What Does Diabetic Urine Look Like

What Causes The Symptoms Of Type 1 Diabetes

All type 1 diabetes symptoms are caused by that lack of insulin. You see, insulin usually acts like a gatekeeper: it takes the glucose that your body converts from carbohydrates in your food and opens your cells so that it can enter them. Once allowed inside, the glucose can then be used by your cells as fuel.

If theres not sufficient insulin to open the gate and let the glucose in, it becomes blocked out of your cells and stays trapped in your bloodstream, causing your blood sugar to rise.

When you first develop type 1 diabetes, there may be some residual insulin remaining in your cells. This is why glucose levels can sometimes hover close enough to normal to go undetected until that initial supply is depleted.

Over time, as the insulin in your body is sapped with no new supply being produced to replace it, symptoms begin to appear and accelerate. When you reach a point where theres no insulin and too much accumulated glucose in your bloodstream, type 1 diabetes symptoms develop rapidly and have to be addressed immediately.

It’s important to note that a little bit of glucose in our blood is normal, says Ilana Halperin MD, a physician and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. Our blood sugar starts to rise when we consume carbohydrates after a meal, and then as the insulin moves the glucose into our cells, our blood sugar levels dip back down.

The Color Of Your Urine

Different medications, foods, illnesses , and other factors can affect the color of your urine. The color of your urine can give you important clues as to whats going on inside your body. There are other properties of urine that can make it easier for doctors and medical providers to determine whats going on inside. Our urine is the end result of all the metabolic processes that go on in our bodies, so it provides a valuable diagnostic source.

The amount of fluid in the body affects the color of urine. The more dehydrated the person is, the darker the urine can look. The more hydrated that the person is, the lighter in color that it may appear.

What does normal urine look like?

The normal look of urine ranges from pale yellow and clear, to a darker yellow. When red blood cells are destroyed, they breakdown into urobilin, which is a waste product from these cells. These waste products form a pigment, urochrome, which gives normal urine the characteristic yellowish color.

Hydration vs. dehydration

When urine barely has a yellow color, a person may be too hydrated. Urine that is basically colorless during a urine drug screen indicates an attempt to overhydrate, and cover up the presence of illegal drugs. Conversely, when urine has a dark yellow, or amber color, the person is likely dehydrated. In a person who takes diuretics, such as Lasix, the urine may also be pale in color.

You’re Extremely Hungry Even After Eating

Extreme hunger, especially after a meal, has to do withhow the body processes food. In a healthy person, the body converts the glucose in food into energy. 

Since this process is facilitated by insulin, in the body of someone with diabetes, there eitherisn’t enough insulin available to fuel this process or the body’s cells have become resistant to insulin.

This can make the person with diabetes feel tired and hungry, even though they’ve just consumed a meal.

How Is A Di Diagnosis Confirmed

If a person is experiencing extreme thirst or excessive urination, then a full medical workup will generally be ordered. After the initial interview and a physical examination, blood and urine tests will typically be ordered. For women, a pregnancy test may also be ordered if of child-bearing age. Depending on the results, the underlying condition will be treated or medications to control bothersome symptoms may be ordered.

In severe cases, an IV solution may also be ordered to help replenish missing fluids. Sometimes persistent dehydration can mimic the signs and symptoms of diabetes insipidus, so a doctor suspecting this issue may re-examine a patient after fluid absorption has improved.

When the signs and symptoms of diabetes insipidus are bothersome, however, there are medical options available for treatment. The treatment plan is to control the feelings of excessive thirst while working to treat any underlying condition that may exist.

Types Of Diabetes Insipidus

• Central diabetes insipidus. You get this when damage to your hypothalamus or pituitary gland affects how your body makes or puts out vasopressin. Your kidneys remove too much fluid from your body, and you pee more. This damage can result from:
• A tumor
• Inflammation
• Surgery

What Does Diabetic Urine Smell Like

If you have diabetes, you may notice your pee smells sweet or fruity. This is because the body is trying to get rid of the excess blood sugar and is disposing of glucose through your urine. For people who havent been diagnosed with diabetes, this symptom can be one of the first signs they have the disease.

If Your Urine Smells Like Ammonia

You may be dehydrated.

Urine is mostly made up of water, with the addition of waste products like urea. If you have foul-smelling or pungent urine that has a strong ammonia scent, then it’s likely you’re dehydrated, leading to more concentrated urine.

Where doctors worry is when you have additional symptoms. For instance, an ammonia smell to your urine along with burning, pain with urination and fever may point to a urinary tract infection , Dr. Agarwal says.

Fix it: Drinking more water will dilute your urine, which will tame the smell. You’ll know you’re properly hydrated if your pee is somewhere between clear and a light yellow color, per the Cleveland Clinic.

If you have additional symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor.

