'Indicator of something serious': Patients warned to keep a close eye on the colour of their pee
From dehydration to more serious conditions, the colour of our urine can show us when something is wrong 🚽
- The colour of our urine can give us lots of information about our health.
- The colour of pee can reveal dehydration to more serious conditions like kidney disease or even cancer.
- Well Pharmacist Wendy Lee outlines the colours you should be looking for and what they mean for your health.
A leading pharmacist has urged patients to keep a close eye on the colour of their urine, which can provide vital clues to their health.
From dehydration to more serious conditions like kidney disease or even cancer, the colour of the water we pass can indicate a variety of underlying medical matters.
Well Pharmacy Pharmacist Wendy Lee said: “A healthy person has yellow urine, but it can turn a wide variety of other shades depending on what you might have eaten. It can also be an indicator of something more serious so it is important that you pay attention to its colour before you flush.
“Urine can turn pink from beetroot, orange from carrots, or bright yellow from B vitamins. Some medications can make it green or blue. Rare conditions like infections or muscle breakdown can darken it further. And if it's brown in colour this is a real red flag, as you could have blood in your urine.
“Although a colour change in your urine is generally harmless, anything extreme or long term should be checked out by booking a visit to your local pharmacist or GP.”
How is urine formed?
Urine is formed by our kidneys, which act like natural filters, removing waste and extra water from our blood. Leftover urea, salts, and water then become urine, which travels down tubes called the ureters and is stored in your bladder until you urinate.
Wendy said: “The process is your body’s way of staying clean, balanced and hydrated.”
How should my urine look?
Healthy urine should be pale yellow in colour, with a healthy adult expected to pee between four and seven times a day, or need to go every three to four hours.
Wendy added: “Of course, this can vary, depending on how much and what you drink, the temperature where you are, if the drink is caffeinated or if you are drinking alcohol. Some medications also make you urinate more, and your age, health and bladder size are all factors to bear in mind.”
These are the different colours of urine and what they could mean for you.
Bright yellow urine
Bright yellow urine is most likely if you are taking B-vitamins, particularly B2, however, it can also be an indication that you are dehydrated.
Wendy said: “Do not be alarmed if your urine is bright yellow. There are multiple reasons this might be, and none of them should be concerning. Having bright yellow urine can also be an indication that you are dehydrated. Urine can appear bright - and sometimes dark - yellow, because it is more highly concentrated.
“As a rule of thumb, the NHS recommends that adult men and women should drink six to eight glasses (that’s 1.5-2 litres) of water daily.
“Another thing to look at is your diet. Large amounts of foods contain carotene, a type of plant pigment specifically, that gives many fruits and vegetables their orange colour, like carrots and sweet potatoes. Carotene is harmless, and there’s no need to cut it down or out of your diet.”
Amber or orange urine
If you experience amber or orange urine, Wendy recommends checking if you are dehydrated, as not drinking enough water can cause your pee to become concentrated.
However, it could be due to certain medications or be a sign of liver or bile duct problems, especially if it is accompanied by additional symptoms such as pale stools or jaundice.
Wendy advises you should make an appointment with your GP if you experience any concerning symptoms, explaining: “Since many early liver disease symptoms are vague, it's especially important to get checked if you have risk factors.’
Blue or green urine
This colour of urine is rare, but Wendy advises there are a number of reasons it could be happening, from eating something that is heavily coloured with blue or green food colouring or being on a specific medication, such as cimetidine or amitriptyline.
However, if you have additional symptoms, including burning or stinging, it could suggest a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Wendy said: “If you suspect you have a UTI, there are things you can do yourself to ease the symptoms, like taking paracetamol up to four times a day to reduce the pain and high temperature. Try to take it easy, take frequent naps and drink lots of water, as this will help dilute your urine and, in turn, flush out the bacteria from your urinary tract.
“Under the NHS Pharmacy First scheme, your local pharmacist can provide support and treatment for your UTI.”
Pink or red urine
Pink or red urine could be linked to blood in your pee, which can be linked to UTIs, kidney stones, an enlarged prostate or, less commonly, cancer. It could also be caused by foods such as beetroot, blackberries or rhubarb.
White or cloudy urine
White or cloudy urine accompanied by a strong odour and pain during urination is a common sign of a UTI.
Wendy said: “This might be accompanied by a strong odour and pain during urination and is a common sign of a UTI, dehydration or an STI, if you have additional symptoms including itching or pain.
Wendy said: “Other causes can be kidney stones, as minerals that form these crystals in the urine can cause a milky appearance. There is also evidence that suggests cloudy urine can be a sign of reproductive issues. In men, this can be due to retrograde ejaculation (when semen enters the bladder).
Purple urine
Purple urine can be caused by a rare condition that affects patients who use catheters. Known as Purple Urine Bag Syndrome (PUBS), Wendy explains that it happens when bacteria in the urinary system react with a chemical in the urine to produce blue and red pigments, which combine to create a purple hue.
Wendy said: “Whilst it is usually benign, it signals an underlying urinary tract infection (UTI) and/or bacterial overgrowth. Anyone with these symptoms would be advised to consult their GP or local pharmacist, who will address the cause of the condition and treat accordingly.”
Brownish urine
Brownish urine could “ring alarm bells”, as it is a key sign of severe dehydration, causing the urine to become tea or Coca-Cola coloured as it is so highly concentrated. Or can also be a sign of liver disease, such as hepatitis or cirrhosis.
But it isn’t always a cause for alarm, as foods such as rhubarb, fava or aloe can darken urine. Whilst some medications, including antibiotics and laxatives containing senna, can also cause dark brown urine.
You can learn more about your urine and what its colour means for your health at NHS.UK.