Every time you urinate, it is a habit for many people to observe the situation of their urine. Discovering yellow urine, foamy urine, frequent urination, and for some men, finding that they cannot urinate far or experiencing split urine stream, all lead to thoughts about whether there may be an issue with their kidneys. Below, we will discuss this in detail through a few case studies.
Case 1: Mr. Liu, 32 years old, is a programmer at a technology company. Two years after getting married, he noticed split urine stream and inability to urinate far. In his understanding, split urine stream is something that only middle-aged men experience, and not being able to urinate far did not align with his youthful vigor. He was deeply troubled and suspected that he might have kidney deficiency or other kidney problems. After going to the hospital for an examination, it was found that he had urethral stones, possibly related to factors such as prolonged sitting and insufficient water intake.
Doctor’s analysis:
(1) Why can’t he urinate far? The distance a man can urinate is not related to kidney qi. Rather, it is determined by the bladder’s ability to contract and whether the urethra is unobstructed. Therefore, the inability to urinate far may be due to issues related to the urethra and bladder contraction, not insufficient kidney qi.
(2) Causes of split urine stream: Many people think that after the age of 40, men’s physiological functions decline, leading to a split urine stream. However, in reality, under normal circumstances, even healthy individuals may experience a split urine stream, such as after drinking alcohol, urinating in the morning, or after sexual activity, and it usually returns to normal shortly. If conditions like prostate enlargement, urethral stones, urethral trauma, increased urinary obstruction, or spinal disc protrusion compressing the spinal cord causing insufficient urinary force are present, a split urine stream may occur. Therefore, when experiencing a split urine stream that persists, it is advisable to promptly seek medical attention to rule out certain disease factors.
Case 2: Ms. Li, 22 years old, is a young office worker who recently started her career. Less than a year into her job, she noticed frequent urination, yellowish urine, and occasional foamy urine. After researching online and self-diagnosing with various conditions like diabetes and kidney dysfunction, she went to the hospital for an examination, only to find that her kidneys were fine, and the abnormal urination was due to a urinary tract infection.
Doctor’s analysis:
Frequent urination is indeed a major symptom of diabetes. However, besides diabetes, conditions such as urinary system infections or female reproductive system diseases can also cause symptoms of frequent urination. Therefore, if frequent urination persists, it is essential to promptly seek medical attention and actively cooperate with treatment.
There are various reasons for yellow urine, which could be due to factors like excessive sweating, inadequate water intake, physiological reasons, or drug-induced factors from consuming vitamin B supplements, or herbal medicines containing rhubarb. If, in addition to yellow urine, symptoms such as yellowish complexion, discomfort in the upper abdomen, and easy fatigue occur, it could indicate abnormal liver or gallbladder function, and early medical evaluation is recommended.
Why does foamy urine appear? In diabetic patients, foamy urine results from metabolic abnormalities leading to a higher concentration of proteins and sugars in the urine. For kidney disease patients, foamy urine is due to increased permeability of the glomeruli causing elevated urine protein levels. However, even in healthy individuals, foamy urine can occasionally occur due to factors like consuming high-protein foods, sweets, holding urine for too long, etc. In these cases, the foam in the urine mostly dissipates, the urine itself remains clear, and by drinking adequate water, urinating more frequently, the symptoms will alleviate or disappear.
