What does color of the urine means: Causes, what it means, and types of urine colors for women?
If there is something wrong with your body especially in the internal parts then the change in urine color is typically considered as one of the major symptoms. Usually, the color of urine is a yellowish color change from clear to deep and mainly the color is dependent on how your urine really is or how many liters of liquid you have drank throughout the day. Precisely the normal color of urine varies from a pale yellowish color to a deep golden color. Apart from the color sometimes the consistency or smell of the urine also gets changed.
But if the color of urine is having some tints of orange, brown, red, green, or blue then something is definitely abnormal about it. We understand that seeing an abnormal color of the urine suddenly can definitely be frightening for you and that is why we have come up with this informative article in order to help you to gain some more insights regarding the abnormal urine color.
Reasons for having an abnormal urine color:
- The abnormal color of urine can be because of several reasons like it can be because of eating some particular colored foods, taking some special medicines, getting dehydrated, or having any particular medical conditions.
- So there are different reasons for which you might be facing the abnormal color of urine and there is not any particular way to pinpoint the reason without seeing your doctor. Some of the reasons for having abnormal urine color can be harmless whereas some of them can definitely be terrifying.
- Handful of the familiar reasons for having a harmless yet abnormal change in new urine color can be because of the following eatables:
- Eating carrots are responsible for turning your urine into a light orange color and even vitamin C can turn the color of urine into an orange color. Apart from this a person consuming chemotherapy medicines also produces orange-colored urine.
- Consuming vitamin B can provide the urine with a greenish tint.
- Some eating items like blackberries, beets, rhubarb, and fava beans are responsible for turning the urine into a dark brown or reddish color.
- Apart from them, some food items which use put colors or strong dyes are also responsible for changing the color of urine temporarily.
- Some medications like Stomach acid reducers can even color urine into a blue shade.
Commonly what do the changes in the color of urine indicates are as follows:
- Red color:
Having a hint of red color in urine can indicate that there is blood in the urine and probably the common reasons for this may be an infection in the urinary tract are having kidney stones. The red color might also be an indication of the presence of marketing for lead poisoning in your body. In some rare cases, it can also be a symptom of cancer. Sometimes due to any kind of serious muscle injury or prostate enlargement the color can turn to red or pink.
- Dark Brown color:
The dark brown color of urine can be an indication of liver failure. Because of some medications like metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, methocarbamol, etc., the brown tint can be present. Additionally, tea-colored or Cola-colored urine can be caused by an inflammation in the Kidneys which is also identified as Glomerulonephritis.
- Orange color:
Usually, the orange color of the urine is mainly because of some particular medications like laxatives, sulfasalazine, or rifampin. But it is a common sign of having liver problems especially in the bile ducts of the liver the color of the stool also changes to a light color. If there is any problem with the bile duct then also you can get the orange-colored urine. So, if you are already suffering from liver issues then it is always better to talk to the doctor regarding this change and it may also be a reason for dehydration.
- Green or Blue color:
Apart from food coloring this blue or green color is also caused because of some dyes which are usually used for the liver bladder or kidney test. Sometimes they are hereditary medical conditions which are benign hypercalcemia can also be the reason for this abnormal color. Whenever an infection occurs in the urinary tract because of bacteria like pseudomonas aeruginosa the change of color occurs. Even children having blue diaper syndrome can also produce blue or green colored urine.
Risk factors of discolored urine
If the discolored urine is not the result of any particular diet or medication then definitely it is going to be a medical condition that is affected by your urine color. The following factors can be identified as the risk factors of abnormal urine color.
- Family history :If you are having a family history of experiencing kidney stones or any other kind of Kidney disease then there is much more chance for you to develop those problems for yourself. Any kind of Kidney Disease or the kidney stones mainly result in blood in the urine.
- Performing heavy exercise: If you have started doing vigorous exercises recently then probably the discoloration of your urine is a result of that.
- Age of the person: Be it any tumor or Kidney Disease, bleeding out blood from urine it is more commonly observed in the older people especially those who are more than 50.
How to identify the reason for color changes in women's urine?
Whenever you have changes in the color of your urine and if it lasts for more than a couple of days then it is better to visit a doctor and identify the reason. Unless you have been given prior advice by any Healthcare provider that changes are going to occur because of any sudden medicine or diet changes in your plan. In order to identify the changes, you would have to describe all the changes in color and might have to provide them with the samples of urine. The doctor can also ask regarding any medicine or dietary changes that you have recently incorporated and the amount of liquid or water you intake daily.
The urine sample is only taken when the doctor considers that anything abnormal is happening with you and after testing the sample that is after carrying out the urine analysis the protein, blood or possible bacteria responsible for causing the change in color can be identified. If the reason is not any kind of infection then probably a blood test also needs to be done to identify the possible reason for diabetic damage in the kidney or liver.
In serious cases, an ultrasound of the urinary bladder or the Kidneys can also be performed by the doctor as they give a better view of the internal organs. If the urinary tract stones are suspected due to which the color change in urine is obtained then a pelvic and abdominal CT Scan would also be needed to perform the imaging studies to help the doctor for understanding the structural defects of the urinary tract.
The Bottom Line
By now you must have understood that the discoloration of urine can be because of several reasons which can be harmless as well as serious. It is always better to seek the advice of a doctor if the problem persists for more than a couple of days. But keep on hydrating yourself with an adequate amount of water regularly to escape from dehydration which is a major cause of urine discoloration.
References:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urine-color/symptoms-causes/syc-20367333
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15357-urine-changes