Urine Color : Causes-Symptoms-Diagnosis-Treatment
What Is Urine Color?
The normal shade of urine is straw-yellow. Abnormally-coloured urine can be cloudy, dark, or blood-coloured.
Urine colorations can vary depending on what you consume, any medications you’re taking, and what sort of water you drink. Many of these colorings fall at the spectrum of what “everyday” urine can appear like, however there are cases wherein uncommon urine colorations may be a motive for challenge.
Normal urine shade degrees from faded yellow to deep gold. Urine that’s abnormally coloured can also have tints of crimson, orange, blue, green, or brown.
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| Urine Color |
Abnormal urine color may be because of an expansion of troubles. For instance, it could result from taking positive medicinal drugs, consuming positive foods, having certain clinical conditions, or being dehydrated.
If your urine is abnormally coloured and you can’t pinpoint the motive, make an appointment along with your doctor. In some cases, atypical urine colors end result from extreme clinical conditions that require treatment.
Medical terms
- Normal urine color tiers from light yellow to deep amber — the end result of a pigment known as urochrome and the way diluted or focused the urine is.
- Pigments and other compounds in positive foods and medicinal drugs can trade your urine color. Beets, berries and fava beans are most of the ingredients most possibly to have an effect on the shade. Many over-the-counter and prescription medicinal drugs deliver urine bright tones, which include pink, yellow or greenish blue.
- An uncommon urine coloration can be a sign of ailment. For instance, deep pink to brown urine is an identifying function of porphyria, an extraordinary, inherited ailment of pink blood cells.
chart The color of urine can give us a hint about what is going on inside the body The kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins and waste products out of the blood which is then excreted in the form of urine The color of our urine can be affected by anything from food to anxiety to medications to kidney or liver disease.
concentration The color and concentration of urine is an indicator of how well the kidneys are working The kidneys are responsible for filtering the blood removing excess water and waste products and producing urine The specific gravity (density) of urine can be used to determine the amount of waste products in it These waste products include urea uric acid creatinine and nitrogen.
Symptoms Urine Color
Normal urine shade varies, relying on how an awful lot of water you drink. Fluids dilute the yellow pigments in urine, so the more you drink, the clearer your urine looks. When you drink much less, the color becomes extra focused. Severe dehydration can produce urine the color of amber.
But urine can flip colorings a long way past what's ordinary, which includes crimson, blue, green, darkish brown and cloudy white.
When to see a doctor
Seek medical attention if you have:
Visible blood in your urine. Bloody urine is common in urinary tract infections and kidney stones. These issues normally cause pain. Painless bleeding would possibly signal an extra-critical hassle, which includes cancer.
Dark or orange urine. If your urine is dark or orange — mainly in case you additionally have light stools and yellow pores and skin and eyes — your liver might be malfunctioning.
Causes Urine Color
- Urine is normally clear to yellow in color A dark or cloudy urine can be the result of several factors including dehydration a high consumption of vitamins such as riboflavin (vitamin B-2) and niacin (B-3) certain medications and food supplements pregnancy kidney stones or infections Darker-colored urine may also indicate that hemoglobin blood cells and other components are being excreted through the kidneys Abnormal urine color can be indicative of a more serious condition if it occurs alongside other symptoms.
Discolored urine is frequently resulting from medications, sure foods or food dyes. In some instances, even modifications in urine color can be due to precise fitness problems.
The shade classes here are approximate, because what seems like crimson to you would possibly seem like orange to a person else.
Abnormal urine coloration can be caused by contamination, disorder, drugs, or food you consume.
Cloudy or milky urine is a sign of a urinary tract contamination, which may also cause a terrible odor. Milky urine may also be as a result of microorganism, crystals, fat, white or purple blood cells, or mucus in the urine.
Dark brown but clean urine is a sign of a liver disorder which includes acute viral hepatitis or cirrhosis, which causes extra bilirubin inside the urine. It can also indicate excessive dehydration or a circumstance regarding the breakdown of muscle tissue referred to as rhabdomyolysis.
