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If you are not peeking into your toilet pot after peeing, it is time to start doing it. It may sound odd, but let us tell you, your urine colour says a lot about your health and underlying health condition, if there is any. The colour of your urine reflects your hydration level and can signal you about certain aspects of your health. Urine colour is not always alarming as it may vary daily, but it is okay to see a doctor if you notice anything concerning.
Read through to understand everything about urine colour with the help of a urine colour chart that can help you determine whether your pee is normal or needs attention.
What Does the Colour of Your Urine Say About Your Health?
Your urine’s colour may vary according to what you eat, the medicine you take, and how much hydrated you are. Most urine colours fall under the normal category, whereas there are some cases when it is not normal and could be alarming if you have any underlying health condition. Below is complete information along with urine colour chart to help you understand better-
Clear and Water Like Urine
Clear urine means you have hydrated yourself excessively. Being hydrated is always good, but too much water can lead to losing electrolytes in the body. If your urine appears clear occasionally, that is perfectly fine, but you should cut your water consumption if you observe that it is always clear.
Moreover, clear urine indicates that there are some underlying conditions, such as viral hepatitis and cirrhosis, if you are not consuming a sufficient amount of water and still have clear urine. If you experience anything like that, see your doctor immediately.
Yellowish to Amber Urine
Yellowish or amber is an absolutely normal urine colour in humans. When you are relatively hydrated, the urochrome pigments fade. Urochrome helps break down haemoglobin, and the colour of your urine depends on how watered down the pigment is.
Consumption of Vitamin B can also make your urine appear neon yellow.
Pink or Red Urine
There could be many reasons why your urine appears red or pink. Here are a few possible reasons-
Food- If you have consumed a fruit or vegetable with natural magenta or deep pink pigments, such as rhubarb, blueberries or beetroot, your urine may appear pink or red. So, it is not a matter of concern.
Medications- Medicines such as phenazopyridine (Pyridium), rifampin, and senna-containing laxatives can change your urine colour to red or pink.
Underlying Medical Conditions- If you haven’t eaten anything recently with red or pink pigment and your urine is pigmented, there could be an underlying medical condition. The red or pink colour indicates blood in your urine due to kidney stones, enlarged prostates, tumours in the kidney or bladder, etc. Consult a doctor if you ever notice something you don’t feel right about.
Orange Urine
If you are experiencing orange urine, it could be due to either of the following reasons-
Dehydration- You are dehydrated if your urine appears orange. Hydrate yourself as soon as you observe this.
Medications- Medicines such as chemotherapy drugs, phenazopyridine (Pyridium) and anti-inflammatory sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) can change your urine colour to orangish.
Underlying Medical Conditions- There are chances that your bile is getting into your bloodstream due to liver or bile duct issues. Jaundice could be another underlying medical condition resulting in orange urine.
>> Also Read: Is Your Liver at Risk? The Truth About Non-Alcoholic Liver Disease
Green and Blue Urine
It is less likely to experience blue or green urine, but if you do, please observe if it is due to either of the following reasons-
Food- If you have consumed food colouring or a dye called methylene blue in the form of some candy, there are chances your urine turns blue or green.
Medications- Medications such as promethazine (Phenergan), vitamin B supplements, cimetidine (Tagamet), amitriptyline and indomethacin (Indocin) could also make your urine appear blue or green.
Underlying Medical Conditions- A bacterial infection called Pseudomonas aeruginosa could also give your urine a tinge of blue, green or indigo purple. You may also experience low to moderate levels of calcium in your urine that can change the colour due to a condition called familial benign hypercalcemia
Medical Procedures- Dyes in medical tests for kidneys or bladder may also result in changed colour.
Dark Brown Urine
Besides dehydration, below are a few more reasons you can experience brown colour urine-
Food- Eating excessive aloe vera, fava beans, or rhubarb can result in dark brown urine.
Medications- Medications such as methocarbamol, cascara or senna-based laxatives, metronidazole (Flagyl), nitrofurantoin (Furadantin) and chloroquine (Aralen) can change your urine colour to brown.
Underlying Medical Conditions- Porphyria is a condition that causes natural chemicals to build up in your bloodstream and result in rusty or brown urine. The changed colour indicates liver disease as the bile enters your urine.
Intense Physical Activity- Running results in dark brown urine called exertional hematuria. Although it is normal for your urine to be dark brown after rigorous physical activity, you must see the doctor if it continues to be dark brown even after 48 hours.
Cloudy Urine
Be watchful of your urine if it turns cloudy. The following are the possible reasons for making your urine cloudy-
Underlying Medical Conditions- The common cause of cloudy urine is urinary tract infection or chronic kidney conditions. Urine with bubbles or foam could also be a symptom of severe health conditions such as diverticulitis or Crohn’s disease. Also, it could be another sign of being dehydrated.
Pregnancy- Cloudy urine indicates a sign of a severe health condition named preeclampsia while you are pregnant. You must see your doctor as soon as you see cloudy urine during pregnancy.
Summing It Up!
The abnormal colour of urine is definitely an alarming situation which can’t be ignored. Now that you have gone through the detailed information about your urine colour, you can easily determine whether it is due to something you have eaten or any underlying condition. In such situations, ensure you have a comprehensive health insurance that will protect you and your finances during a medical emergency. So, delay no more and buy online medical insurance policies if you haven’t. Staying protected doesn’t cost you a fortune compared to the hospital bills you pay out of pocket.
Disclaimers: The above information is for reference purposes only: Policy Assurance and Claims at the underwriter's discretion.
