Urine color and disease. Decoding of the color "light urine". What determines the color of urine

10.10.2019

If you suddenly began to feel not very well, you are constantly unwell, but you do not know where to start the examination and which specialist to contact, pay attention to the color of your urine. He can tell a lot. The color of the urine of a healthy person is yellow, in some cases - deep yellow, depending on the pigments it contains - urochromes, uroerythrins, urobilins, and so on. In addition, the saturation of the color may depend on the concentration of urine - the greater its specific gravity, the more intense the color. It is noteworthy that the color of the urine of newborn babies (from several days to two weeks) has a reddish tint due to the fact that it contains a lot of urea.

The color of urine can vary depending on many indicators.

As noted, yellow urine is the norm. Sometimes a clear color of urine may also be the norm. However, in some cases, clear urine can be the cause of diabetes mellitus and some renal pathologies.

To diagnose a particular disease, urine tests are performed first. One of its main characteristics is precisely the color of urine, which determines. What a person eats, what diseases he has, and so on.

Remember: unnatural urine colors are not always an indicator of pathology! Sometimes it depends on the intake of certain foods and medications.

So, urine can acquire a greenish color if, for example, you use some vitamins. But it becomes bright orange from carrots. In addition, some foods may contain artificial colors, which can also produce unnatural urine tints.

But if the symptoms continue for a long time, you should immediately consult a doctor. You may be developing a serious illness.

So, for what reasons can the color of urine change? First of all, it depends on the amount of liquid that you drink: the more water you drink, the lighter your urine will be.

In addition, drugs are capable of staining urine, so if you are taking any medications, then this may be a completely natural state.

A change in the color of urine does not cause pain, but if you still experience some kind of discomfort or pain, this may indicate an inflammatory process in the genitourinary system. The following conditions can be associated symptoms:

Frequent urge to urinate
Frequent urination
Elevated temperature
Fever and chills
Abdominal pain
The specific repulsive smell of urine

In addition, there are a number of medical factors that can also affect urine changes:

age (often the representatives of the male half after 50 years have bloody discharge in the urine due to dysfunction of the prostate gland)
urinary tract infections
infectious kidney disease
heredity of renal disease
physical overvoltage

Any of the above factors can cause blood to appear in urine and, accordingly, stain it red.

See also:

Possible colors and the reasons that cause them

What diseases can be judged based on the color of urine? Let's figure it out.

Normal color of urine of a healthy person

Dark colored urine can cause:

lack of fluid and increased concentration of urochromes
eating certain foods
taking quinine, rifampicin and some other medicines
taking vitamins C and B
jaundice
increased number of red blood cells
copper poisoning
cirrhosis
infections
vasculitis and so on.

Brown urine may appear after consuming aloe, rhubarb and beans. Also, this color of urine often appears after taking antimalarial medicines and medicines intended for the treatment of urinary tract infections, laxatives, and antibiotics. Among the diseases that can give this color are cirrhosis, hepatitis, kidney disease. If a sediment also appears in dark urine, or it becomes, this may indicate the formation of calculi. Often, the urine darkens after the blood transfusion procedure, this happens due to the massive destruction of red blood cells.

If you noticed reddish urine, do not immediately panic. For example, there may be red urine after beets, or perhaps you ate blackberries the day before. If this is true, then you should not worry and worry. Much more serious and dangerous is the condition when blood appears in the urine. It can be caused by problems related to the genitourinary system, kidney stones, exercise. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor. After all, a rich red color may appear due to the presence of blood in urine, and this is a sign of many urological diseases, such as glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, and so on.

Do not postpone the visit to the doctor even if your dark yellow urine... In addition to taking medications, among the reasons may be such a serious illness as hepatitis. In addition, the dark yellow color of urine can be acquired due to dehydration of the body (this occurs with vomiting, diarrhea, heart failure).

Beer-colored urine may be due to parenchymal jaundice. With this disease, bile pigments appear in the urine - and. If you shake such urine, green foam will definitely appear in it.

Lemon-colored urine almost always speaks of a disease such as obstructive jaundice.

Green urine may appear from taking medications that contain dyes, as well as from the use of products with artificial colors. Among the natural products that can turn urine green is asparagus.

After eating carrots or carrot juice, you may experience orange urine... In addition, this shade appears when taking medications intended for the treatment of the urinary and genital tract.

Bright yellow urine with sandy sediment may indicate the formation of calculi in the kidneys.

Milky white urine- a sign of bacterial lesions of the urinary system and some infections. When it appears, you should immediately go to the hospital and take the appropriate tests.