Pink, red, or lighter brown urine can be caused by:
Beets, blackberries, or certain food colorings
Hemolytic anemia
Injury to the kidneys or urinary tract
Medicine
Porphyria
Urinary tract disorders that cause bleeding
Blood from vaginal bleeding
Tumor in the bladder or kidneys
Dark yellow or orange urine can be caused by:
B complex vitamins or carotene
Medicines such as phenazopyridine (used to treat urinary tract infections), rifampin, and warfarin
Recent laxative use
Green or blue urine is due to:
Artificial colors in foods or drugs
Bilirubin
Medicines, including methylene blue
Urinary tract infections
Red or pink urine
Despite its alarming appearance, pink urine is not necessarily critical. Red or crimson urine can be due to:
Blood. Factors which can motivate urinary blood (hematuria) encompass urinary tract infections, an enlarged prostate, cancerous and noncancerous tumors, kidney cysts, long-distance walking, and kidney or bladder stones.
Foods. Beets, blackberries and rhubarb can turn urine red or pink.
Medications. Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane), an antibiotic frequently used to treat tuberculosis, can flip urine reddish orange — as can phenazopyridine (Pyridium), a drug that numbs urinary tract discomfort, and laxatives containing senna.
Orange urine
Orange urine can result from:
Medications. Medications that could flip urine orange include the anti-inflammatory drug sulfasalazine (Azulfidine); phenazopyridine (Pyridium); a few laxatives; and certain chemotherapy pills.
Medical conditions. In a few cases, orange urine can imply a problem together with your liver or bile duct, mainly if you additionally have mild-coloured stools. Dehydration, that can listen to your urine and make it lots deeper in color, can also make your urine appear orange.
Blue or green urine
Blue or green urine can be caused by:
Dyes. Some brightly colored food dyes can cause green urine. Dyes used for a few checks of kidney and bladder function can flip urine blue.
Medications. A quantity of medicinal drugs produce blue or green urine, consisting of amitriptyline, indomethacin (Indocin, Tivorbex) and propofol (Diprivan).
Medical conditions. Familial benign hypercalcemia, an unprecedented inherited ailment, is once in a while referred to as blue diaper syndrome because children with the disorder have blue urine. Green urine sometimes happens at some point of urinary tract infections caused by pseudomonas bacteria.
Dark brown or cola-colored urine
Brown urine can result from:
Food. Eating large amounts of fava beans, rhubarb or aloe can cause dark brown urine.
Medications. A range of medicine can darken urine, such as the antimalarial drugs chloroquine and primaquine, the antibiotics metronidazole (Flagyl) and nitrofurantoin (Furadantin), laxatives containing cascara or senna, and methocarbamol — a muscle relaxant.
Medical conditions. Some liver and kidney disorders and a few urinary tract infections can turn urine darkish brown.
Extreme exercise. Muscle injury from excessive workout can result in red or cola-colored urine and kidney damage.
Cloudy or murky urine
Urinary tract infections and kidney stones can cause urine to seem cloudy or murky.
Risk factors Urine Color
Discolored urine that isn't the result of foods or medications could be because of a medical condition that impacts urine shade. Factors that positioned you susceptible to medical situations that may have an effect on urine coloration encompass:
Age. Tumors of the bladder and kidney, that may cause blood in the urine, are greater common in older people. Men older than 50 every so often have urinary blood due to an enlarged prostate gland.
Family history. A family history of kidney ailment or kidney stones makes it much more likely that you'll increase those troubles. Both can cause blood within the urine.
Strenuous exercise. Distance runners are most at hazard, but everybody who sports vigorously will have urinary bleeding.
What medications change urine color?
Certain medications including vitamins antibiotics and diuretics can change the color of urine Diuretics make urine more concentrated because they remove water from the body As a result when you urinate there is less water to dilute the pigments in your urine The more concentrated your urine is the darker it will appear This darkening is not a cause for concern; it will return to normal as soon as you drink water or stop taking diuretic medications.
What color is urine when your kidneys are failing?
The color of your urine can give you a lot of information about your health For instance if the color is very dark yellow that may mean that you're dehydrated and need to drink more water If it's bright or light yellow it could be a sign that you have an infection When a person's kidneys fail they produce waste products in the blood called "urea" and "creatinine." Since these waste products have to leave the body through the urine when kidney function decreases too much they can change the color of urine from clear (like water) to dark brown or nearly black This is one of many symptoms of kidney disease.
What does protein in urine look like?
