Urinalysis »
What is a urinalysis?
A urinalysis is simply an analysis of the urine. It is a very common test that can be performed in many healthcare settings including doctors' offices, urgent care facilities, laboratories, and hospitals.
It is performed by collecting a urine sample from the patient in a specimen cup.
Usually only small amounts (30-60 ml's) may be required for urinalysis testing.
The sample can be either analyzed in the medical clinic or sent to a laboratory
to perform the tests. Urinalysis is abbreviated UA.
Urine can be evaluated by its physical appearance (color, cloudiness, odor,
clarity), or macroscopic analysis. It can be also analyzed based on its chemical
and molecular properties or microscopic assessment.
Urinalysis is ordered by doctors for a number of reasons, as follows:
- Routine medical evaluation: general yearly screening, assessment before
surgery (pre-operative assessment), admission to h...
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I began my experience with interstitial cystitis with awful and extreme pain in my lower pelvic area. The pain became so bad that I could not do any simple household chores or complete sentences. I was first sent to my urologist where a cystoscopy was performed. Then I was put on medications including, Hydroxyzine, Elmiron, Levsin SL and Flexeril. This slightly relieved my pain but not enough to make me feel I was still among the living. I then was sent to a pain specialist where they went over my test results and spoke to many of my doctors. I have had Crohn's disease, chronic fatigue, osteoarthritis and thyroid disease for many years. I was told that this interstitial cystitis was part of an auto-immune disease grouping that many people get. It's as if your body is attacking itself, thinking good cells and tissue are bad and trying to destroy them. But of course, there are no bad cells or tissues, and my good tissues are being destroyed in this process. I would greatly urge anyone with this to be seen by as many doctors as possible for the ultimate in medication coverage. Then one must see a pain specialist to be given the most amount of pain relief medication possible without making a zombie out of you. With these things being done you will not be cured, but you will be able to “live” a better, more enjoyable life.
Related Reading: interstitial cystitis | Hydroxyzine | Crohn's disease