Black urine- a symptom of many diseases, especially such as Machiafava Micelli's disease, alkaptonuria, melanoma.

Medicines that cause discoloration

Many medications can also affect the urine and its color. Here are some of them:

Aspirin (or acetylsalicylic acid) sometimes turns urine pinkish
Rifampicin (used for tuberculosis) - gives brownish-red hues
Metronidazole - also able to stain urine red and brown
Triamterene (a diuretic) makes urine blue-green

Normalization measures

If the color of your urine suddenly changed and became far from natural, but at the same time you feel quite well and no other symptomatology accompanies this condition, wait a day. Perhaps you just ate something wrong, or drank an insufficient amount of liquid.

In the same case, when the changed color of urine becomes commonplace and a chronic course of this condition is outlined, or you began to experience some other alarming symptoms (abdominal pain, you have a fever, and so on), do not hesitate - consult a doctor ...

A specialist will without fail conduct an examination, collect an anamnesis of your life based on your diet, ask about what medications you are taking or have taken, and, of course, will write out directions for tests.

If the color of the urine is really changed pathologically, the cause of this condition must be found out. And only after its determination can the correct treatment regimen be developed and prescribed.

When making a diagnosis, the description of the patient's lifestyle has important indicators.

In order to avoid such problems in the future, you should adjust your drinking regimen and in no case allow your body to become dehydrated. If the urine becomes dark, the first step is to replace the lost and missing fluid.

In addition, it is extremely important to monitor your sexual health and prevent the development of infections. Also, you should not endure for a long time if you want to use the toilet - you need to empty the urine regularly and at the first urge. Also, monitor the hygiene of your genitals, regularly undergo preventive examinations, which will help to identify existing problems in a timely manner and eliminate them at the initial stage.

And, of course, do not forget about a healthy lifestyle, give up smoking, alcohol, and other addictions, this will reduce the effect of toxins and chemical elements on the body. Your life should be active and healthy. This one hundred percent will help to avoid many problems and extend your life for many years.

Make an appointment with a doctor right now and do not postpone the problem until later.

Urine research includes quantitative and qualitative indicators. The color of urine is determined by comparison with a standard scale, it must be included in the conclusion of the analysis.

Modern diagnostic methods are not comparable to the working conditions of rural doctors of the 19th century, when the color of urine was used to judge the health of a person, they knew in what cases the color of foam or urine sediment remained. People may notice a change in the color of their urine on their own. This important symptom raises vigilance, doubts, the need to consult a doctor.

What determines the color of urine?

The study of the biochemical composition that affects the color of urine in normal conditions showed that they matter:

transparency;
coloring;
intensity.

To characterize what color the urine should be in a particular person, you need to take into account the peculiarities of his diet, taking medications. The color saturation varies depending on the total amount of excreted urine, its specific gravity (concentration of solutes).

In terms of chemical composition, urine is a multicomponent liquid. More than 150 substances are dissolved in it. In fresh urine of a healthy adult, the color is formed by pigments:

urochrome;
uroerythrin;
urosein;
stercobilin.

All of them contribute to the staining of urine in different shades of yellow, from light to rich-bright. The intensity increases with oliguria, increased specific gravity of solutes (salts, urea and uric acid, mucopolysaccharides).

The presence of a large amount of mucus and salts reduces transparency, the color looks dull. The normal color of urine is usually determined by the morning portion. Therefore, one of the requirements for collecting analysis is the delivery of the container to the laboratory no later than two hours. If the jar with urine is stored longer, the processes of fermentation and decomposition of the contents begin. This leads to a change in color and transparency.

What factors determine the color of urine?

The reasons for the discoloration of urine are associated with:

the level of metabolism in the body - increased activity in thyrotoxicosis;
the volume of urine excreted - the greater the urine output, the lighter the color, since the dilution of pigmenting substances increases;
the age of a person - in children, urine is light yellow, in the infancy period it is almost colorless, a weak reddish tint is associated with an increase in the level of uric acid;
the use of products, preservatives containing vegetable and artificial colors (carrots, beets, eosin, methylene blue);
febrile condition in infectious diseases;
taking medications;
urinary tract injuries;
inflammation in the urogenital area;
diseases of the liver, gallbladder and duct;
blood diseases;
hereditary metabolic abnormality.

We will consider what determines the color of urine and how it changes in shades.

What to think about if the urine of an adult is colorless?

A characteristic milky-white color is urine with hiluria, lymph flow. This pathology is formed due to the connection (fistulous) between the lymph duct and the renal pelvis or bladder.

