Urine pH test

After you provide a urine sample, it is tested right away. The health care provider uses a dipstick made with a color-sensitive pad. The color on the dipstick tells the provider the level of acid in your urine.

Your provider may tell you to stop taking certain medicines that can affect the results of the test. These may include: Acetazolamide Ammonium chloride Methenamine mandelate Potassium citrate Sodium bicarbonate Thiazide diuretic DO NOT stop taking any medicine before talking to your provider. Eat a normal, balanced…

The test involves only normal urination. There is no discomfort.

Your provider may order this test to check for changes in your urine acid levels. It may be done to see if you: Are at risk of kidney stones . Different types of stones can form depending on how acidic your urine is. Have a metabolic condition, such as renal tubular acidosis. Need to take certain medicines to treat…

The normal values range from pH 4.6 to 8.0. The examples above are common measurements for results of these tests. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.

A high urine pH may be due to: Kidneys that do not properly remove acids from the bloodstream (renal tubular acidosis) Kidney failure Stomach pumping (gastric suction to remove fluid from the stomach) Urinary tract infection Vomiting A low urine pH may be due to: Diabetic ketoacidosis Diarrhea Too much acid in the…

There are no risks with this test.

Bushinsky DA. Kidney stones. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology . 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 32. Hamm LL, DuBose TD. Disorders of acid-base balance. In: Yu ASL, Chertow GM, Luyckx VA, Marsden PA, Skorecki K, Taal MW, eds. Brenner and…