People who are into drugs (both regularly or occasionally) fear passing the drug test. They consider the drug test a stressful event as there is no means by which a drug addict or casual drug taker can avoid it. One of the most common ways to detect the presence of drugs or any other illegal components in the body is to conduct a urine drug test.
Also known as the urine drug screen, a urine sample is collected and sent to the lab to analyze the presence of specific drugs and their metabolites. After a drug is introduced into the body, it reacts in the body and forms metabolites. To get an accurate report from the urine drug test, the urine should be devoid of too much water. If the urine contains an excessive amount of water, it leads to diluted urine. This is a clear indication of the urine’s weak concentration. To avoid this issue entirely you can give out a blood drug and alcohol test. Orlando, Florida, and many other cities offer this kind of service.
What causes urine to be diluted?
There are many reasons for which urine gets diluted. Besides someone wanting to come out clean in the urine drug test, diluted urine can occur for the following reasons:
a. Consuming fluids for better health
To stay hydrated, many people drink too much water, which dilutes their urine.
b. Drinking too much water to give a urine sample
Before collecting a urine sample from a urine drug test, some people drink lots of water. They think if a lot of water is not drunk, it will not provide adequate urine, and they might have to repeat the test.
c. Taking diuretics
Some prescription medicines have a diuretic effect that hampers the urine by increasing its production and thereby dilutes the urine. In addition, beverages like coffee and tea are also considered diuretics.
d. Kidney issues
The function of the kidneys is to eliminate the waste products from the body by producing urine. However, if the kidneys do not function properly, too much water may be released into the urine. As a result, the urine gets diluted.
How do testers identify diluted drug tests?
The difference between a normal urine sample and diluted urine is that the latter has lighter color. Besides, the tests refer to a type of measurement known as the validity check to determine whether the urine is diluted. The validity checks include two essential components:
- Urine creatinine
When creatinine, a kind of amino acid produced by the muscles, breaks down in the body, creatinine is formed as a waste product to be eliminated from the body. Here, the kidneys play the vital role of removing creatinine from the body through urine. So, for example, where the normal range of creatinine should be between 20 – 400 mg/dL, a person with diluted urine has a creatinine that ranges between 2 – 20 mg/dL.
- Specific gravity
The concentration of the urine is known as the urine-specific gravity. It depicts the difference between the water and the other substances contained in the urine. For example, the specific gravity of normal urine is between 1.002 to 1.030. Whereas in diluted urine, this ranges between 1.001 to 1.003.
Conclusion
Therefore, passing a drug test without being noticed is impossible. To ensure that the sample collected is perfect for analysis, it is better to collect it early in the morning.