The formation of three immiscible layers is typical:

white clot on top;
in the middle - milky liquid;
below - the cells of the epithelium, salts, fatty inclusions are located.

A similar condition is possible with pyonephrosis (kidney abscess).

The difference is the absence of massive leukocyturia and bacteriuria, symptoms of an acute destructive process in the kidneys. Self-termination occurs when the patient is in a horizontal position, when rising, lymph instantly fills the urinary system, and the color of urine changes to whitish.

Prolonged discharge of pale, almost colorless urine is characteristic of diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure.

Greening urine causes Pseudomonas aeruginosa

What does orange urine indicate?

Orange or reddish urine means:

the release from the blood of a significant amount of pigments such as urochrome and urobilinogen;
eating preservatives containing dyes, carrot juice and dishes from carrots, oranges;
dehydration of the body, low fluid intake, profuse uncompensated sweating in the heat, in the sauna, during physical work;
treatment with Chloroquine, Riboflavin, Furagin, Furadonin, Rifampicin changes the color of urine from a bright yellow to intense orange.

With an increased content of bilirubin in the blood, the urine has a saffron-yellow or amber color, after shaking the container, the foam is also colored.

When is urine pink?

A pink tint to light yellow urine appears when eaten:

dishes from beets and a large number of carrots;
red food coloring contained in canned meat, lemonade, sweets;
blackberries and cherries;
black currant with acidic urine;
rhubarb on alkalization of urine.

Pink color is possible during treatment with drugs:

containing acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin, many headache tablets);
Ibuprofen;
the Phenolphthalein group;
Aminophenazone;
Phenylin;
Rifampicin.

Any pinkish-reddish urine indicates the presence of:

erythrocytes;
breakdown products of hemoglobin;
bilirubin and its derivatives.

Hematuria (an admixture of fresh blood and free hemoglobin) is possible in pathological conditions:

cystitis;
glomerulonephritis;
pyelonephritis;
urolithiasis;
tumors of the urinary organs;
systemic vasculitis involving the glomerular apparatus of the kidneys.

In these cases, in addition to the changed color of urine, patients have other symptoms:

pain in the lumbar region, above the pubis, in the groin; for men with renal colic, irradiation into the penis and scrotum is characteristic;
temperature increase;
dysuric disorders (frequent urge to urinate, cramps);
swelling on the face in the morning, in the evening on the legs and feet;
high blood pressure;
unpleasant smell of urine.

In men after 60 years of age, hematuria is more often a sign of prostate adenoma, bladder cancer

In the analysis of urine they find:

red blood cells (fresh or leached);
leukocytes;
bacteria;
slime;
salt;
protein;
cylinders;
epithelial cells.

Without a microscope, clots of mucus, pus, fibrin threads are visible.

When does urine turn red?

A symptom such as an intense red (burgundy) color of urine indicates massive bleeding in the urinary tract. This can be caused by:

injury to the mucous membrane by a stone during its movement;
the destructive effect of the tumor;
injury to the kidneys, lower urinary tract, genitals;
diseases with reduced blood clotting rates (hemophilia);
hemoglobinuria.

With urolithiasis, oxalate stones most often give bleeding. They are distinguished by sharp edges, a significant wounding surface. Redness of urine after an attack of renal colic is characteristic.

Blood in the urine forms clots, which, depending on their size, can clog the ureter and cause symptoms of acute retention.

With the breakdown of muscle tissue during severe injuries, prolonged pressure syndrome, myoglobin appears in the blood and urine. Its presence gives urine a reddish-brown color.

Viral hepatitis is accompanied by changes in the color range of urine at different stages

If the urine is dark brown, what does it mean?

Most often, the dark color of urine in a child is caused by a lack of fluid in the drinking regime. Children are much more sensitive to dehydration than adults. Therefore, pediatricians always remind about the need to give extra water between feedings and not save on diapers.

In adults, in addition to dehydration, urine darkens from:

frequent intake of laxative teas containing buckthorn bark and cassia;
therapy with Metronidazole, Rifampicin, drugs of the nitrofuran group, Quinine, Imipenem;
use in the treatment of B vitamins, high dosages of C, sulfur-containing drugs, antibiotics;
disorders of bilirubin metabolism in hepatitis, gallstone disease, tumors of the liver and pancreas (at the same time, the feces become light);
alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver;
viral hepatitis;
toxic effects on the liver in case of mercury poisoning;
increased breakdown of erythrocytes in blood diseases;
hemochromatosis and excess iron;
hereditary tyrosinemia - a serious disease associated with a lack of enzymes involved in the breakdown of the protein tyrosine, while kidney and liver cells are destroyed;
infectious inflammation of the urinary organs;
malignant lesions of the kidneys, bladder, polycystic;
the consequences of kidney damage in systemic vasculitis.

