicates the presence of inflammation in muscle tissue.

In diseases of the urinary system in acid urine often increased concentration of oxalates. A compound of oxalic acid, the appearance of which indicates a person’s predisposition to development of kidney stones.

Health food

No matter what was the cause of acid reaction urine, can shift its pH to the alkaline side. Eating certain foods eliminates the resulting imbalance of chemical compounds. Should be excluded from the diet fruit, is able to oxidize the urine: oranges, grapefruits, mandarins, some apples and plums.

That should be present on the table:

  • potatoes, cabbage, beets, carrots;
  • lentils, peas, beans;
  • porridge made from cereals;
  • Fig.

Meat offal milk and acidified urine, that is why their use should be limited. Obesity contributes to the increased concentrations of uric acid, therefore, gastroenterologists and urologists recommend that patients with overweight diet. We should not forget about the benefits of pure non-carbonated water, drink at least two liters of fluid daily.

Good or not contains a certain value in the results of laboratory tests of urine can be solved only by an experienced doctor. Therefore, to decrypt the received parameters to the acidity of the urine should contact a urologist. The patient is examined and, if necessary, prescribe a course of treatment.

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