What Causes Diluted Urine in Drug Tests?
Drug tests are used to detect illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and others. They have been developed to detect these substances in your body. These tests are usually done using a urine specimen collected from you after taking them or ingesting them. However, if the drug test is not accurate enough then it may falsely indicate that you have taken a certain substance when you haven’t!
So what causes diluted urine?
The most common cause of diluted urine is dehydration. You drink too much water during the day and urinate too little at night. If you don’t get enough sleep, your urine concentration will decrease over time due to decreased blood flow to your kidneys. Water is essential for life, but it’s especially vital for humans because it helps us maintain our internal temperature. When we consume too much water, our bodies lose its ability to regulate our body temperature. If you’re a hot person, you’ll feel thirsty all the time; if you’re cold, you won’t. Your body will eventually suffer from hypothermia and die of dehydration.
Another reason why your urine concentration decreases over time is because of changes in the composition of your bodily fluids (blood). Dehydration can lead to kidney stones, a condition where concentrated minerals harden in the kidney and block the flow of urine. If you consume large amounts of water without replenishing your body’s minerals, your body will excrete its fluids and expel the substances it doesn’t need, like magnesium and potassium.
Your body won’t be able to maintain its fluid volume without these important minerals.
Dehydration can cause serious illness or even death in extreme cases. It can also alter the concentration of your urine, causing it to be too diluted.
How much water should I drink?
Most adults need to drink around 2.5 liters of fluid every day. This includes water, milk, coffee, and juices. Your doctor or dietitian can help you determine how much water you should drink on a daily basis. Remember that drinking too much water can be just as harmful as drinking too little!
How can I tell if my pee has too much water in it?
Urine is supposed to be almost colorless (like water) and have a light scent. However, as the concentration of water increases or decreases in your urine, the color and scent will vary as well. For example, extremely diluted urine has almost no scent or is even a bit yellowish in color.
There are many factors that may lead to diluted urine, like:
Drinking too much water
Drinking alcohol
Excessive sweating
Diarrhea or vomiting
If you experience any of the above symptoms, you should drink more water to avoid dehydration. If you don’t feel any better or if the problem persists, see your doctor immediately.
How can I fix my diluted urine?
If your urine is too diluted, there are a few ways that you can fix this at home. These methods include:
Increase the amount of water you drink throughout the day. Be careful not to overdo it, as this can lead to water intoxication! Your body can only absorb a certain amount of water at a time.
If you drink too much, your blood will become diluted and you can suffer from hyponatremia.
Add a pinch of salt to one liter of water. This helps replenish your electrolytes and prevents water retention.
Drink more citrus fruits or juices. These foods are rich in Vitamin C, which helps your body produce more concentrated urine.
Eat more asparagus. This veggie is a natural diuretic and can help you get rid of excess water in your body.
Drink beer. It’s true! The alcohol content in beer helps your body excrete water faster than it would without it.
Note: If the color and scent of your urine are still very diluted, despite applying one of these methods, you should see your doctor right away. If left untreated, this condition can cause several medical problems.
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Sources & references used in this article:
Evaluating the impact of hemp food consumption on workplace drug tests by G Leson, P Pless, F Grotenhermen… – Journal of analytical …, 2001 – academic.oup.com
Drug testing of adolescents in ambulatory medicine: physician practices and knowledge by S Levy, SK Harris, L Sherritt, M Angulo… – … & adolescent medicine, 2006 – jamanetwork.com
Urinary stones: Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of recurrence by A Hesse – 2009 – books.google.com
