Hospitals and clinics perform urine tests on individuals to arrive at a proper diagnosis of some diseases. The urine specific gravity range helps doctors to identify the amount of chemical particles that may be present in the urine. It also helps check the water balance and concentration of the urine.
What Is Normal Urine Specific Gravity Range?
- The normal range of specific gravity for human urine is anywhere between 1.003 to 1.030, gauged through the specific gravity test.
- Values that fall outside the normal range may indicate health problems.
- Careful measures must be taken to avoid adulteration or dilution of the specimen. There are certain drugs that can tamper with the chemical particles in the urine.
Urine Specific Gravity Abnormal Results
A low count or abnormal levels in the urine specific gravity can point to a few health conditions affecting certain organs.
- Reduced specific gravity is an abnormal reading of the urine specimen that can determine excess fluid intake, renal failure, some types of diabetes and certain renal diseases.
- If there is raised specific gravity, the body may be suffering from diarrhea, profuse sweating, dehydration, glucosuria, nephrosis, heart ailments, congestive cardiac failure or liver diseases.
- Chronic renal disorders are indicated by constant specific gravity.
- Other diseases that can be diagnosed from urine specific gravity test include Addison’s disease, renal tubular necrosis and Aldosteronism.
Specific Gravity Testing Of Urine
- The test can be conducted through the help of clean-catch-urine procedure, where the urine sample is collected through a sanitized container.
- The second part of the urine stream is used as specimen, not the first part.
- Low-cost instruments are utilized for the specific gravity test, leading to quick and effective results.
- Patients should not be concerned of any pain from the specific gravity test as it only involves urination to obtain the specimen.
There are a few factors that may compromise the accuracy of the results of the specific gravity test of the urine.
- Certain medications can make the urine appear more or less concentrated.
- Diagnostic tests like medical imaging studies or X-rays can alter the results because of the hyperactivity of the kidneys.
- Patients who have undergone recent surgery are also not advised for urine specific gravity tests because of unreliable results.
- A normal balanced diet should be consumed several days beforehand.