Urine can tell a lot about someone’s health. It is an often-overlooked diagnostic tool that can indicate problems within the body. Apart from stench and frequency, one of the most significant attributes of urine is its color.

The color of urine is primarily due to urochrome, a pigment that results from the breakdown of hemoglobin. Several factors can affect the color of urine, including the intake of food and drinks, hydration levels, and medication. Below are some of the colors of urine and their association with different health conditions.

Clear Urine

Clear urine is a sign that a person is well-hydrated. It is especially common after drinking copious amounts of water or other fluids that do not have any colorings or additives.

While clear urine is often associated with good health, having extremely clear urine when not ingesting many fluids could also indicate an underlying medical condition. If someone has ongoing, extremely clear urine, it could indicate diabetes insipidus, which is unrelated to type I or type II diabetes.

Yellow Urine

Yellow is the most common urine color, and it has a wide range of shades. The deeper the color of the urine, the more concentrated it is. This level of urine concentration can indicate dehydration and needs to be corrected by drinking more water.

However, bright yellow urine can also indicate the excessive intake of vitamin supplements. In rare instances, yellow urine can indicate liver or gallbladder problems like liver failure, hepatitis, or advanced cirrhosis.

Brown Urine

Brown urine was once a cause of alarm, but that’s not the case today. To produce brown urine, waste products from the liver, called bilirubin, must be present in the urine.

Bilirubin is a byproduct of heme catabolism, which is the process of breaking down old red blood cells. When the liver is at fault due to an infectious disease like Hepatitis or gallstones, the urine becomes brown. Brown urine is also a side effect of some over-the-counter medications and some herbal supplements.

Red Urine

Red urine is also called “hematuria” and is often disconcerting because it signifies that there’s blood in the urine.

However, red urine does not mean there’s always blood in it, but it can indicate an underlying medical condition that needs treatment. Hematuria typically comes from issues involving the urinary tract, including kidney stones, bladder infections, and other kidney issues. It could also signal that the person has a blood clotting problem or bladder cancer.

Women who are menstruating may find their urine is red due to residual blood from their period.

Green Urine

Green urine can be indicative of a urinary tract infection caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which produces a green pigment.

However, green urine can also be caused by some medications, specifically methylene blue, which is used to treat specific bacterial infections and in some people who are receiving an X-ray for diagnosing bone fractures or other conditions.

Orange Urine

Orange urine can be a sign of dehydration and may indicate that someone needs to drink more water.

However, orange urine can also indicate other underlying health conditions like liver disease or biliary obstruction, meaning a blockage in the ducts that carry bile from your liver to intestines.

Blue Urine

Blue urine is rare and can occur when dyes have been ingested or when someone has a rare genetic metabolic disorder, hypercalcemia.

A person with this condition has a malfunctioning metabolic pathway that can lead to the production of blue compounds in the urine.

Pink Urine

Pink urine can occur when there is excessive intake of beets or other red foods, or when someone is ingesting certain drugs like chloroquine. Additionally, pink urine can occur for women when they have a bladder or kidney infection.

Black Urine

Black urine is relatively rare and indicative of a severe underlying medical condition. Various medical conditions can cause black urine, including alkaptonuria, which causes a buildup of homogentisic acid.

Apart from that, black urine can be an indication of liver or kidney failure, or for people who use catheters, it could signal an infection.

Conclusion

The color of urine can indicate much about our health. It is wise for people to keep an eye on their urine’s color and to inform their doctor of any abnormal colors they notice.

Often, a simple intervention like drinking more water can correct the color of urine. However, if the color is not due to dehydration, further medical tests may be necessary. Regular visits to the doctor and urine tests can help diagnose underlying medical conditions early.