As you might have guessed, an electrolytes - urine test, effectively measures urine electrolytes. Let us take a closer look at the electrolytes which are measured in this particular test. Now these essentially are minerals that you will find present in your body.
Examples of such minerals include important ones for your body's functioning such as calcium and sodium. You will find plenty of other electrolytes in your body such as magnesium and potassium. These have a very important role to play and it is therefore recommended to consume foods rich in various minerals and other nutrients.
Electrolytes in urine are evaluated because of the important role they play. It is important to have a certain amount of the various electrolytes since these maintain one's body's natural balance of various fluids. They ensure that this balance does not fluctuate greatly from the needed level. Furthermore, even typical functions like one's essential brain function or movements like muscle contraction are dependent on the balance of electrolytes. Another basic function that needs these electrolytes is the heart rhythm.
Thus an imbalance in these essential electrolytes could cause a range of different and very serious problems. For instance, the person might experience muscle weakness, while another more serious possibility is irregular heartbeat. Seizures have also been linked to such imbalances, as have plenty of health problems. Thus, it becomes important to test for the level of different electrolytes and you might have specific tests such as ones for chlorine or for potassium. Thus, such electrolyte tests could be prescribed if one is thought to have nutritional problems or if there is a serious loss of essential nutrients. For instance, in the case of severe vomiting, one's electrolyte balance could be greatly disturbed.
Since this test involves checking urine for electrolytes you would need to provide a urine sample. It would be best to check with the doctor or the particular clinic for further preparation requirements.
To check the urine for various electrolytes the laboratory will probably ask you to give them a specific sample of your urine. You can talk to your doctor about normal values for interpreting the urine electrolytes test. This is because normal ranges for various electrolytes would differ. Remember that a number of things, such as endocrine problems, bone disorders, chronic kidney diseases and even something like eating disorders could ultimately impact the balance of your body's electrolytes.