Hematuria caused by the ingress of hemoglobin from erythrocytes into the urine, under the influence of acidity, is accompanied by conversion to hematin or methemoglobin. Therefore, the color from pink is converted to brown.

Injury to the liver tissue may be accompanied by blackening of the urine. Black urine is also part of the symptoms of serious diseases such as:

Markiafava-Mikeli disease (a rare form of hemolytic anemia);
alkaptonuria - hereditary chromosomal pathology, more often detected in men;
melanoma is a malignant tumor.

Urine with alkaptonuria turns black in the air

In pregnant women, as a rule, in the morning the urine is rather dark, and in the daytime it becomes straw-yellow. The changes are related to the hormonal balance of the day.

When do blue-green urine tints occur?

Urine that is blue, or rather blue in color, is rare. Medicines have the ability to:

Phenacetin - color the urine brown-green (tea) or dark;
Amitriptyline and methyl blue - green or blue-green;
antibiotics of the tetracycline series act in a similar way on patients with diabetes;
an individual reaction to taking certain vitamins is possible.

Congenital impairment of protein metabolism is associated with the accumulation of tryptophan protein. It is found in fish, seafood, chicken, turkey. In patients with impaired absorption, urine becomes blue.

When, in addition to urine, does the sediment stain?

Typically, urine sediment has a fawn color, but different reasons color it:

if a large amount of uric acid falls out, then the precipitate looks like yellow sand;
with a large number of urates, it becomes brick-red;
the presence of salts of triple phosphates, as well as amorphous phosphates, makes the precipitate dense and white;
an admixture of pus - gives a green tint;
erythrocyte inclusion - red.

What to do if an unusual color of urine is found?

When detecting changes in the background of good health, you should think about the amount of fluid you drink, food hobbies. Observe urine for 1 to 2 days. A permanent discoloration can signal the onset of a chronic illness. It should be remembered that many diseases have a latent period of their course.

Discoloration of urine is difficult to assess on your own. It is best to get tested. Laboratory methods make it possible to find out which substances affect the color in each individual case. To find out what the color of urine is talking about, the doctor will first try to establish a connection with physiological reasons. Only when a pathology is detected, treatment is prescribed.

It is impossible to draw a conclusion about human health based on one color of urine. For an accurate diagnosis, additional examination methods will be required.

Often, patients notice that they have dark urine, and because of this they begin to panic. But darkening of the liquid is not always a sign of pathology. A healthy person produces a light, yellowish liquid without unpleasant odors. If the urine becomes dark in color, you need to see a doctor who will determine the cause of such changes. Dark urine in the morning is the norm, because at night a person did not go to the toilet, and other liquid did not get into the body. Usually the second act of urination is distinguished by lighter urine. Many factors change the color of the discharge, because blood, mucous and purulent impurities are excreted in the urine. So, patients have black urine, grayish or burgundy discharge, or brown liquid. If dark urine is supported by other signs (pain in the abdomen or lower back, weakness, headache, pain in the side, or a matter of temperature), then the patient should be examined by a doctor.

Physiological causes of darkening of the liquid

If the patient's urine is colored in a darkish shade, there is no need to panic, because darkened discharge is observed not only with the development of ailments. The natural reasons for the appearance of darkish urine include the use of a small amount of liquid, the use of products, due to which the urine becomes cloudy. Urine changes color after exercise or sex, when the body has received physical activity.

The appearance of dark morning urine is the norm for any person, because after sleep, urine has a high concentration. Also, the color changes due to the consumption of a small amount of liquid per day or as a result of increased sweating, which manifests itself on hot days or during physical exertion. This phenomenon indicates an increased level of urochrome. What foods cause dark-colored urine? Strong tea and coffee, legumes, beets, beef, carrots, rhubarb, blueberries, etc. have a coloring effect.

What are the pathological causes?

Dark urine can be a symptom of damage to the organs of the urinary system.

For what diseases does a person excrete dark urine when urinating? The reasons are divided into 2 groups. The first group includes ailments that change the color of urine, in which the organs of the urinary system (kidneys, urethra, bladder) are affected. Such diseases include pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, cystitis, malignant neoplasms, or nephritis. The second group is general metabolic disorders of the body (the appearance of jaundice, hyperlipidemia or hemolysis), which affects the analysis of urine.

