Through this blog, we will clarify the necessary facts about the urine's normal colour. We will also discuss why urine colour is yellow, the different colours of urine and its causes
The colour or other physical properties of urine seldom concern us. These physical parameters might include the consistency, colour and odour of urine. These are important indicators of your well-being, lifestyle, conduct and overall health. The major component of urine is water, it also contains creatinine, sodium, potassium, dissolved ions, chloride, and inorganic and organic compounds. Any variation in the properties of urine might cause changes in its colour, consistency and odour. Any underlying health disorder might lead to abnormal constituent presence in the urine. Therefore, a professional doctor consult is important.
What Colour of Urine is Considered Normal?
The physical appearance of urine including colour is the earliest indicator of your health conditions. Urine contains electrolytes, water and waste. Urine is filtered out in your kidneys. This process gives urine the typical colour it has. Therefore, any fluctuation in urine colour can indicate underlying health concerns. Normal urine colour can be clear or pale yellow because of a yellow pigment, urochrome. The breakdown of haemoglobin forms urochrome pigment. The yellow tone varies according to your hydration level. The more you are hydrated, the clearer the urine. Consuming a vitamin B rich diet can also cause neon yellow urine colour.
What does the Colour of the Urine Indicate?
A healthy individual has a yellow urine colour. The colour may vary according to your health and diet changes. The water hydration level and type of food intake also determines your urine colour.
Clear Urine
When you intake more water than required, the urine colour would be clear which indicates diluted urochrome pigment. While hydration is essential, drinking a huge amount of water can cause electrolyte deficit as well. viral hepatitis and liver cirrhosis can also cause clear urine formation. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a doctor in case you have clear urine and you are not drinking water in such large quantities.
Red or Pink Urine
Urine might have a pink or red colour in certain conditions-
- If you eat fruits that have magenta or deep pink colour.
- Symptoms like hematuria can occur in case you have kidney stones, tumours in the kidney, and an enlarged prostate.
- Rifampin, senna or phenazopyridine medicines can also induce a pinkish or reddish colour of urine.
Orange Urine
Health conditions causing orange coloured urine can be:
- Adult-onset jaundice
- Dehydration
- Bile duct or liver might lead to bile leak into your bloodstream which causes orange urine colour.
- Medicines including pyridium and sulfasalazine can cause orange urine colour.
- Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy drug treatments.
Blue or Green Urine
Blue or green-coloured urine can be due to reasons like
- Medicines include cimetidine, amitriptyline, promethazine, vitamin B supplements or indomethacin.
- Consuming methylene blue-containing food that contains
- Familial benign hypercalcemia
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa or other bacterial infections.
- Dyes used in medical tests can induce blue or green urine colour.
Dark Brown Urine
The dark brown colour may be due to
- Intense physical exercise like running
- Medicines side effects including nitrofurantoin, chloroquine, metronidazole, cascara, senna-based laxatives and methocarbamol.
- Liver disease causing bile in urine.
- Dehydration
- Natural chemicals accumulate in the bloodstream due to porphyria.
- Aloe, fava beans and rhubarb-like food items.
Cloudy Urine
Urine might appear cloudy due to various reasons including
- Chronic disease
- Urinary tract infection
- Kidney disorders
- Preeclampsia (This condition might occur in pregnant women)
- Dehydration
- Pneumaturia (Cloudy urine with bubbles or foam)
- Diverticulitis
- Crohn’s disease
Who is More Prone to an Abnormal Urine Colour?
There are certain people who have higher risk of developing medical conditions that can change urine colour. These people can be
- Family history: If kidney-related issues are running in your family you are more prone problems that change the urine colour.
- Age: elderly people are comparatively more prone to develop red-coloured urine due to various conditions including enlarged prostate gland, bladder or kidney tumours.
- Strenuous exercise: Urinary bleeding is more common in people doing strenuous exercises.
Takeaway
Your health condition can be judged by your urine colour. Therefore, consult your doctor if you start to observe urine colour change over. Urine colour change does not necessarily mean you have a serious health complication, it can be due to diet and water intake modifications or habits as well. Now you have known the facts behind urine colour change, consult to a professional whenever you feel you have abnormal urine appearance.
