Evaluation
Urine test strips are available in various designs that detect different substances in urine. An increased number of white (leukocytes) and red (erythrocytes) blood cells is an indication of an inflammation of the bladder or renal pelvis. An elevated concentration of nitrite indicates a bacterial urinary tract infection and sugar (glucose) in the urine can give first indications of diabetes mellitus. In addition, protein shows that kidney disease may be present and changes in the pH value allow conclusions to be drawn about an infection of the urinary tract or diabetes mellitus.
Are there any risks with the test?
In principle, there are no risks involved in performing the rapid test at home. Although the rapid test can provide helpful information about existing illnesses, it does not replace going to the doctor and a professional urine test. In addition, test results can be falsified if the patient brings the urine sample taken at home to the doctor.
In the meantime, bacteria can accumulate in the urine beaker and thus provide false results. In addition, taking certain drugs or the woman’s menstrual bleeding can lead to false results. For the therapy of the bladder inflammation the editorship recommends the following article: Therapy of a cystitis
Duration until result
The urine test result is usually visible on the test strip for 30 to 60 seconds. After this time, the strip can be compared with the color chart on the back of the packaging.
Costs
The cost of a rapid test for cystitis varies between different manufacturers. The costs are between 3 and 20 Euro.