What does the shade indicate?

A distinctive feature is the urinary tint. If the urine becomes dark brown, then this indicates hepatic damage or ailments of the gallbladder, as a result of which bilirubin and biliverdin are excreted from the kidneys (for example, cholestasis develops), and with urolithiasis, the outflow of bile becomes more difficult. When the liquid has darkened to a dark yellow hue, then the patient has an ailment that affects the urinary tract. In addition, high levels of salts, urates, etc. are found in the discharge. There may also be gray urine, indicating the presence of purulent discharge.

If the urine turns dark, then the reason for this may be the development of cirrhosis, and also dark urine appears in hepatitis C or kidney ailments, due to which the process of removing excess toxins is disrupted. In addition, with pathology, the patient develops signs such as an increased level of sweating, the appearance of nausea, increased protein in the urine, vomiting and pain, the patient has a liquid with a smell and the temperature rises. It is important that when changes are detected, the exact factor due to which the urine darkens is established. In particular, this applies to cases when a person is worried about fever and sharp pains in the lower abdomen, while pain in the left side or right side, headaches and weakness, diarrhea may appear.

Causes of dark discharge in men

In men, the cause of the appearance of brown urine can be the inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system.

Discharge in an adult man can change color with ailments of the vas deferens, prostate, testicles and other genital organs. This is due to the fact that urine, seminal discharge, and prostate secretions pass through the urethra. The appearance of a rusty tint means that blood has stagnated in the prostate gland, which manifests itself in a man with prostatitis. If a brick color is found, it is possible to identify a trauma to the scrotum or the presence of inflammatory processes in the epididymis.

What causes the discharge in women to darken?

Dark urine in women may be a sign of inflammatory processes appearing in the patient's body. These include malignant neoplasms in the pancreas and liver, renal ailments, various kinds of trauma, the development of vasculitis, jaundice or hepatitis, hemolytic anemia, and a symptom manifests itself in pancreatitis. If the patient has a dark color of urine, then an infection could have entered the urinary tract, or the patient was found to have high levels of bilirubin.

Dark urine in women is manifested when following a certain dietary menu or when using products that have a coloring effect (tea or coffee drink, beets, etc.). Darkening of urine can be a symptom of pregnancy, which appears due to hormonal changes in the patient, or manifests itself after childbirth. Dirty and smelly fluid is secreted in sexually transmitted diseases, in cervical cancer, and in uterine fibroids that are disintegrating.

Symptoms of dark urine

Discharge of very dark, almost black, urine is observed in acute renal failure.

A healthy person secretes a light yellow liquid that does not have odors and impurities. But there are different causes of dark urine, and the type of developing ailment depends on the shade. Changes in urine color are sometimes associated with a person's age, because after 50 years, the genitourinary system is affected in both men and women. At the same time, urine of a certain color is characteristic for each syndrome.

If the color of the urine changes to dark yellow, while the liquid is cloudy and of high concentration, then the patient is dehydrated, as a result of which nausea, vomiting and loose light stools appear.
A brown discharge indicates hemolytic anemia.
Black urine is a sign of melanosarcoma, alkaptonuria, and an acute hemolytic kidney is also diagnosed.
Red, almost burgundy thick urine with blood indicates tumors, cystitis and urolithiasis.
Glomerulonephritis is the reason why the color of meat slops appears.
A greenish-brown hue (beer-colored urine) means the patient is developing parenchymal jaundice.
In the presence of a gray tint, which is almost white and discolored, they speak of the presence of fats or purulent discharge in the discharge, while urine smells unpleasant.

A change in the color of urine is a symptom that is easily detectable by a person and may indicate the development of a disease in the body. But, sometimes - it can be the result of taking certain medicines or eating brightly colored food.

In the latter case, it is quite simple to find out by asking the patient, and in the rest, a more detailed examination is required. The diagnostic search program is formed taking into account the available shade of urine, which allows us to assume the most likely factor.

Causes of dark urine in men and women

The reasons for the dark color of urine can be very diverse and the nature determines one or another shade. In most cases, pathological changes in urine in men and women are the same, except for specific cases of abnormalities in the functioning of the genital organs or injuries. And, of course, the period of pregnancy in women.

We will dwell on these features separately - first, we will consider general factors that do not depend on gender.

Cause of dark brown urine lies in the destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis), in which a large amount of urobilins is formed from hemoglobin. It is they who give the characteristic shade.

Hemolysis can develop as a result of hereditary or acquired factors. Hereditary factors are abnormalities in the structure of hemoglobin or the membrane (membrane) of erythrocytes.

