Common Causes
Why is my urine bright yellow?
- Causes. An excess of B-vitamins can cause bright yellow urine. ...
- Colors. Urine can turn a range of colors, and some highlight a medical problem. ...
- Other urine changes. Urine can indicate changes in the body through its smell, clarity, and translucency as well as color.
- When to see a doctor. Most cases of urine color changes do not need medical attention. ...
Related Conditions
Of all the dehydration signs, this may be the easiest to spot, since all it takes is a glance down into the toilet or urinal. Normal urine should be pale yellow in color, like lemonade. If urine is a darker color, like apple juice, this could be a sign of moderate to severe dehydration.
What does it mean when my urine is really yellow?
Urochrome is produced by your body breaking down hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in your red blood cells. In most situations, the color of your urine will depend on how diluted this pigment is. Having a lot of B-vitamins in your bloodstream can also cause urine to appear neon yellow.
Is pale yellow urine a sign of dehydration?
No, bright yellow urine is not a cause for concern. The most common reason for having bright yellow urine is not drinking enough water. Other reasons include the food, medications, or vitamins you may have consumed. First, try to identify the culprit.
Why is urine yellow and what can influence its color?
Is it bad if your urine is bright yellow?
What does pale yellow urine indicate?
Urine that falls in the pale yellow category signals that you're healthy and hydrated, says Dr. Bajic. That yellowish color, by the way, is caused by a pigment called urochrome produced by your body.
Is pale yellow urine normal?
Normal urine color ranges from pale yellow to deep amber — the result of a pigment called urochrome and how diluted or concentrated the urine is. Pigments and other compounds in certain foods and medications can change your urine color.
What color pee is healthy?
What Color Is Your Pee? If everything is normal and healthy, the color should be a pale yellow to gold. That hue comes from a pigment your body makes called urochrome. The shade, light or dark, also changes.
What color is urine when your kidneys are failing?
When kidneys are failing, the increased concentration and accumulation of substances in urine lead to a darker color which may be brown, red or purple. The color change is due to abnormal protein or sugar, high levels of red and white blood cells, and high numbers of tube-shaped particles called cellular casts.
What does diabetic urine look like?
Diabetes can cause cloudy urine when too much sugar builds up in your urine. Your urine may also smell sweet or fruity. Diabetes can also lead to kidney complications or increase risk of infections of the urinary tract, both of which can also make your urine appear cloudy.
Is it better to pee clear or yellow?
When you're staying hydrated, your urine will be a light yellow, close-to-clear color. If you're getting dehydrated, you'll notice that your urine is becoming a deep amber or even light brown.
What color should morning pee be?
Your urine color will likely be different in the morning than at night. Because urine is more concentrated in the morning, it will optimally be a pale straw color if you're well hydrated and healthy. At night, look for a pale yellow color, or closer to clear like water.
Is clear pee a good thing?
Clear urine is a sign of good hydration and a healthy urinary tract. However, if they consistently notice clear urine and also have extreme or unusual thirst, it is best to speak to a doctor.
What color is pee with a UTI?
Is it a UTI? Urinary tract infections (UTIs) may also cause an abnormal appearance of the urine such as cloudiness, brown or red color, or an unusual smell.
What are the 3 early warning signs of kidney disease?
Generally, earlier stages are known as 1 to 3. And as kidney disease progresses, you may notice the following symptoms. Nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, loss of appetite, swelling via feet and ankles, dry, itchy skin, shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, urinating either too much or too little.
What are the first warning signs of kidney failure?
SymptomsDecreased urine output, although occasionally urine output remains normal.Fluid retention, causing swelling in your legs, ankles or feet.Shortness of breath.Fatigue.Confusion.Nausea.Weakness.Irregular heartbeat.More items...•
What are the signs that your kidneys are not working properly?
If your kidneys aren't working properly, you may notice one or more of the following signs:Fatigue (extreme tiredness)An upset stomach or vomiting.Confusion or trouble concentrating.Swelling, especially around your hands or ankles.More frequent bathroom trips.Muscle spasms (muscle cramps)Dry or itchy skin.More items...•
Is clear pee healthy?
Clear urine is a sign of good hydration and a healthy urinary tract. However, if they consistently notice clear urine and also have extreme or unusual thirst, it is best to speak to a doctor.
