Doctors reveal precisely what it means when your pee modifications colour

If you ever regarded again at the bathroom after utilizing the toilet, you’ll have observed your urine showing lighter or darker than regular.

It’s widespread information that calmly coloured or clear urine is an indication that you just’re well-hydrated, whereas a darker colour might point out that you’ll want to drink extra water. This is as a result of fluids dilute urine’s yellow pigments. 

Ashley Pountney, a doctor assistant in urology on the Mayo Clinic, instructed DailyMail.com: ‘When you drink much less, the yellow colour turns into stronger.’

However, your pee won’t be yellow in any respect. Ms Pountney revealed that urine can flip brown, crimson, inexperienced, and even blue. 

And whereas at occasions this could possibly be since you loaded up on an excessive amount of asparagus or began taking a brand new medicine, the altering rainbow in your bathroom bowl might reveal that you just’re exercising an excessive amount of, you’ve got a urinary tract an infection (UTI), or you possibly can be affected by points like inside bleeding or liver blockages.

‘Keep in thoughts that colours can look barely totally different to totally different individuals. For occasion, what seems crimson to you would possibly look orange to another person,’ Ms Pountney stated.

‘Talk together with your healthcare group when you’ve got considerations and specifically when you’ve got painful urination or darkish orange urine, which could be a signal that your liver is not working accurately.’

Here is what your pee says about your well being. 

Red or pink

Urine that is crimson or pink will be worrisome. According to Ms Pountney, it’s because it is a signal of hematuria, in any other case often called bleeding within the urinary tract. 

This is often brought on by situations like an enlarged prostate, kidney stones, and cysts, as these points can rupture blood vessels by placing stress on the urinary tract. 

Men with an enlarged prostate – a small, walnut-shaped organ between a person’s bladder and rectum – may additionally have issue peeing, have to pee extra usually, or expertise incontinence.

Kidney stones and cysts may also result in extreme ache and issue urinating. 

However, bleeding just isn’t at all times a critical medical subject. Ms Pountney pointed to medication like Isoniazid and Rifampin, that are used to deal with tuberculosis, as they’ll result in elevated bleeding. 

And the blood thinner Warfarin, taken by about 20 million Americans, additionally results in elevated probability of bleeding.

Additionally, Ms Pountney famous that not all crimson urine is an indication of blood. ‘Beets, blackberries, and rhubarb can flip urine crimson or pink,’ she stated. 

Orange

If your pee is orange, it could possibly be from anti-inflammatory medicines you take.

These embody over-the-counter remedies like phenazopyridine, which is bought below the model title AZO. AZO is used to alleviate signs of UTIs and yeast infections, that are brought on by overgrowths of micro organism and fungi within the urinary tract. 

This medicine incorporates an orange-red dye, which may change urine colour. 

‘Constipation medicines can flip urine orange, as can medication that lessens swelling and irritation, and a few chemotherapy medicines for most cancers,’ Ms Pountney stated.

These embody Sulfasalazine, which is used to deal with situations inflammatory situations like ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis. It has additionally been proven to show sweat and tears orange.  

Additionally, dietary supplements could possibly be the perpetrator. ‘Some nutritional vitamins, comparable to A and B-12, can flip urine orange or yellow-orange,’ Ms Pountney stated. 

These comprise beta carotene, a pigment that makes meals like carrots orange. This implies that consuming a considerable quantity of carrots may also make your pee orange.

However, orange urine might additionally point out a extra critical subject. ‘Orange urine could be a signal of an issue with the liver or bile duct, primarily should you even have light-colored stools,’ Ms Pountney stated.

‘Dehydration can also make your urine look orange.’

Blue or inexperienced

Believe it or not, your pee can flip blue and inexperienced. 

Ms Pountney stated that one widespread trigger is dyes utilized in medical testing. 

One widespread instance is methylene blue, a water-based dye which is utilized in scans and surgical procedures to seek out situations. 

It’s additionally used to deal with methemoglobinemia, a uncommon blood dysfunction that makes it troublesome for crimson blood cells to hold oxygen to tissues and different cells. 

Common indicators of methemoglobinemia embody pale pores and skin, fatigue, weak point, headache, nausea, vomiting, excessive drowsiness, lack of consciousness, and fast respiratory. 

‘Some medicines for melancholy, ulcers and acid reflux disease can flip urine greenish-blue,’ Ms Pountney stated.

These embody amitriptyline, a standard antidepressant, Reglan, which is used to deal with nausea, and Cimetidine, an over-the-counter acid reflux disease medicine.

Ms Pountney additionally famous that the uncommon genetic dysfunction familial benign hypercalcemia may cause youngsters to have blue urine. 

Dark brown

If your pee is brown, it could possibly be an indication that you have been loading up on veggies and legumes.  

‘Eating numerous fava beans, rhubarb, or aloe may cause darkish brown urine,’ Ms Pountney stated. 

Additionally, she famous that some medicines, ‘together with these used to deal with and forestall malaria, constipation, excessive ldl cholesterol and seizures,’ in addition to antibiotics and muscle relaxants, can darken urine.

Some of the commonest examples of those embody the anti-convulsant Dilantin, the over-the-counter laxative Senna, and Parkinson’s medicine Levodopa. 

‘Some liver and kidney issues and urinary tract infections can flip urine darkish brown,’ Ms Pountney stated. 

For instance, a blockage of the bile duct – passages that carry bile to areas of the digestive system just like the liver and gallbladder – can darken urine. 

Though bleeding across the urinary tract can result in crimson or pink blood, Ms Pountney famous that inside bleeding might darken it to brown or cola-colored. 

And should you train an excessive amount of, it might result in muscle damage that causes waste to construct up within the physique, darkening your pee.