These features cause an increased deformation of red cells, as a result of which they are destroyed in the vascular bed, causing the subsequent release of hemoglobin from them.

Such events develop if a person has some hereditary diseases:

sickle cell anemia (red blood cells are sickle-shaped);
spherocytosis, acanthocytosis, etc.
thalassemia (change in the number of hemoglobin chains in 1 erythrocyte);
enzymopathies (enzyme defects that cause the shortening of the life of erythrocytes).

Acquired hemolysis can be caused by:

autoimmune anemia (destruction of red cells is associated with their damage by antibodies);
mechanical injury of erythrocytes during physical exertion (marching hemoglobinuria);
malaria (malaria plasmodium directly initiates the death of blood cells);
toxic substances of hemolytic action;
acute infections;
enhance the function of the spleen, which normally destroys red blood cells.

Dark yellow urine usually indicates a state of dehydration or a state of fluid release into the intercellular space, in which the concentration of urochromes (substances that give urine a yellow color) increases in it. This mechanism takes place when:

edematous syndrome;
burns;
vomiting;
diarrhea.

Taking vitamins from group B or Furagin (a drug for treating kidney and bladder infections) causes the urine to appear yellow-orange. To restore normal staining, it is enough to cancel the administration of the pharmacological agent.

Dark red urine indicates the presence in it of some substances of exogenous (external) origin. They usually appear due to:

taking sulfonamides;
taking Metronidazole;
taking drugs based on bearberry (most often used to treat urinary infections);
poisoning with phenol-containing substances.

Phenol is everywhere around us. This poison can be found in furniture (in fiberboard and chipboard, its release increases with increasing ambient temperature), carpets, toys, clothes, building materials, cosmetics and household chemicals. It is also present in food products.

It is especially abundant in liquid smoke used as a substitute for smoking. Fruits and vegetables can also contain phenol. it is used for treatment in order to prevent decay processes. Therefore, it is recommended to wash them thoroughly (especially those collected out of season).

In some cases, the urine may turn black. The reasons for this may be:

nocturnal hemoglobinuria (usually the main cause of dark urine in the morning)
melanoma (a malignant tumor that affects the skin).

Beer color in urine appears with damage to hepatocytes caused by viral hepatitis or alcoholic liver damage. In these diseases, she is not able to metabolize bilirubin, and it appears in large quantities in the blood, from where it is filtered in the kidneys.

Reddish urine usually indicates a person's eating habits. So, it appears when eating a large amount of beets, carrots or blueberries. Another reason may be taking aspirin or antipyrine.

At the same time, it should be distinguished from bright red urine due to renal colic or renal infarction. The diagnostic criterion will be the detection of erythrocytes or hemoglobin in the urinary sediment, which indicate colic or circulatory disorders.

Dark cloudy urine- this is a sign of an inflammatory process. The lack of transparency indicates the presence of various impurities in it. These can be bacteria, dead white blood cells, or desquamated epithelial cells. Microscopic examination of urine helps to detect these elements.

Features of dark urine in men

Specific reasons for the appearance of dark urine in men are:

damage to the prostate gland;
epididymitis - an inflammatory lesion of the epididymis;
traumatic injury to the scrotum.

Otherwise, the symptoms and causes of color changes in urine in men and women are the same.

The main cause of dark urine in a woman during pregnancy is (vomiting). It leads to dehydration of the body and the concentration of dyes in the urine is higher than normal. These urochromes lead to darkening of the biological fluid.

The study of urinary sediment in toxicosis can reveal the presence of acetone. Other signs are:

repeated vomiting;
dry mucous membranes;
persistent nausea;
decrease in pressure;
increased heart rate;
slight rise in temperature;
acetone breath, etc.

Toxicosis is not the only cause of dark urine in a pregnant woman. A similar mechanism takes place in food poisoning (infections).

All of the above factors should also be excluded. The changed color of urine during pregnancy should always be alarming and be the reason for a detailed examination.

What to do when urine takes on an abnormal color? - It is necessary to find out the reason for this condition. To do this, it is necessary to adhere to a certain algorithm (a person can perform its initial stages on his own):

Analyze the food ration - if it contains foods with a bright color (beets, blueberries, carrots, etc.).
Analyze if medications are being taken, especially antibiotics (Metronidazole), sulfonamides, Aspirin, or other non-steroids.
Assess if there are accompanying symptoms (vomiting, fever, diarrhea, etc.).
Is it possible to identify a provoking factor - pregnancy, burns, poisoning, etc.
Pass a urine test for microscopy.
If microscopic examination does not reveal abnormalities, then it is necessary to conduct a biochemical analysis of urine (assesses the presence of certain chemicals, including toxic ones).
Get a blood test to check for possible anemia.