Is diabetes urine clear?
The main symptoms of diabetes insipidus include: Needing to pee often, including through the night. Passing large amounts of light-colored or clear urine each time you pee. Feeling very thirsty and drinking liquids very often.
Why is my pee clear without drinking water?
Clear Urine Going well over this level could have an unhealthy effect on the levels of salt and electrolytes in your body. In some cases, clear urine can also be a result of kidney problems or diabetes, so if you're peeing clear without drinking a ton of water, you may want to talk to a doctor.
Why is my urine orange?
Orange. If your urine appears orange, it could be a symptom of dehydration. If you have urine that’s orange in addition to light colored stools, bile may be getting into your bloodstream because of issues with your bile ducts or liver. Adult-onset jaundice can also cause orange urine.
How is urochrome produced?
Urochrome is produced by your body breaking down hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in your red blood cells. In most situations, the color of your urine will depend on how diluted this pigment is.
What causes red urine?
While urine that’s red or pink might be from something you ate recently, there are sometimes other causes. Some health conditions can cause blood to appear in your urine, a symptom known as hematuria, including: 1 enlarged prostate 2 kidney stones 3 tumors in the bladder and kidney
What does it mean when your urine is cloudy?
Cloudy. Cloudy urine can be a sign of a urinary tract infection. It can also be a symptom of some chronic diseases and kidney conditions. In some cases, cloudy urine is another sign of being dehydrated. Cloudy urine with foam or bubbles is called pneumaturia.
What does it mean when your urine turns dark brown?
If you’re getting dehydrated, you’ll notice that your urine is becoming a deep amber or even light brown. Different pigments in food you eat or medication that you take can be carried through your digestive tract and change the color of your urine.
Why is my urine dark brown?
Dark brown. In most cases, urine that’s dark brown indicates dehydration. Dark brown urine can also be a side effect of certain medications, including metronidazole (Flagyl) and chloroquine (Aralen). Eating large amounts of rhubarb, aloe, or fava beans can cause dark brown urine.
Why does my urine look red?
Urine may look red or pink if you eat fruits with naturally deep pink or magenta pigments, such as:
Why is my urine red and pink?
For example, tumors in the kidney or bladder are common in older adults. Urinary tract bleeding is commonly associated with problems of the kidney or bladder. More serious conditions such as cancer can also cause bleeding and pink or red urine.
What does it mean when your urine is pale?
The amount of water you drink influences whether the color is a pale yellow or a dark amber. People who drink more water and stay hydrated typically produce more diluted, pale urine compared to those who are dehydrated or consume less water. If the color of your urine falls outside of this yellow spectrum — like urine that’s cloudy ...
Why does my urine smell so strong?
If your urine becomes cloudy or develops a strong odor, you may have a bladder or kidney infection. This is especially true if you’re having any symptoms of these infections, such as pain when urinating, fever, vomiting, or back pain.
Why does my urine change color?
What causes urine color to change? As mentioned above, the color of your urine is primarily determined by how much water you’ve had to drink. When you drink lots of water, your urine can become so light that it appears to be almost clear. The less water you drink, the darker your urine will become.
Why is my urine yellow and green?
This dye will interact with the pigment as well. B vitamins, such as riboflavin (B-2) and cobalamin (B-12), are also known for causing fluorescent yellow-green urine . If you take supplements or multivitamins, they may be the source of your brightly colored urine.
What causes orange urine?
Excess beta carotene or vitamin C may lead to urine that’s dark yellow or orange. Beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body, is found in yellow and orange foods such as carrots and sweet potatoes. In addition to citrus fruits, vitamin C is also found in foods such as tomatoes, strawberries, and broccoli.
Why does my urine have blood in it?
Men may also experience urinary blood as a result of an enlarged prostate gland. Urinary tract bleeding is much less common in children, though certain rare disorders may cause blood in the urine. These disorders include Henoch-Schonlein purpura, hemolytic uremic syndrome, and Wilms’ tumor.
Why is my urine yellow?
Causes. An excess of B-vitamins can cause bright yellow urine. Bright yellow urine is a sign of excess B-vitamins in the body, including B-2 and B-12, although this condition is harmless. Taking B-vitamin supplements can lead to urine of this color. The yellow color darkens as the concentration of the urine increases.
