Human urine is an important and useful diagnostic tool in medicine. Its color, density and smell will "tell" a lot about your he alth. Urine analysis can be done without spending a dime. It will also help pinpoint urinary tract infections and kidney disease.
Visual examination of a patient's urine has been used by doctors for a very long time. Until the beginning of our era, the Greeks understood the full value of this analysis. And European doctors began to regularly carry out this diagnosis in the Middle Ages.
In this article we will find out the answers to questions about what is the normal color of urine in a he althy person, and what are the deviations from the norm.
What is urine?
Urine is, from a medical point of view, a secondary liquid that contains substances that are unnecessary for the body. It is secreted by the kidneys and excreted from the body through the urethra during urination. In other words, urine is a type of human waste.
Consistency, smell and color oftenare indicators of your lifestyle and he alth status. Each of these signs can vary depending on what you have been eating or drinking, or what disease you have (all of which affect the color of a he althy person's urine).
Urine contains more chemicals than saliva or cerebrospinal fluid. Due to this, during its analysis, countless informational details can be revealed: the condition of the kidneys, liver, stomach and pancreas, urethra, as well as the degree of exposure to harmful microorganisms. With this knowledge, doctors are one step closer to catching potentially catastrophic he alth complications before the disease becomes chronic.
Characteristics of "he althy urine"
The urine sample, without evidence of any disease, has several characteristics:
- color: yellow;
- smell: none;
- pH ranges from 4.8 to 7.5;
- content of a small amount of protein and glucose;
- no ketones, hemoglobin (from blood), bilirubin (from liver bile) or its oxidized products (biliverdin);
- no white blood cells or nitrites.
What color is urine in a he althy person?
Urine gets its yellow color from a pigment called urochrome. This hue typically ranges from pale yellow to deep amber, depending on concentration.
Beets, blackberries, rhubarb, fava beans and other berries are the main foods that affect the color of human urine. And excessive consumption of carrots will lead to the formation of an orange tint. While taking certain oral medications, the color of a he althy person's urine may turn green or blue. Often vitamin preparations make it brighter. And a disease called porphyria can turn urine red.
But sometimes a change in color becomes a marker of the appearance of various diseases. Let's take a closer look at the main "unhe althy" shades of urine, and also find out what are the causes of their occurrence.
Colorless
When taking a large amount of liquid, the normal color of the urine of a he althy person becomes almost colorless. Excessive consumption of alcohol, coffee drinks and green tea also causes skin discoloration.
Clear urine is a by-product of diabetes. This disease occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin, and glucose levels begin to rise, and excess sugar is excreted in the urine. A complete blood count will also confirm abnormal glucose levels.
Colorless shade can also be an indication of the occurrence of such a rare disease as diabetes insipidus, which affects the violation of the production of antidiuretic hormone, which regulates fluid retention in the kidneys. People with these conditions often develop extreme dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
Orange
This shade indicates not only that you need to consume more liquid during the day, but also the development of serious diseases.
Sometimes the color of the urine of a he althy person (density and concentration are estimated separately) turns orange due to the presence of bilirubin. If its level is abnormally high, this indicates obstruction of the bile ducts in the liver, liver disease, or an increased rate of destruction of red blood cells, which is associated with the appearance of jaundice. Shaking the urine will help determine which pigment is in it: bilirubin forms a yellow foam.
Orange color with a pink tint appears due to the crystallization of uric acid, as well as due to the occurrence of acute and chronic nephropathy, nephrolithiasis.
Fever or sweating results in dark urine.
Many drugs, such as dehydrators and antibiotics, turn the shade into a bright tangerine. This is also facilitated by the excessive consumption of carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, due to the high content of carotene in foods.
Vitamin C and riboflavin have the same effect.
Red
When the urine of a he althy person turns red, it indicates the presence of red blood cells, hemoglobin and myoglobin (appears from the breakdown of muscle cells).
Hemoglobin may indicate the appearance of a disease such as Nutcracker syndrome, which leads to constriction of the veins in the kidneys, destruction of blood cells, accompanied by severeanemia.
Injuries resulting from strenuous exercise, where the muscles are severely damaged, create elevated levels of myoglobin in the urine.
Red tint may appear due to the use of drugs with phenolphthalein. Rhubarb, beetroot and blackberries create the same effect.
Red urine is also a symptom of mercury poisoning. Porphyria disease and medications such as warfarin, ibuprofen, rifampicin, etc. give a reddish hue.
Pink
The color of the urine of a he althy person (the norm is described above) turns pink with excessive consumption of sleeping pills and alcoholic beverages.
Eating a lot of beets, blackberries, or other dark red foods also results in a pink color.
Urine odor, pink coloration, chills, pain in the lower abdomen and back indicate a urinary tract infection.
Blue
This rare shade is often the result of the body's reaction to drugs like Viagra and methylene.
People with blue diaper syndrome have an impaired ability to break down and absorb the amino acid tryptophan, resulting in its massive elimination through urine, turning it blue.
Eating food with blue dye produces the same effect.
Green
The color of the urine of a he althy person becomes green when a Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial infection occurs in the body orurinary tract infections.
The pigment biliverdin, which appears in the urine, is a likely indicator of the appearance of diseases in the liver and kidneys. In order to confirm its presence, you need to shake the urine sample a little, then a green foam appears.
Chlorophyll-based dietary supplements also produce dark green coloration.
Purple
A deep purple hue indicates kidney failure as well as a high concentration of waste products in the blood.
This coloration may be the result of urinary tract infections.
Porphyria disease leads to an abnormal accumulation of porphyrins in the body, which turn urine red, which darkens to purple on contact with light.
Brown and black
The color of the urine of a he althy person (see photo above) becomes dark brown due to the appearance of an excess amount of bilirubin and oxidized red blood cells, which indicates the appearance of functional abnormalities in the liver.
People with cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis or Wilson's syndrome pass urine with a brown tint. Phenol poisoning has the same effect.
Black urine is not uncommon after receiving an intramuscular iron injection.
White
Cloudy urine with a strong odor is often a symptom of urinary tract and kidney infections, and may also indicate the appearance of acute glomerulonephritis, infections in the vagina, cervix, or externalurethra.
Milky coloration is also due to the presence of red blood cells or mucus.
Calcium and phosphorus, which are found in some drugs, color urine white. Drinking a lot of milk has the same effect.
Urinary TB also causes a white cast.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the color of urine is important for the detection of various diseases. However, more information is needed to identify the exact problem. The color of the urine is only part of the "puzzle" and a good starting point in the study of the human body. And with any change, you should contact a specialist.