What Do The Results Mean

Glucose is not normally found in urine. If results show glucose, it may be a sign of:

• Diabetes
• Pregnancy. As many half of all pregnant women have some glucose in their urine during pregnancy. Too much glucose may indicate gestational diabetes.

Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.

What Is Sugar In Urine

Sugar is usually present in the urine at very low levels or not at all. Abnormally high amounts of sugar in the urine, known as glycosuria, are usually the result of high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar usually occurs in diabetes, especially when untreated.

Normally, when blood is filtered in the kidneys, some sugar remains in the fluid that will later become urine. If the level of blood sugar is low, as is normally the case, the body can reabsorb the sugar from this fluid before it leaves the kidney to be excreted as urine. When the blood sugar is high, there is too much sugar in the fluid leaving the kidney to be reabsorbed, so some sugar passes into the urine.

Sugar in the urine can be detected in the laboratory or is easy to detect at home with a urine dipstick test. Because sugar in the urine is associated with high blood sugar and , it is important to consult a physician if you suspect you have sugar in your urine. Sugar in the urine is often accompanied by other symptoms of diabetes, including , unexplained weight loss, excessive or hunger, and frequent urination.

Seek immediate medical care if you have sugar in the urine along with more serious symptoms, including the inability to think clearly.

Seek prompt medical care if your sugar in the urine is persistent or causes you concern.

What Increases The Risk Of Developing Diabetic Kidney Disease

All people with diabetes have a risk of developing diabetic kidney disease. However, a large research trial showed that there are certain factors that increase the risk of developing this condition. These are:

• A poor control of your blood sugar levels.
• The length of time you have had diabetes.
• The more overweight you become.
• Having high blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk.
• If you are male.

This means that having a good control of your blood glucose level, keeping your weight in check and treating high blood pressure will reduce your risk of developing diabetic kidney disease.

If you have early diabetic kidney disease , the risk that the disease will become worse is increased with:

• The poorer the control of blood sugar levels. The greater your HbA1c level, the greater your risk.
• Having high blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk.
• Smoking.

Uncontrolled Diabetes May Trigger Unexpected Weight Loss

In type 2 diabetes, the bodys cells don’t get enough glucose for energy. As a result, the body can turn to breaking down its fat stores for energy, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Severe, unintended weight loss is most common when the type 2 diabetes goes undetected for a long time, according to research.

Increased urination can also contribute to weight loss. For example, if you are urinating high levels of glucose because of uncontrolled diabetes, you are literally flushing calories down the toilet, says Daniel Einhorn, MD, the medical director of the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California in San Diego. Dehydration involves a significant loss of water weight.

Polyuria As A Symptom Of Diabetes

As well as being one of the symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes, polyuria can also occur in people with diagnosed diabetes if blood glucose levels have risen too high.

If blood glucose levels become too high, the body will try to remedy the situation by removing glucose from the blood through the kidneys. When this happens, the kidneys will also filter out more water and you will need to urinate more than usual as a result.

If you are frequently experiencing an increased need to urinate, it could be a sign that your sugar levels are too high. If you have access to blood glucose testing strips, you may wish to test your sugar levels if you are urinating more often than normal.

If you have diabetes but dont have blood glucose testing supplies, you may wish to note down how often you are urinating and discuss this with your health team.

Your health team should be able to advise whether the problem may be related to diabetes and any remedial action you can take.

Signs & Symptoms Of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis usually don’t start all at once they usually come on slowly over several hours. Signs and symptoms include:

• fatigue
• excessive thirst/urination
• dry mouth and dehydration

These symptoms are caused by the sustained hyperglycemia that typically happens before someone develops diabetic ketoacidosis.

If the person isn’t treated, these symptoms can happen:

• abdominal pain
• unconsciousness

Chronic Kidney Disease Caused By Diabetes

Over time, diabetes puts stress on the kidneys, which can lead to chronic kidney disease. People with kidney disease may have protein in your urine. The presence of proteins in your urine may result in a cloudy appearance.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, about 30 percent of people with type 1 diabetes and between 10 and 40 percent of people with type 2 diabetes will eventually experience kidney failure.

If Your Pee Smells Fishy

You might have an infection.

Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease that can affect people of any sex. People assigned male at birth often have no symptoms, but those assigned female can have a fishy-smelling vaginal discharge. While discharge is distinctly different than urine, that may be the scent you’re smelling when in the bathroom.

Along with the odor, discharge may be greenish-yellow, and you may experience vaginal irritation, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fix it: This infection is cured with a single dose of antibiotics.