The last 3 points of this algorithm are the task of the doctor. Therefore, if the color of urine changes, you should consult a specialist. Contact should be prompt in the following situations:

pregnancy;
temperature increase;
repeated vomiting;
soreness of urination;
the appearance of yellowness of the skin;
development of puffiness;
massive burns.

If physiological (morning increased urine concentration), iatrogenic (medication-related) or nutritional causes are excluded, then treatment is carried out. It depends on the underlying disease and is prescribed by the appropriate specialist.

Urine is a liquid that the body secretes and with it removes the products of internal metabolic processes, etc. These products are the sources of urine color. Such as urobilin, urochrome, uroserin, uroerythrin color the liquid in various shades of yellow. Under normal conditions, urine should not be outside the yellow range., but sometimes there are exceptions to the rule. Vitamins and their absorption by the body can saturate urine with a bright green hue, etc.

directly from the quality of metabolism and the amount of fluid that is excreted from the body;
age also has an impact on this issue. In children, the color of urine is always weaker than that of an adult: in newborns, urine has an almost transparent color, in infants it is light yellow. But sometimes a slight reddish tint may be observed due to an increase in the level of uric acid;
finally, on what products or drugs are used. It is quite common for the urine to change color during illness and medication.

But it is also worth noting the fact that a change in the color of urine is most often evidence of pathological changes and diseases.

Golden yellow urine is normal

Why does orange urine appear?

Urine is orange or reddish in color if the following conditions exist:

a large amount of pigment that creates a yellow urine color: urochrome, urobilinogen, etc.;
consumption of foods with a high content of dye, by the way, not necessarily yellow. Any colorant can give an orange color when cleaved;
diseases of the urinary tract and taking medications.

All people excrete deep red urine in the morning, especially if the bladder has not been emptied before going to bed. In this case, the reason lies in the prerequisites of a hormonal nature.

Another reason for the appearance of orange urine is dehydration. Dehydration, that is, a deficiency of metabolic water, can be caused by intense physical activity, prolonged lack of moisture intake, heat, etc. Urine of increased concentration occurs due to the fact that the kidneys are trying to compensate for the lack of moisture.

Abnormal shades of urine

Urine color is red

Absolutely any person will be surprised and even scared if the urine turns red, especially if the color is saturated. As a rule, such a phenomenon is a sign of a disease in which blood or hemoglobin has entered the urine. Such diseases include:

glomerulonephritis;
the appearance of kidney stones;
oncology of the bladder or kidneys;
hemoglobinuria;
hemophilia;
bruises of the lower back or penis.

Glomerulonephritis can be an independent disease or one of the complications that causes lupus erythematosus. In the acute form, vascular permeability occurs to a large extent, the result of this is a deterioration in filtration and the ingress of red blood cells into the urine. In this case, urine can be either red or raw meat.

One of the manifestations urolithiasis- formation of calculi in the kidneys. Very often they can enter the bladder or ureter through the blood supply pathways. If calculi (stones) have a sharp surface, then it injures the mucous membrane, and blood particles will get into the urine. Often, the appearance of a symptom of rapid renal colic.

Bladder cancer for a considerable time, it may not cause any symptoms at all. When the upper films of the tumor decompose, blood can enter the urine. Symptoms that accompany this case are fever, weight loss and difficulty urinating.

Important:if you notice your urine is red, it’s better to see a therapist as soon as possible, who will prescribe additional examinations and tests.

Dark colored urine

As a rule, the lightness or dark color is influenced by the amount of liquid consumed: the more there is, the lighter the color. In addition, the dark color can be caused by exposure to toxins and the cause of some diseases.

Diseases and conditions causing dark urine:

an increase in the number of urochromates, which give a dark color as a result of dehydration;
consumption of pharmacological drugs such as quinine, rifampicin, nitrofurantoin and metronidazole;
additional or increased intake of vitamins C and B;
cholelithiasis complicated by hepatitis;
excess of the normal number of red blood cells;
poisoning with mercury vapor;
tyrosinemia;
infection of the urinary tract;
cancer of the urinary cavity;
calculi in the gallbladder;
kidney disease, including kidney stones and cancers;
hemochromatosis due to excess iron;
liver and pancreatic cancer;
vasculitis;
alcoholic and viral hepatitis;
glomerulonephritis;
bile duct cancer;
Goodpasture syndrome;
dietary factors;
schistosomiasis.

