Contributed by – Healthians Team
Yellow, orange, pink, straw, blue, green, amber, honey, milky, cloudy…wondering what I am talking about? Well, these are definitely not rainbow colours but the various colours human urine can be; reflecting a lot about our internal health! As a natural body function, urine contains waste matter and toxins, hence, must leave our body. But does that mean urine is of no use to us? You will be surprised that it tells us not 1 but 16 things about our health.
The colour and appearance of urine varies from person to person and is an important factor. Also, as urine is a by-product of our body functions, urine tests have a great diagnostic value. It can help to detect certain medical conditions, infections or illness; which further helps to plan appropriate treatment.
Here are 16 things that urine tells about our health.
Pale yellow urine is healthy – Pale yellow or straw coloured urine means you are healthy. You are drinking adequate water and are well-hydrated. Keep going.
Clear urine can be diabetes – If you have clear urine, with an urge to urinate more often, get yourself checked; it could be diabetes. People commonly ask why my urine is clear like water. Excessive urination in diabetes can make your urine appear clear like water. Get tested for diabetes to be sure.
Dark yellow urine – Dark yellow urine may mean you are mildly dehydrated and need to drink more water to normalise things. When you drink less water your urine becomes more concentrated, hence the dark yellow colour.
Amber yellow coloured urine– Amber yellow, honey coloured urine may be seen in severe dehydration. Take immediate measures, drink water and make up for the fluid loss. If amber yellow urine continues, it is better to see a doctor.
Bright yellow urine– If you wonder, what does bright yellow urine mean, here is the answer. Bright yellow urine may be due to multi-vitamin supplements or other medications that you have taken. This may be completely normal if the urine is bright yellow in colour after taking the medicines and it will turn straw coloured or pale yellow later on. However, if bright yellow urine continues or if it changes to deep yellow, orange or dark urine; you must see a doctor.
Dark urine – Dark urine may be seen when there is blood present in the urine. Dark urine can range from dark pink, red or brown in colour, depending on the amount of blood in it. Blood in the urine can be a result of bleeding from kidney stones, injury or infections in the urinary tract, bleeding disorders, infections or some cancers. It is recommended to get tested to know the actual reason.
Dark urine in the morning – Dark urine in the morning can be normal if you have not had water in the night and the urine colour becomes lighter after few more visits. However, if dark urine colour persists, it may be due to kidney trouble or other health problems.
Pink, blue or green urine– Pink, blue or green urine can be a result of certain medicines or dyes. Certain foods like beetroot, blackberries, etc. can make your urine pink or red, while foods like asparagus can make urine appear blue or green. In some cases, urine infections or rare genetic disease too may be a cause.
Your urine can show if your liver is healthy–Liver health reflects in your urine colour. Orange urine is commonly seen in liver disorders, hepatitis and inflammation of the gall bladder or due to gallstones. If orange urine is accompanied with jaundice or yellowish skin and eyes, pale stools, nausea, vomiting or fever, you must see the doctor at once.
Turbid urine–Urine may appear turbid, milky and cloudy if it is infected, which is often seen in urinary tract infections or other kidney problems. You may need medical opinion and a urine test.
Foaming or froth in urine– This could mean there is excessive protein in your diet or it could also indicate a kidney problem. Depending on associated symptoms, you can seek a medical opinion.
Beware of over-hydration – Clear urine may mean that you are drinking more water, which is diluting your urine.
Smell of urine–Smell of urine also suggests many things. Urine can smell sweet if you have diabetes. An offensive, pungent urine smell may mean dehydration, infection or metabolic disorders.
Urine analysis– Microscopic and routine urine test helps to detect many abnormalities. The presence of pus cells in urinary infections, red cells or crystals in kidney stones, protein in kidney disorders, etc. are useful for diagnosis and treatment of various medical conditions.
Urine can monitor diabetes–Just like blood glucose test; urine is also tested for glucose, which is positive if you have diabetes. A test called glucose urine test is performed to monitor diabetes, gestational diabetes (raised sugar levels in pregnant women) and to rule out a condition called renal glycosuria.
Urine pregnancy test –A positive urine pregnancy test indicates pregnancy due to the hormones present in it. Based on this, you can plan a medical check-up and other investigations to confirm pregnancy.
Now that you know that urine is not a waste, next time you use the washroom be watchful, after all your urine can tell a lot about your health!
