Urine pH

After you provide a urine sample, it can be 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.

Urine pH is strongly affected by what you eat. Diets heavy in meat tend to make urine more acidic, while vegetarian diets tend to make it more alkaline. Because of this, a single urine pH on its own often gives little useful information and is most helpful when looked at along with other tests.

The normal values range from pH 4.6 to 8.0. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories.

An abnormally high urine pH level (alkaline urine) may be due to conditions such as gastric suctioning, kidney failure, renal tubular acidosis, urinary tract infection, or vomiting. A urine pH above 8 can be a clue to infection with certain bacteria (such as Proteus) that break down urea.

An abnormally low urine pH level (acidic urine) may be due to diabetic ketoacidosis, diarrhea, or starvation.