Why is my urine purple?
A condition called porphyria causes urine to appear deep purple.
What is the protein that breaks down old cells?
Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that enables oxygen to travel around the body. Red blood cells are renewed in their millions every day, so the body needs to break down old cells. The urochrome from this process ends up in the urine as a yellow color.
What is the drug that turns urine brown?
Medicines that turn urine brown include: antipsychotic drugs, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine) and thioridazine (Mellaril) antibiotics, such as metronidazole (Flagyl) and nitrofurantoin (Furadantin) phenytoin, or Dilantin, an epilepsy drug.
Why is my urine cloudy?
Cloudy urine can signal a number of possible problems. For women, it could be a result of vaginal discharge. Other changes that may cause cloudiness include: dehydration. urinary bladder infections and lower urinary tract infections (UTIs) kidney disease, including kidney stones.
What color should urine be?
Normal urine should be pale yellow. It should be clear and free of clouds or particles.
What medications cause orange urine?
Certain drugs and medications can lead to orange urine. Examples include the antibiotic rifampicin and the pain-relief drug phenazopyridine. Some laxatives and chemotherapy agents can also color the urine orange.
What color means you have healthy urine?
A light yellow urine color typically signifies a very healthy urine. The light straw yellow urine will have a low odor, few bubbles in the urine, little to no foam, and have a clear urine consistency.
Why is my urine clear?
If your urine color is very clear, it is showing a high concentration of water, and a lower concentration of actual waste. Clear urine could mean you are very well hydrated, but a low concentration of waste is not necessarily a good thing. What this means is that you need to pee more in order to get rid the waste your body doesn’t need.
Why is my urine red?
If you see red when you pee, it’s tempting to hit the panic button. But it isn’t always a sign that something is really wrong.
What about foamy urine or urine with bubbles?
If you consistently have layers of small or medium bubbles in your urine, it could be proteinuria, or excess protein in your urine. This can be a sign of kidney disease.
What is the drug that turns urine red?
Certain medications, including phenazopyridine (Pyridium), a drug that numbs urinary tract discomfort, and over-the-counter laxatives that contain senna can turn your urine reddish-orange, she says. The same holds for Rifampin, an antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis.
Why does my urine smell like a cloud?
One potential cause is urinary tract infections or UTIs, according to The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. UTIs can cause cloudy urine and an unpleasant odor.
What does it mean when your urine is orange?
If your urine has an orangey hue, it could be blood, according to Dr. Clifton.
How to see what's up?
The fastest way to see what’s up is a rapid urine test. After you pee in a cup, your doctor dips a test strip into the sample. The fields on the strip change color based on what is found.
What is a follow up for rapid urine test?
Urinalysis is a follow-up when there are abnormal results from a rapid urine test.
What does the color of urine tell you?
There is a lot that the color of your urine can tell about your health. According to doctors from the Mayo Clinic, urochrome is a pigment that is responsible for making your pee a yellow color. The amount of fluid you drink will usually determine the concentration of urochrome in your pee. This turns normal urine any shade of color from clear pale yellow to dark amber. 1
Why is my urine pink?
Urine that appears pink to reddish color may or may not be a symptom of something serious in your urinary tract. For example, the pink or red tinge to urine may be due to blood in your urinary system. This could be due to bleeding because of an issue with your kidneys or urethra.
Why is my urine milky white?
Urine that is milky white could be a sign that you have a urinary tract infection (UTI). The Postgraduate Medical Journal reported that the milky color in urine might be due to conditions such as UTI, presence of lipids in the urine (lipiduria), chyluria which is a rare condition in which lymphatic fluid is present in urine, and excretion of uric acid in urine. 9
Why does my urine look watery?
A person with diabetes insipidus will also suffer from a chronic thirst which causes them to drink more and thus dilute urine, making it appear watery. 5.
Why does my urine turn dark?
However, if your pee has no color at all and is clear or transparent, it could be a sign that you are drinking too much water. If your body is lacking water or you have a urinary infection , you will notice that your pee is a darker color. Of course, some foods can also change the color of your urine. In this article, you will find out ...
What color is normal urine?
This turns normal urine any shade of color from clear pale yellow to dark amber. 1. Chief urologist at the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute Dr. Bradley Gill says that urochrome (or urobilin) is metabolized from bile. This is filtered through the kidneys and then excreted from the body when you urinate.