In addition, the color of urine is black, it can occur with mechanical damage to the liver.

Cloudiness in dark urine

If the dark color of urine is accompanied by the presence of turbidity, then this most likely indicates a kidney stone. If there is such a symptom, then it is necessary to consult a nephrologist as soon as possible. If a sharp change in the color of urine was of a short-term nature, then this fact should not be a cause for concern. But a prophylactic urine test in the clinic will not be superfluous.

The main thing is to ensure that the color change is not accompanied by the following processes:

constant desire to "go small";
fever, fever, excessive sweating;
lower abdominal pain;
urine has a pungent acetone odor.

If there is at least one similar symptom, then you should not self-medicate and wait until the symptoms go away by themselves. Timely started therapy will identify possible prerequisites and begin measures to effectively eliminate them.

Dark urine during pregnancy

Pregnant girls should not immediately panic if the color of their urine turns dark. During pregnancy, even the most harmless factor can lead to this effect. Very often, dark urine in pregnant women is noticed after sleep, when the morning bladder emptying occurs. The color change in this case occurs with increasing concentration. The next urination decreases the concentration and, as a rule, the urine brightens significantly. If the urine does not change color to a lighter color, then it is better to consult a visiting specialist.

Brown urine

Brown-colored urine may appear as a result of eating a lot of beans or rhubarb. The same effect can be caused by the use of most drugs against malaria, as well as inflammation in the urinary tract itself. Sulfur or cascara, which are found in antibiotics or laxatives, give a persistent brown color to the urine.

The saturated brown color of urine can occur in diseases that are associated with liver damage: cirrhosis or hepatitis, and this also indicates malfunctioning of the kidneys, which cannot cope with the elimination of toxins.

Pink urine

Pink urine saturation in a healthy person can occur with the following foods:

Red beetroot,
black currant (if there is an acidic urine reaction),
rhubarb (alkaline reaction),
carrots in very large quantities,
blackberry,
Cherry,
products with the addition of red food coloring (lemonade, lollipops, etc.).

In addition, the urine may turn pink after the use of pharmacological drugs, which include:

aspiric acid;
ibuprofen;
purgen or phenolphthalein drugs;
aminophenazone;
rifampicin, etc.

Pathologies of the urinary tract, which are characterized by the appearance of pink urine:

cystitis;
glomerulonephritis;
vasculitis with kidney damage;
urolithiasis disease;
oncological diseases of the bladder, ureters, kidneys;

A pink tint in urine is caused by a small amount of blood, similar to a red color. Saturation depends on the amount of blood that is present in the urine. Cystitis, the reason women suffer from, is very common. The hemorrhagic form of the disease, in addition to the pink color of urine, is accompanied by a strong increase in temperature, pain from the kidneys and lower abdomen. In addition to blood, the urine may contain clots of mucus, pus, or films.

Pyelonephritis is a disease in which inflammation of the urinary canal occurs, vascular permeability increases, and blood cells enter the urine. The pink color of urine is accompanied by the usual symptoms of toxic damage: general inflammation of the mucous membranes, headaches, fever, etc. Also, with the disease, high blood pressure is diagnosed, as a result of which swelling occurs.

Important: if there are any signs of inflammatory processes, then it is advisable to consult a doctor who will identify all the causes of the disease and methods of dealing with them. Self-medication in this case can lead to serious complications and longer treatment.

Products that stain urine pink

Blue urine

A greenish or blue tinge of urine is a very interesting and rare case. The appearance of this color is mainly associated not with damage to the genitals or urinary organs, but with the presence of infections or internal metabolism. A striking example would be a violation of the metabolic processes of tryptophan or the presence of a pseudomonas infection. Tryptophan is an amino acid compound that is present in large quantities in salmon, tuna, chicken breast, turkey, shrimp, and beef. Bluish urine is a rare pathology, but it should not cause excitement, as a rule, this phenomenon goes away on its own.

Other reasons include:

The contrast media used to detect kidney stones can stain the urine blue or light blue. Plus, consuming food coloring will do the same thing.
The use of the tetracycline group of antibiotics can cause a similar reaction in diabetics.
Pseudomanade disease (Pseudomonas - lat.)

If there is a change in the color of urine, then in order to determine the cause, it is first necessary to exclude all possible prerequisites of an external and physiological nature. For a more accurate determination of the causes, it will be necessary to conduct a urinalysis in a clinical setting using specific chemicals. The cumulative study will make it possible with great confidence to draw conclusions about a person's health based on the color of urine.