What Is The Treatment For Diabetic Kidney Disease

Treatments that may be advised are discussed below. Treatments aim to:

• Prevent or delay the disease progressing to kidney failure. In particular, if you have early diabetic kidney disease it does not always progress to the proteinuria phase of the disease.
• Reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

Excessive Urination Is Also A Common Symptom

When people consume more fluids, then there will generally be more urine that is created. For those with DI, there is a constant need to consume fluids because of the feelings of dehydration. Depending on how much a person is actually drinking to replace the fluids that are being pulled out of the body, a lot of diluted urine can be produced as a result.

In mild cases of DI, a person may have a urine output that is equal to about 2 liters per day. Thats actually within the normal range of the general population, which is 1.5-2.5 liters of urine per day.

With severe cases of diabetes insipidus, however, a person may find themselves producing about 20 liters of urine every day when they are drinking replacement fluids every time they are thirsty. Thats enough urine to fill a 5 gallon bucket to overflowing every day.

Because of this need to constantly urinate, people with DI will typically wake up several times per night with an urgent need to use the bathroom. They may also find themselves frequently visiting the toilet with a full, painful bladder throughout the day.

You Get Frequent Infections

Frequent infections are a sneaky sign that you may be at risk for diabetes. According to Diabetes Daily, people with diabeteshave a harder time fighting off infections because high blood sugar levels can slow the healing process.

People with diabetes are more likely to get infections of the bladder, vagina, feet, kidneys, skin, and gums.

If you notice that you’re constantly coming down with some sort of infection or your small cuts and scrapes aren’t healing as quickly as they once did, talk to your doctor.

Preventing Dka By Controlling Blood Pressure

Preventing high blood pressure, which often goes together with diabetes and also with kidney disease; should be controlled with diet, activity, a low salt diet, and medications if needed. You want to keep your blood pressure under 140 systolic/90 diastolic, but some providers will want you to keep it below 130/80.

Preventing DKA by controlling cholesterol

High cholesterol, which also goes together with diabetes and kidney disease, can also be controlled with a heart healthy diet, activity, and medications if needed. If left unchecked, high cholesterol can cause plaques to be deposited in the arteries and veins near and in the kidneys. This can cause problems in the functioning of the kidneys. You will want to keep your total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL, your LDL under 100 mg/dL, your HDL greater than 50 mg/dL, and triglycerides less than 150 mg/dL.

Preventing your DKA by keeping your A1C and blood sugar in target

Of course, the main way to prevent DKA is to self-manage your diabetes well. Keep your , and your blood sugars in their target ranges. If you are not sure what your target ranges are, read our article here. This will help to protect your kidneys, along with controlling your blood pressure, cholesterol, and keeping check-up appointments with your doctor for needed renal function tests.

Can A Patient With Diabetes Have A Kidney Transplant

Yes. Once you get a new kidney, you may need a higher dose of insulin. Your appetite will improve so your new kidney will break down insulin better than your injured one. You will use steroids to keep your body from rejecting your new kidney. If your new kidney fails, dialysis treatment can be started while you wait for another kidney. To learn more about kidney transplant .

What Normal Urine Looks Like

Normal urine is clear with a slight tint of yellow, often referred to as “straw-colored.” How much yellow color is present fluctuates with the amount of water in the body. A person who is well hydrated and drinks six to eight glasses of water per day typically has light-yellow urine. A person who drinks less water than they should may have a darker yellow urine. As the body holds water, urine becomes more yellow or concentrated.

A normal individual may use the bathroom six or more times a day, depending on how much water they drink during the course of the day. More water intake usually means more trips to the bathroom.

There are many reasons the color of the urine may change, or the odor associated with urination may be different than what is typical. Many causes of a change in urine color are common and not indicative of anything serious, although it can be shocking to see strangely colored urine if you do not expect it.

What Are Severe Complications Of Type 1 Diabetes

Nerve damage. High blood-sugar levels over a long period of time can actually cause your blood to thicken. When this happens, the  blood has a harder time moving through your blood vessels and restricts the amount of oxygen and nutrients that can be supplied to your nerves. If left untreated, this can lead to a complication called neuropathy, or nerve damage. Nerve damage, in turn, can cause certain areas of your body to permanently lose sensation. It most commonly affects hands and feet.

Kidney damage. Thickened blood is harder to move through your body and can damage the delicate vessels inside of your kidneys. Over time, the blood vessels in your kidneys can narrow and clog, limiting their function. Because high blood sugar can damage nerves as well, people with type 1 diabetes may not be able to feel nerve signals when their bladder is full. An overfull bladder puts pressure on the kidneys and can damage them even further.

Remember, all of these symptoms and complications can be prevented if you work with your endocrinologist on a blood sugar management plan and system that works for you. Every symptom on this list can absolutely be stopped before it progresses. There is no reason a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes has to lead to anything other than an advanced awareness and understanding of how your body reacts to sugar and what to do to keep it in check when things start to get out of whack.

