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Did you know that the color of urine can indicate various health conditions.
The color of urine can vary depending on how much water you drink. This is because the liquid will dilute the yellow pigment in the urine. So the more you drink, the clearer your urine will be, on the other hand, the less you drink, the darker the color of your urine will be.
Almost 95 percent of urine contains water and the rest consists of thousands of compounds both inorganic and organic that come out of the body.
Normal urine color is generally pale yellow and clear. In addition to the amount of water you drink, urine may change color due to certain conditions or medications you take.
Types of urine color
There are several variations in urine color depending on what you eat, what medications you take and how much water you drink. Here are the types of urine colors and their meanings, some signs are still categorized as normal but some should be watched out for and consult a doctor immediately.
1. Clear
Clear urine indicates that you are well hydrated, but it can also indicate that you are drinking too much water. This is not a bad condition and is even considered normal urine. If your urine continues to be clear, you should reduce the amount of water you drink to about 2 liters per day.
Clear urine color can also indicate liver problems such as cirrhosis and viral hepatitis.
It can also be a sign of diabetes because having diabetes makes people urinate more frequently and feel thirsty. Sufferers drink more and the color of their urine becomes clear.
2. Pale yellow and transparent
Pale yellow and transparent is a normal urine color which means you are hydrated drinking enough water.
3. Dark yellow
Dark yellow urine color indicates that you are not drinking enough water and are mildly dehydrated. Meanwhile, a neon yellow urine color can also indicate that you have a lot of vitamin B in your blood.
4. Orange
This orange color of your urine means that you are dehydrated due to lack of fluid intake. Consumption of certain vitamins such as riboflavin makes urine bright yellow or orange. There are also medications that make urine orange, including: phenazopyridine, vitamin A, vitamin B12, anti-inflammatory drug sulfasalazine, and chemotherapy drugs.
5. Dark orange or brown
Dark orange or brown color indicates that the body is not producing enough urine so that the urine produced is more concentrated and dark in color. The contributing factors could be dehydration, strenuous exercise or being in a very hot climate. The solution is to drink more water.
Also be aware that dark urine color can be a sign of liver problems.
6. Dark brown or black
Dark brown and black urine may indicate medical conditions such as:
- Liver disease: Characterized by dark brown urine color.
- Rhabdomyolysis: Characterized by a dark brown, dark red or tea-colored color. This condition is caused by the death of muscle tissue.
- Alkaptonuria or black urine disease: A rare condition that stops the body from breaking down two types of amino acids.
7. Pink or red
Here is what the pink or red color of urine means:
- Red color is usually due to eating certain foods such as beets, blackberries and rhubarb.
- Reddish or pink color due to consumption of laxatives containing senna, phenazopyridine (Pyridium), and the antibiotic rifampicin.
- Pink or red color due to blood in the urine. This is a symptom of hematuria, including enlarged prostate, kidney stones, and tumors in the bladder and kidneys.
8. Blue or green
Here is what the blue or green color of urine means:
- You may have eaten candy or medicine with dyes containing methylene blue.
- Taking medications such as cimetidine, amitriptyline, indomethacin, promethazine, and vitamin B supplements.
- Medical tests performed on the kidneys or bladder make the urine blue or green in color.
- Infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria causes your urine to turn blue, green, or indigo purple.
- Green urine color may indicate a urinary tract infection.
9. Cloudy
Cloudy urine color is a possible sign of urinary tract infection. Especially when coupled with other symptoms such as foul-smelling urine, more frequent urination, pain and a burning sensation when urinating.
10. Milky white
Milky white urine is caused by chyluria, which is a milk-like substance called chyle made during digestion mixed with urine. This condition is due to an infection with the parasite Wuchereria bancrofti that affects the lymphatic system and urinary tract.
When should you see a doctor?
The color of normal urine is pale yellow to dark yellow and not clear. In addition, the odor of normal urine is very mild and can barely be smelled at all.
You can see a doctor for further examination, if your urine shows the following conditions:
- Pink and red in color which can indicate serious health problems.
- Orange-colored urine as it could indicate that the liver is not functioning properly.
- Cloudy and foul-smelling urine which could indicate a urinary tract infection.
- Dark urine even when you are reasonably well hydrated.
Thank you for reading this article. Have a nice day.
