The best urinalysis to do at home and detect a urinary tract infection is done with a striptease that is bought at the pharmacy and watered in a small amount of urine made in a clean container such as a plastic cup, for example.
This urine test is very simple and can be done at any time of the day, and the result comes in a few minutes, indicating or not the presence of a urinary infection. And if the result is positive, one should go to the urologist or gynecologist to confirm the diagnosis, with a laboratory examination that is more specific identifying the bacteria present in the urine and thus initiate the most appropriate treatment, which normally includes the use of antibiotics.
This home-made test is quick and simple, and the detected urine changes help confirm suspected urinary tract infection to begin treatment soon, avoiding complications, especially for people suffering from many urinary tract infections. Therefore, be aware of the symptoms that may indicate a urinary tract infection in: Symptoms of urinary tract infection.
How to take the urine from a pharmacy
To perform the urine test with a reagent strip, it is necessary to:
- Make a small amount of urine in a clean container, such as a plastic cup;
- Wet a strip in the urine that is in the cup for about 1 second and remove it soon thereafter;
- Place the strip which is moistened with urine on the beaker or on a clean paper and wait for about 2 minutes to read the results;
- Compare the colors that appear on the strip with those that appear on the test package.
However, before carrying out the home urine test, it is important to read the instructions on the packaging, as indications may vary with the brand of the test purchased, especially the time to wait until reading the results.
In addition, it is important to wash the intimate region with water and reject the first jet of urine and only then collect the remaining urine into the container, which in the end should be thrown in the trash.
Understanding test results
The packaging of the urinalysis has squares with several colors that identify some elements that can appear in the urine like blood for example and in case of a urinary infection some of these components change color in relation to the standard color.
When you have a urinary infection, it is normal for the square corresponding to leukocytes, nitrites, blood and ph to be different from the standard color, but it does not mean that there is change in all items at the same time. In addition, the stronger the color, the more serious the infection.
However, if the color change appears only on the sides of the squares or the reading is done after the indicated time, which is usually more than 2 minutes, the results may be altered and therefore not reliable.
What to do if the results have changed
In case it is found that the color of these items is stronger, one should go to the doctor to confirm the infection, which is done through a laboratory urine examination. Read more in: Urine Examination.
In case of confirming the infection the doctor indicates that the treatment, which in most cases is carried out with the use of antibiotics such as Sulfamethoxazole and Trimetropim, in addition to drinking a lot of water throughout the day.
Here's how to fight urinary tract infection naturally in the following video:
Learn more about urinary infection in:
- Treatment for urinary tract infection.
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