What is urine osmolality?
urine osmolality is measurement of the number of particles dissolved in the urine weight. It is effectively the level of urine concentration and the result of the osmolality test is usually used along with the results of other tests to display a picture of the body's fluid balance and explore changes in the amount of urine produced. Urine osmolality can be used to diagnose conditions such as heart failure, diabetes insipidus and diseases including kidneys. Before the test, the skin is around the opening where the urine leaves the body carefully cleaned to prevent any contamination. The person begins to urinate as normal, then inserts a clean container into the urine stream to collect the sample before the end of the urination. When examining the balance of body fluids, it is also often necessary to test the serum osmolality, which measures the concentration of blood dissolved substances. This test includes a medical expert has drawn a blood sample from a vein.
where the results of the osmolality test showthat osmolality is high, which means that urine is more concentrated, it can be associated with increased or reduced urine production. The greater urine output with high osmolality suggests that something will be washed out of the body. This may happen in a disease known as diabetes mellitus, where excessive amounts of sugar called glucose are removed in the urine. If there is a high osmolality, but low urine, it may mean that a person suffers from dehydration, or that blood supply is reduced into the kidneys, perhaps as a result of congestive heart failure.
Lower than normal measurement of urine osmolality can exist along with reduced urine performance in diseases that affect the kidney ability to produce and concentrate urine. Low osmolality results can also be observed in cases of exaggerated hydration caused by drinking too much water, where large amounts of diluted urine are produced. In rare diseases known as diabetes insipidus, osmolality of urine is usually low.
diabetes insiPidus is caused by problems with hormone known as antidiuretic hormone or ADH, which usually affects the kidneys, causing water to maintain. Without the normal effect of ADH, large amounts of urine are produced, leading to dehydration, thirst and high level of sodium in the blood. Diabetes insipidus has more than one cause and the treatment varies accordingly, but the view is often positive.