Bristle, red and yellow and pink and green – your urine can even sing rainbow. You may be surprised to know that it can be purple, orange and blue. And countless other unusual colors as well.
Urine acts as a medium through which the body can expel many waste products. This includes nitrogenous wastes (in the form of urea and creatinine) produced by the breakdown of proteins and muscles, and red blood cells.In addition, many different ingested compounds, including vitamins, medications, and some from our diet, are excreted from the body through urine.
But there are many things that should not be present in urine, and an important question the doctor should consider is: "What color is it?" Doing so may help point toward a diagnosis.Red
Red urine usually indicates bleeding. It can come from anywhere in the urinary tract – from the kidneys to the bladder and prostate gland, and all the tubes that connect them.
The appearance of blood varies according to quantity and freshness and can produce many different colors.In high amounts of bleeding, the urine may become so stained that it looks like red wine. Many conditions can cause bleeding, from kidney stones to cancer, stroke and urinary tract infections. But eating too many beets can also cause red urine.
orange and yellow
Of course, we know that the color of urine in its normal form covers several shades of yellow – depending on how well hydrated you are. Dehydration causes urine to become dark yellow, sometimes bordering on orange, while good fluid intake causes urine to become pale yellow.The compound that turns urine yellow is called urobilin. The process of making it begins with the breakdown of old red blood cells that have passed their best condition and need to be removed from circulation.
This process creates a compound called bilirubin. It is excreted partly through urine and partly through the intestine as it is used by the liver to make bile, which is important in the breakdown and digestion of fats. Bile is secreted into the intestine and lost in the stool.These compounds present in bile are what give stool its characteristic brown color.
When bile is unable to be released into the intestine – perhaps as a result of gallstones or cancer blocking the bile ducts – the bilirubin is absorbed back into the bloodstream and then excreted through urine. This makes it darker – orange or brown in color. Increased bilirubin also makes the skin yellow. This condition is called obstructive jaundice.Many medications, including the antibiotic rifampicin, can also stain urine orange.
green and blue
Green and blue urine is somewhat rare and will probably be quite a surprise to see in a toilet. If you have noticed that it is not from the color of the toilet flush, your body produces green or blue urine. There can be many reasons for this.
Coloring substances that come from green (such as asparagus) or blue foods and beverages, and eaten in large amounts, can cause it, as can certain medications, such as antihistamines, anesthetics, and vitamins.
Interestingly, some microorganisms can also form compounds with green color.The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (named after its verdigris color) produces greenish-blue pyocyanin. This is a rare cause of urinary tract infection – often accompanied by a burning or stinging sensation when urinating. Indigo or purple
Indigo or purple urine is rare. One of the possible causes is porphyria (which means purple) and this is a genetic family of conditions that affect the skin and nervous system.
The second is aptly called purple urine-bag syndrome, and is another bacterial phenomenon.This refers to a condition where bacteria in a patient with a catheter (urinary drain) form stains that give the urine a purple color. Purple or pink
Back to blood (and beets) again. In small amounts, these can stain urine pink instead of dark red. In this example, urologists typically compare the appearance to a rosé wine, rather than the deep red color of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Other ColorsThere are some other urine colors worth noting outside of the rainbow.Some are dark in color, usually brown or black. Here, a doctor can compare it to Coca-Cola. This is sometimes caused by the muscle breaking down into a compound called myoglobin – this is associated with a serious condition called rhabdomyolysis, perhaps caused by excessive exertion or the intake of certain medications.
It can also come from bilirubin – which causes urine to darken so much that it's brown instead of orange. But it could also be due to blood, although this time, less fresh.Inflammation of the kidneys – a condition called glomerulonephritis – can trigger bleeding that turns red to brown as it moves through the urinary tract. But eventually, on the clear side of the spectrum, comes colorless urine. Although it is better not to have thick yellow urine, large amounts of dilute urine can also indicate a disease, either diabetes or pathological overdrinking.
This just goes to show how many different colors our urine can have, and how many different conditions they can indicate. And this is by no means a complete list.
