What increases the pH value in urine?
There are several reasons for an increased pH value. In case of a cystitis or a urinary tract infection of the lower urinary tract, the laboratory values change. Frequently, white blood cells, blood and elevated nitrite levels in the urine are found.
In most cases, an infection shows a clearly too high pH value (alkaline pH). A pH value of >7.0 in the urine can be an indication of a urinary tract infection. If the pH value in the urine is very alkaline, there is a risk of “infection stone formation”.
In this case, urinary stones are formed due to the changed conditions during the infection. In addition, the pH value in the urine increases, in some cases significantly, depending on the diet. With a diet that is largely vegetarian and rich in vegetables, the pH value in the urine usually becomes higher, i.e. alkaline (alkaline).
The pH value in the urine also increases after meals. In addition, the pH value of a urine sample also increases if the urine sample is left standing around at room temperature for too long. The pH measurement of the urine must therefore be carried out either immediately after urination or during urination using a test strip.
What lowers the pH value in urine?
If the pH value in the urine is too low, this is called acidosis or acidotic urine. If you eat a diet rich in meat, the pH value in the urine drops. The pH-value also drops during fasting and becomes increasingly acidic.
At night the pH-value in the urine also sinks, but this is one of the natural fluctuations in urine. An overacidification of the urine can be caused by certain diseases. In the metabolic disease gout, a great deal of uric acid is formed.
The pH value in the urine becomes lower (acidic) due to the increased acid excretion. A urine pH value <6.0 is called “acid rigidity of the urine”. This promotes the crystallization of uric acid and calcium oxalate into small crystals in the urine.
Metabolic and respiratory acidosis are disorders of the acid-base balance that are associated with hyperacidity. The pH-value in the urine drops in the process. In the case of an infection that occurs with a high fever, the pH value in the urine can also become too low.
Fever causes the body to produce more acid, which is excreted via the kidneys. A too low pH value can be an indication of acid-base balance disorders, infections or metabolic diseases such as gout. In addition, there are also nutrition-related changes in the pH value and fluctuations in the course of the day. In a diet with a lot of meat, the pH values in the urine are lower (acidic). The pH value of the urine is also naturally in an acidic environment at night.