What is the color of urine when taking B complex?
Bright yellow urine. If you take a B complex supplement you’ll notice that your urine has a fluorescent yellow-green color. 22 Riboflavin (B-2) which is part of the B complex supplement is known for causing brightly colored urine.
How much urine do you pass in a day?
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, most people pass around 1–2 quarts of urine per day.
Why does my urine have a clear color?
In many cases, the color of a person’s urine can indicate whether or not they are drinking enough water. Clear urine often indicates proper hydration. In some cases of clear urine, however, a person may be too hydrated or have an underlying condition that causes them to urinate more than usual. This article contains more information on ...
Why does hyponatremia occur?
According to research from 2014, hyponatremia can occur due to excessive water intake or because the kidneys are not processing water fast enough .
What does urine color mean?
In many people, urine color may indicate the level of hydration, foods eaten or medications taken, or the presence of an underlying health condition. The following are some typical colors of urine and what they could indicate:
What does it mean when you have clear urine?
Having clear urine typically means a person is well hydrated. Clear urine tends to indicate that a person is well hydrated. It could also suggest that they are too hydrated. If a person has consumed a lot of liquids during the day, they may have too much water in their system. When this occurs, they can inadvertently dilute their blood ...
What happens when the body cannot regulate blood sugar?
Diabetes occurs when the body cannot regulate blood sugar (glucose) levels and therefore cannot use the sugar properly for energy.
Why do kidneys feel thirsty?
Instead, their kidneys cannot balance fluids properly, and their body may make them feel more thirsty than normal to help replace lost fluids.
Overview
Cloudy urine appears when your urine has a milky color that isn’t clear. Generally, cloudy urine is harmless, but frequent and repetitive signs of cloudy urine could indicate an underlying medical condition.
Possible Causes
The most common cause of cloudy urine is the presence of alkaline. Urine is comprised of water, salts and waste from the kidneys and the balance of these components affects the alkaline or acidity (pH) in urine. Normal urine acidic-to-alkaline levels range from 4.5 to 8 pH.
When to Call the Doctor
Occasional cloudy urine is normal. If you experience persistent cloudy urine that doesn’t go away within a few days, contact your healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Foamy urine is the result of the speed of urination, which causes air to form pockets in the urine, creating a bubbly texture. Cloudy urine is not clear and appears to have a milky, yellow color as opposed to a normal, light yellow.
What are the different types of diabetes insipidus?
Four main types of diabetes insipidus exist: Central. This type is when a person has a history of damage to the brain and the hormone vasopressin isn’t produced normally. Nephrogenic. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) occurs when a person’s kidneys don’t respond well to the hormone vasopressin. Dipsogenic.
Why does my urine turn clear?
It can also occur when certain hormones interfere with the function of vasopressin. Most cases of gestational diabetes insipidus are mild and will resolve when a woman is no longer pregnant. These are just some examples of potential causes. Rarer medical conditions can also lead to clear, colorless urine.
How much urine do you drink a day?
To put that in perspective, most people only pass 1 to 2 quarts of urine per day. The condition can cause you to drink large amounts of fluids as a means to compensate for your urine output.
How to clear urine with diabetes?
Clear urine related to diabetes mellitus is often treated by administering oral medications or insulin, a hormone that helps your body use blood sugar more effectively . Insulin helps the body’s tissues move glucose into the cells where it’s needed and keeps excess sugar out of the bloodstream where it can cause increased urination.
What does it mean when your urine is clear?
In medical terminology, clear urine describes urine that’s absent of any sediment or cloudiness. If your urine is without visible urochrome or yellow pigment, it’s considered colorless urine, appearing “clear” to you. This colorless urine is sometimes due to drinking an excess of water, while other times it can signal a problem with the kidneys.
What is the difference between dipsogenic and gestational?
Dipsogenic. The dipsogenic type is caused by a defect in the thirst mechanism, located in the hypothalamus. Gestational. This type occurs during pregnancy, when there’s damage or injury to the part of the brain that controls thirst.
Why is my urine colorless?
This colorless urine is sometimes due to drinking an excess of water, while other times it can signal a problem with the kidneys. If your urine is consistently clear or absent of color, you should see a doctor.