But, by understanding the reasons behind urine color change, you can also be alert to symptoms like bleeding, for which you should visit a doctor.Or picking up that water bottle for a much-needed sip. (talk) GRSGRS
Urine acts as a medium through which the body can expel many waste products. This includes nitrogenous wastes (in the form of urea and creatinine) produced by the breakdown of proteins and muscles, and red blood cells.In addition, many different ingested compounds, including vitamins, medications, and some from our diet, are excreted from the body through urine.
But there are many things that should not be present in urine, and an important question the doctor should consider is: "What color is it?" Doing so may help point toward a diagnosis.Red
Red urine usually indicates bleeding. It can come from anywhere in the urinary tract – from the kidneys to the bladder and prostate gland, and all the tubes that connect them.
The appearance of blood varies according to quantity and freshness and can produce many different colors.In high amounts of bleeding, the urine may become so stained that it looks like red wine. Many conditions can cause bleeding, from kidney stones to cancer, stroke and urinary tract infections. But eating too many beets can also cause red urine.
orange and yellow
Of course, we know that the color of urine in its normal form covers several shades of yellow – depending on how well hydrated you are. Dehydration causes urine to become dark yellow, sometimes bordering on orange, while good fluid intake causes urine to become pale yellow.The compound that turns urine yellow is called urobilin. The process of making it begins with the breakdown of old red blood cells that have passed their best condition and need to be removed from circulation.
This process creates a compound called bilirubin. It is excreted partly through urine and partly through the intestine as it is used by the liver to make bile, which is important in the breakdown and digestion of fats. Bile is secreted into the intestine and lost in the stool.These compounds present in bile are what give stool its characteristic brown color.
When bile is unable to be released into the intestine – perhaps as a result of gallstones or cancer blocking the bile ducts – the bilirubin is absorbed back into the bloodstream and then excreted through urine. This makes it darker – orange or brown in color. Increased bilirubin also makes the skin yellow. This condition is called obstructive jaundice.Many medications, including the antibiotic rifampicin, can also stain urine orange.
green and blue
Green and blue urine is somewhat rare and will probably be quite a surprise to see in a toilet. If you have noticed that it is not from the color of the toilet flush, your body produces green or blue urine. There can be many reasons for this.
Coloring substances that come from green (such as asparagus) or blue foods and beverages, and eaten in large amounts, can cause it, as can certain medications, such as antihistamines, anesthetics, and vitamins.
Interestingly, some microorganisms can also form compounds with green color.The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (named after its verdigris color) produces greenish-blue pyocyanin. This is a rare cause of urinary tract infection – often accompanied by a burning or stinging sensation when urinating. Indigo or purple
Indigo or purple urine is rare. One of the possible causes is porphyria (which means purple) and this is a genetic family of conditions that affect the skin and nervous system.
The second is aptly called purple urine-bag syndrome, and is another bacterial phenomenon.This refers to a condition where bacteria in a patient with a catheter (urinary drain) form stains that give the urine a purple color. Purple or pink
Back to blood (and beets) again. In small amounts, these can stain urine pink instead of dark red. In this example, urologists typically compare the appearance to a rosé wine, rather than the deep red color of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Other ColorsThere are some other urine colors worth noting outside of the rainbow.Some are dark in color, usually brown or black. Here, a doctor can compare it to Coca-Cola. This is sometimes caused by the muscle breaking down into a compound called myoglobin – this is associated with a serious condition called rhabdomyolysis, perhaps caused by excessive exertion or the intake of certain medications.
It can also come from bilirubin – which causes urine to darken so much that it's brown instead of orange. But it could also be due to blood, although this time, less fresh.Inflammation of the kidneys – a condition called glomerulonephritis – can trigger bleeding that turns red to brown as it moves through the urinary tract. But eventually, on the clear side of the spectrum, comes colorless urine. Although it is better not to have thick yellow urine, large amounts of dilute urine can also indicate a disease, either diabetes or pathological overdrinking.
This just goes to show how many different colors our urine can have, and how many different conditions they can indicate. And this is by no means a complete list.
But, by understanding the reasons behind urine color change, you can also be alert to symptoms like bleeding, for which you should visit a doctor.Or picking up that water bottle for a much-needed sip. (talk) GRSGRS
