The color of our urine isn’t something we normally talk about. We’re used to it being within the spectrum of yellow to almost clear. But when your urine is orange — or red, or even green — something serious could be going on.
Many things could be altering the color of your urine. Most of the time, it’s harmless. If you haven’t had enough water on a given day, you might notice that it’s darker. If you’ve been eating beets, you might get a bit of a fright when you look down and see red-tinged urine. However, some cases of urine discoloration need the attention of your doctor.
Orange urine
Dehydration: One of the most common causes of orange urine is dehydration. Not drinking enough water results in your urine becoming more concentrated and as such, it may appear to be a dark yellow or orange hue.
Bladder infection: A bladder infection, or cystitis, may be responsible for changing the color of your urine and can cause it to appear orange.
Liver dysfunction: Consistently dark yellow or orange urine that is not affected by changes in diet, supplement intake, or hydration, may be a sign of issues with the liver or bile and should be addressed by your physician.
Kidney problems: Kidney disease, kidney stones, and kidney infections can all cause your urine to change to an orange color.
Laxatives: Some laxatives contain senna, a herb commonly used to ease constipation that may also color your urine a deep yellow or orange.
Diet: Your urine may be orange simply because you have consumed specific foods recently. Orange and red fruits and vegetables like beets and carrots can alter the color of your urine and make it appear orange.
Treatment for orange urine is dependent on what is causing it. If it is your diet, then no treatment is necessary, though if you are uncomfortable with the color, consuming foods with less beta-carotene will help to change it back to a more normal hue. If the orange urine is a side effect of an infection, your doctor will prescribe medication to treat it.
If you notice that your urine is orange in the morning, it may be due to the fact that it has been sitting in your bladder overnight and, as a result, is more concentrated. The color of urine varies throughout the day depending on the amount of fluid consumed. Dark urine first thing in the morning is a normal occurrence and not necessarily a cause for concern. However, if you notice that it is brown, then it may be due to blood in the urine and symptomatic of a more serious condition.
Similarly, urine may appear darker in color after exercising. This is because rigorous exercise can contribute to dehydration and a loss of fluids, resulting in more concentrated urine that is dark yellow or orange. Because your metabolic rate increases with exercise, more metabolic byproducts need to be filtered through the kidneys and urinary tract, also adding to the higher concentration of chemicals and less water dilution.
There are a variety of reasons that your urine may be orange, ranging from something as harmless as eating foods high in beta-carotene to one as severe as cancers cells or liver damage. If you are concerned about the color of your urine and believe it may be caused by a more serious issue, contact your doctor to receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan for your condition.
Dark-Brown Urine
Medications: A number of drugs can darken urine, including 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 some urinary tract infections can turn urine dark brown.
Food: Eating aloe,fava beans,food colorings,rhubarb
can cause urine to be dark brown
Extreme exercise: Muscle injury from extreme exercise can result in pink or cola-colored urine and kidney damage.
Reddish or pink urine
It’s probably alarming to see reddish or pink urine, but it is not necessarily serious as it could be caused by food or medications.
Medications: Certain antibiotics (like Rifadin and Rimactane) used to treat tuberculosis can turn urine reddish. Phenazopyridine, which is used to treat urinary tract infections, and laxatives containing senna can also be reasons for a pinkish color.
Foods: If you ate beetroot, blackberries, or rhubarb , then you have nothing to worry about. Some of the compounds that make these foods red are excreted in your urine after the kidneys do their job. Normally, it clears up by the next day. If it doesn’t, you should make an appointment with a doctor.
Blood: Blood in your urine can be a sign of a urinary tract infection, kidney disease, cancerous or noncancerous tumors, or bladder or kidney stones. If you see any blood clots or other tissues in your urine, see your doctor immediately. Specialists stress that this is rare but underdiagnosed, especially in women as they usually shrug it off as a weird period fluke.
Clear Urine
If your urine is completely clear, it is a sign that you are drinking too much water. This can cause certain risks, the most important of which is diluting the salts in your body. This can create
a problematic chemical imbalance in your body. You should consider drinking less water.
Blue or Green Urine
A rare genetic condition called
hypercalcemia , which involves having too much calcium in your bones, can result in blue urine or green urine. Yep, itz is possible.
It might be shocking to see this color, but it’s rare and could be caused by:
Medications: Some medications (like Amitriptyline, Indomethacin, and Propofol) can cause the change of color.
Foods: Eating artificially dyed foods or asparagus(Dairy, Beef, Poultry, Eggs, Fish)
Nothing to worry about. It will clear up in a day or 2 and if it don't, you need to see a doctor
If you haven’t been exposed to any of the above, then you should contact your doctor. A green color can signal a rare urinary tract infection caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas. The bug can also cause kidney stones.
Yellow (Pale straw yellow/transparent yellow/dark yellow Urine)
These colors mean you have nothing to worry about. Ideally, your urine should be a pale gold color . A pale yellow shows a good balance between being under and over hydrated. More concentrated urine is a sign that you need more water. Just keep in mind one golden rule: if it looks like lemonade — good for you!
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