Protein in the urine can appear as pink red or brownish colored crystals It is usually evident to the naked eye and can be seen when you urinate When this happens it is a sign that your kidneys are unable to efficiently filter out protein from your bloodstream Proteinuria may indicate an underlying disease such as diabetes or kidney infection If left untreated it can lead to serious health problems such as heart failure and stroke.
Diagnosis Urine Color
In addition to taking an intensive scientific history and appearing a bodily exam, your medical doctor may advocate positive diagnostic assessments, such as:
Urinalysis. Your health practitioner makes use of urine tests to look for pink blood cells, excessive ranges of protein, and excreted minerals in the urine that may suggest kidney or urinary tract problems. A pattern of your urine is likewise probably to be checked for microorganisms that cause contamination.
Blood tests. Certain blood checks measure the extent of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen — waste merchandise that builds up in your bloodstream while your kidneys are damaged and no longer filtering well. Your health practitioner can also take a look at a sample of your blood for accelerated tiers of liver enzymes, and for conditions which include diabetes.
Your doctor will likely ask you questions about your urine. They will want to know:
how long the unusual color has been present
if you’ve noticed any unusual odors
if you’ve seen any blood clots in it
They will in all likelihood ask you in case you’ve experienced any ache at the same time as urinating or other signs and symptoms. They might also ask you approximately any medications you’re presently taking. It’s important to record any prescription and over the counter medicinal drugs in addition to any natural supplements which you take.
Depending on the coloration of your urine and different signs, your medical doctor may additionally order one or more checks. For instance, they'll in all likelihood accumulate a pattern of your urine for testing in a laboratory to check for signs and symptoms of infection or other abnormalities. They may also collect a sample of your blood for trying out. Blood exams can help them learn in case your liver and kidneys are functioning nicely.
Your medical doctor may additionally perform an ultrasound of your urinary bladder or kidneys. This imaging test uses sound waves to create a photo of your internal organs.
A stomach and pelvic CT experiment may be carried out if urinary tract stones are suspected. When indicated, imaging research can assist your health practitioner test for structural defects in your urinary tract.
Treatment Urine Color
Treatment, if needed, will rely upon the situation that causes the change in urine color.
Your physician’s recommended remedy plan will depend on the reason of your ordinary urine color. Ask your health practitioner for greater information approximately your precise prognosis, treatment alternatives, and long-term outlook.
In some cases, simple lifestyle adjustments can be all that’s wanted. If your urine is abnormally colored because of dehydration, first you may attempt drinking extra fluids. If the uncommon coloration is caused by positive foods, you can devour much less of them.
Lifestyle and home remedies
When you are dehydrated, your urine turns more concentrated and darker in color. If this happens, it'd imply you need greater fluids. Make positive you drink sufficient fluids every day to live hydrated and maintain yourself healthy.
Preparing for your appointment
You'll possibly start via seeing your primary care company. In some cases, you might be cited as a health practitioner who focuses on urinary tract problems (urologist).
Here's some records that will help you prepare for your appointment.
What you can do
When you are making the appointment, ask if there may be anything you need to do in advance to prepare for commonplace diagnostic assessments. Make a list of:
Your symptoms and when they began
Key medical information, Which includes different conditions for which you're being handled, and circle of relatives history of bladder or kidney diseases
All medications, vitamins and other supplements you take, including doses
Questions to ask your doctor
For urine color, questions to ask include:
What might be causing my symptoms?
What tests do I need?
Will I need treatment?
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you questions, such as:
What color is your urine?
Do you see blood or blood clots in your urine?
Does it happen all the time or only sometimes?
Do you notice an unusual odor to your urine?
Are you urinating more or less frequently than usual?
Do you have pain while urinating?
Has your appetite changed?
Do you seem to be more or less thirsty than usual?
Have you had previous urinary problems?
Do you have allergies?
General summary
- and health Urine color is a reflection of your body's inner workings Darker urine tends to be a sign that you are dehydrated while clear urine with little odor may indicate that you are taking in too much water In general the color of your urine can give you clues about how your body is working The following chart will help determine what is behind abnormal urine color.
- If you notice a change in the color of your urine it could be a sign that something is wrong While it could be an indication of a medical issue it could also simply mean that you have consumed too much water If the color of your urine is clear yellow or light brown and you're feeling well chances are you are simply drinking too much water In this case cut back on your fluid intake and you'll see normal results within 24 hours.
