The presence of proteins in your urine and where your results fall in the above ranges aren’t the only considerations for kidney disease.

Trace amounts of protein in your urine aren’t usually a cause for concern. Protein can enter your urine for several reasons, and not all are a sign of a serious health problem. Not reading the results at the correct time. The results of the pH test are ready in 1 minute. Try to read at exactly 1-minute mark. Kidney function tests are conducted by a primary care doctor at your annual physical exam and sometimes more often if you’re considered at high risk for kidney disease. Since the reagent strips are semi-quantitative, you may not always find an exact color match. In general, the clinical practice is to choose the closest color match to find the results. Also, it is essential to appreciate that certain drugs/medications, vitamins, and dietary choices can alter urine parameters (mostly acutely). For example, consuming highly pigmented foods (e.g., beetroot) may temporarily change urine color. Or consuming a lot of Vitamin C can impact the integrity of reagents. No, each parameter on the test strip has a different normal color. You should not compare the test strip colors before wetting the strip with urine. The colors of dry pads have no clinical significance.There’s a range of test results that can indicate normal kidney function. Your healthcare provider will discuss the ranges with you and tell you about your specific results. High values might mean that there’s kidney disease or damage. If your test result shows a high level of protein or albumin, it’s likely that your provider will repeat the test. Graff, Laurine (1987). "2". Análisis de orina - Atlas Colour (in Spanish) (1ªed.). Ed. Médica Panamericana. p.59. ISBN 978-950-06-0841-1 . Retrieved 14 March 2012. Kidney disease happens when you have a genetic or acquired disease that causes damage to your kidneys. A kidney infection occurs when bacteria travel from the urethra, through the bladder and ureter, into one or both of your kidneys. You can also have a kidney injury, often caused by sudden illness or certain medications. Specific kidney and urinary tract diseases that can be identified include: chronic kidney disease, glomerulonephritis, proteinuria and haematuria. Leddy J, Green JA, Yule C, Molecavage J, Coresh J, Chang AR. Improving proteinuria screening with mailed smartphone urinalysis testing in previously unscreened patients with hypertension: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Nephrol. 2019;20(1):132. doi:10.1186/s12882-019-1324-z

Colors: These may vary according to your monitor or computer device used, and may not be compatible with all test strip brands. At-home kidney disease tests are considered unreliable by medical professionals. We recommend you consult a doctor for interpretation of test results, confirmation of results, and advice regarding the best ways to manage kidney disease. MethodologyThe presence of blood in the urine is, of all the parameters normally tested, the one that is most closely related with traumatic damage to the kidneys or the genitourinary tract. The most common causes of hematuria are: nephrolithiasis, glomerular disease, tumours, pyelonephritis, exposure to nephrotoxins, and treatment with anticoagulants. Non-pathological hematuria can be observed after strenuous exercise and during menstruation. The normal number of red blood cells in urine should not usually exceed 3 per high power field. [13]