Urine is one of the topics that we don’t openly talk about. But the fact is that urine colour says a lot about your eating habits and your well-being. You might not show symptoms or signs of a disease or a health condition, but your urine colour can reveal it to some extent. Many know that as long as you have yellowish urine, you don’t have to worry. But once your urine shows different colours, you go to a doctor. There are more urine colours that you should be aware of!
Urine colours
• The normal colour of urine is yellowish to amber.
• The red colour should never be ignored as it can be the first sign of underlying bladder or kidney cancer. Other reasons can be stones in the kidney and urinary tract infections.
• Pink or orange colour can be due to some food items like beetroot or some dyes in the food or medicines.
• Clear urine means overhydration, which means you are drinking too much water.
• Cloudy urine could be a sign of dehydration, urinary tract infection or someone on a long-term urine catheter.
Dark brown can be due to certain medications or liver disease.
• Blue and green are very rare. They happen in some rare kinds of urine infections or after certain surgeries where dye is instilled in the urinary system.
Often it is the first sign of an underlying urinary bladder, kidney or prostate cancer. In women, sometimes blood from the vaginal tract can appear as blood in the urine. Never assume it to be due to menstruation and always see a doctor. Any woman past the menopause age must never ignore red urine colour. It can even be a sign of cervical cancer.
Tips to have a healthy urine colour
1. Stay well hydrated
Drink water and liquids as per need. Too dark a colour means you need to drink water. Very clear urine means that you are overhydrated (hydration myths). Cut down if you have the risk of medical conditions which can cause fluid overload or retention in the body or low salt levels.
2. Watch what you are eating
Healthy eating goes without saying, but avoid having food items with too much colour. That way you wouldn’t have to deal with colourful urine.
3. Don’t assume red-coloured urine to be harmless
Don’t think that the red urine colour is due to some food item. It is blood unless proven otherwise and every step has to be taken to ensure the cause is ruled out.
4. Cloudy urine or foamy urine
It needs attention as it can be a sign of underlying kidney disease or bladder condition. Excess water intake may mask it, but it should be investigated to rule out the cause.
Always make it a habit to have a look at the colour of your urine before flushing the commode. Detection of abnormal urine colour and its investigation may save you from serious medical conditions later on.
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