You’re Constantly Running To The Bathroom Especially At Night

According to the UK’s National Health Service,peeing more than usual can be a sign that you’re developing type 2 diabetes.

This frequent urination can be especially noticeable at night if you find yourself waking up multiple times in order to use the bathroom.

As frequent urination can be caused by a number of different things, including urinary tract infections and pregnancy, it’s important to talk to your doctor in order to rule out other conditions.

Type 2 Diabetes: Dr Mosley Gives His Dietary Tips

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Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition whereby your pancreas stops producing enough insulin or your body becomes resistant to the hormone. Insulin regulates blood sugar, the main sugar that is found in your blood and is also absorbed by eating food. The breakdown presents a real threat when high blood sugar levels start interfering with your bodily functions.

Why Does My Pee Smell Funny

If your pee smells unusual, there may be several reasons. Vitamins can change the smell of urine, and so can pharmaceuticals. Certain foods are infamous for making pee smell stronger, such as asparagus, Brussels sprouts, garlic, coffee, and foods with lots of vitamin B-6 such as bananas and salmon. Also, if you aren’t drinking enough water your pee can smell stronger than usual.

Serious health problems can also affect the smell of urine. Infections in the bladder or kidneys, diabetes, and liver failure can all influence the smell. These problems leave a persistent smell, so if your urine changes odor and it stays that way no matter what you eat, tell your doctor.

Causes Of High Blood Sugar Levels

A major goal in controlling diabetes is to keep blood sugar levels as close to the desired range as possible. It’s a three-way balancing act of:

All of these need to be balanced to keep blood sugar levels under control. If any one is off, blood sugar levels can be, too.

In general, problems controlling blood sugar levels are due to one or more of the following:

• not getting enough insulin or other diabetes medicine
• not following the meal plan
• not getting enough exercise
• use of certain medicines that can raise blood sugar, like steroids used to treat inflammation

What Does It Mean If Your Urine Looks Like Lemonade

If it is the color of apple juice, you are dehydrated and need to drink more. If it is the color of pale lemonade or clear, you are well hydrated. This is a spectrum of colors. If your urine is on the dark end of the spectrum not necessarily apple juice dark, but a darker color you need to drink more.

Diabetes & Urine A Strange Yet Important Relation

It has long been practices that the urine color, consistency, and smell has been a benchmark for seeking the status of diabetes within the patients body. Up until the recent development of sophisticated machines that help gauge blood glucose levels, urine helped in finding the answers that one sought. But nonetheless, urine still hasnt lost its place in todays time of medical practices.

Whats The Difference Between Signs Vs Symptoms Of Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes symptoms are experienced by a person with diabetes, but signs of type 1 diabetes can also be noted by friends and family even if the person who is having the symptoms may not notice them or may be unable to communicate because they are in the throes of diabetic ketoacidosis. Common signs of T1D to watch out for include:

• Weight loss, despite eating more
• Changes to menstruation
• Rapid heart rate
• Reduced blood pressure
• Low body temperature
• Acting or seeming drunk while sober, which is a sign of diabetic ketoacidosis
• Breath that is fruity or smells like nail polish remover which is another sign of ketosis
• Chronic skin infections

What Will Happen If My Kidneys Have Been Damaged

First, the doctor needs to find out if your diabetes has caused the injury. Other diseases can cause kidney damage. Your kidneys will work better and last longer if you:

• Control your diabetes
• Get treatment for urinary tract infections
• Correct any problems in your urinary system
• Avoid any medicines that may damage the kidneys

If no other problems are found, your doctor will try to keep your kidneys working as long as possible. The use of high blood pressure medicines called angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors has been shown to help slow the loss of kidney function.

What Does Your Pee Say About Your Health

It’s such a common thing you may not think much about it. But every time you pee, your body is doing some pretty amazing things. Do you know why you pee? And do you know what your urine is made of?

Why We Pee

At the microscopic level, your body is constantly working to keep you healthy, even while you sleep. Complex chemical processes take place throughout the body, including the breakdown of proteins known as amino acids. When your body breaks down amino acids, ammonia is left over as waste. That’s not something you want in your body for longammonia is toxic to human cells.

Since ammonia is toxic to your body, you need a way to remove it. That happens partly in the liver, where the ammonia is broken down into the less-toxic chemical, urea. Urea then combines with water and gets flushed into your bladder through the kidneys as urine, protecting your body from its own chemical processes.

What Is Urine Made of?

In the simplest terms, urine is about 95% water and 5% urea and other solids. But urine is much more complex than this simple formula suggests. Urine contains five to 10 times the number of chemical compounds found in other common body fluids like salivamore than 3,000 different chemical compounds in total. Your pee contains the remnants of the various foods you eat, as well as drug byproducts, bacterial waste, cosmetics, and chemicals found in your environment.

Why Study Urine?