Yellow, Red, Colorless, Dark Urine What can urine color tell us about our health?

Light or dark: what the color of our urine says

An adult usually excretes about one and a half to two liters of urine per day on average. The color of the excretion varies: sometimes it is very light, sometimes rather dark. Although you do not have to worry much about urine being a strong yellow color, this can be an indication that you do not drink enough. However, certain changes in fluid secretions should be clarified promptly by a urologist.

For some changes necessarily to the doctor

Everybody has had to give a urine sample to the doctor. Finally, urinalysis is an indispensable method in medical diagnostics to detect or monitor the course of illnesses. On the basis of the nature of the urine can be seen even for laymen possible health disorders. Because smell, color and amount of urine often give first indications that something is wrong. Some changes should be clarified to a doctor.

Everyone has already given a urine sample to the doctor. The urine can give information about certain diseases. Even laymen can tell by the color of the urine, if something is wrong. (Image: Gerhard Seybert / fotolia.com)

Urine usually smells inconspicuous

Normally, the urine smells inconspicuous when urinating. Malodorous urine may indicate various diseases, such as urinary tract infections or diabetes.

When it "smells" fishy, ​​bacteria are often the trigger, leading to vaginal inflammation, especially in women.

Often, however, it smells only temporarily strictly, for example, after eating certain foods such as asparagus.

Hydration plays a big role

The color is often much more meaningful. Normally, urine is clear and slightly yellowish or amber, with the color being produced by urinary metabolites (urochromes).

Accordingly, the emergence of the Urochrome decides on the expression of yellowing, which can vary from an intense yellow (hypotonic urine) to colorless or transparent very different.

Very important here is also the fluid intake: "Dark urine is present when little drunk or the urine is kept in the bladder overnight," said Karl Dorfinger, urologist and president of the Professional Association of Austrian Urologists, in a report of the newspaper " Default".

This is because the body tries to retain fluid through the kidneys. "Generally, the rule of thumb is to drink so much that it comes to a regular bladder emptying of 500 milliliters of urine three times a day," said the physician.

At least one and a half liters per day excrete

Other health experts recommend drinking at least as much per day that 1.5 liters of urine are excreted through the urinary tract. In this way, the kidneys and the draining urinary tract are well rinsed. Ideal is as light as possible urine.

However, clearing very little and very dark urine may indicate a kidney or liver disorder.

Red-colored urine can be caused, among other things, by consumed foods: "This occurs, for example, after the consumption of red beets," explains Dorfinger in the "Standard" article.

Other shades such as neon yellow, pink or greenish may also be caused, among other things, by an increased intake of vitamin B, for example after the consumption of blueberries or by certain bacteria. Most such discolorations are harmless.

Blood in the urine

However, if the urine is cloudy or particles are floating in it, you should see a doctor. Cloudy and flaky urine often indicates a urinary tract infection.

Reddish urinary exudates suggest blood in the urine and thus possibly for kidney or ureteral stones or other, more serious diseases of the urinary tract.

"Cystitis is the leading cause of blood in the urine," explains Dr. Reinhold Schaefer, urologist and managing director of the Uro-GmbH Nordrhein in a statement.

But: "If blood enters the urine without signs of bladder or kidney inflammation, the presence of bladder cancer should be ruled out," the expert said.

Orange to brown cloudiness may indicate, among other things, a gallbladder or liver disease.

Foaming urine or fat eyes floating on the urine can also be a sign of problems with the kidneys.

Medical examination instead of self-diagnosis

Although it makes sense to observe his excretions, self-diagnoses are "always to be seen with reservations", Dr. Shepherd.

Finally, "reddish discoloration and other changes may occur even after eating certain foods or taking some medications."

According to experts, urine self-tests from the pharmacy usually also bring little, since they often caused unnecessary worries due to a high error rate and incorrect application.

In order to gain security and to get to the bottom of the causes, it is therefore advisable to go to the urologist.

This also applies to pain, fever, nausea and malaise in connection with abnormalities in the urine.

Even without complaints, some physicians recommend taking a urine test once a year to detect possible abnormalities such as high blood sugar levels at an early stage. (Ad)