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Coca-Cola, Rose Wine, Red Wine and Fifty Shades of Yellow – What Your Urine Color Means

Red and yellow and pink and green – your urine may also sing a rainbow. You could also be surprised to know that it could possibly be purple and orange and blue. And a myriad of other unusual colours besides.

Urine acts as a medium through which the body can eliminate various waste products. This includes protein and nitrogenous waste from muscle breakdown (in the shape of Urea and creatinine), and red blood cells. In addition, many various ingested compounds, including vitamins, drugs, and a few of our food, are excreted from the body through urine.

But there are a lot of things that shouldn't be in urine, and An important question The doctor should consider: “What color is this?” Doing so may help point to a diagnosis.

Red

Red urine is generally indicated. Bleed. It can come from anywhere within the urinary tract – from the kidneys to the bladder and prostate gland, and all of the tubes that connect them.

The appearance of blood varies in accordance with volume and freshness and may produce many various colours. In profuse bleeding, the urine could also be so stained that it looks like red wine. Very Conditions can cause bleeding.From kidney stones to cancer, to trauma and urinary tract infections.

But red urine may also come from food. Too many beets.

Eating too many beets could cause red or pink urine.
Mike Long/Almy Stock Photo

Orange and yellow.

Of course, we all know that urine color in its normal form covers many shades of yellow – depending on how hydrated you might be. Dehydration causes urine to be dark yellow, sometimes with an orange solid, while good fluid intake produces pale yellow urine.

The compound that offers the urine a yellow stain is known as urobilin. The strategy of making it begins with the breakdown of old blood cells which have passed their prime and have to be faraway from the circulation.

This process creates a compound called Bilirubin. It is excreted partly through the urine and partly through the intestines since it is utilized by the liver to make bile, which is very important within the breakdown and digestion of fats. Bile is excreted within the intestine and lost within the stool. Bile comprises these compounds that give stool its characteristic brown color.

When bile is unable to be released into the intestines—perhaps because of this of stones or cancer blocking the bile ducts—bilirubin is reabsorbed into the bloodstream after which excreted through urine. This makes it darker – an orange or brown color. Elevated bilirubin also causes yellowing of the skin. is known as a condition. Obstructive jaundice.

Several medications including antibiotics rifampicinmay also stain urine orange.

Green and blue

Green and blue urine is somewhat rare and will cause quite a little bit of surprise when seen in the bathroom.

If you've ruled out that it's not the colour of the bathroom flush, there are the reason why your body is producing green or blue urine. Colorants that come from green (equivalent to asparagus) or blue foods and beverages, and are consumed in large amounts, could cause this, as can certain medications equivalent to antihistamines. Anesthetics and vitamins.

Interestingly, some microbes may also produce green compounds. The bacterium (named for its verdigris color) produces green-blue piocyanins. It has a rare cause. Urinary tract infections – Which is commonly accompanied by a burning or stinging sensation when urinating.

Indigo or purple

Indigo or purple urine is rare. One of the possible reasons is Porphyria (meaning purple) and is a genetic family of conditions that affect the skin and nervous system.

The other is appropriately called Purple bladder syndrome, and there's one other bacterial phenomenon. This refers to a condition where bacteria in a patient with a catheter (urinary tract) form stains that turn the urine purple.

Violet or pink

Back to the blood (and beets) again.. In small amounts, they'll stain urine pink as a substitute of deep red. In this instance, urologists typically liken Cabernet Sauvignon to a rose wine somewhat than a deep red.

Other colours

There are just a few other urine colours to notice outside of the rainbow.

Some are darker in color, normally brown or black. Here, one can compare Dr. Coca-Cola. This is typically attributable to the muscle breaking down right into a compound called myoglobin – it's linked to a serious condition rhabdomyolysisperhaps aggravated by extreme exercise or taking certain medications.

Two glasses of cola.
This color of urine can suggest a serious condition called rhabdomyolysis.
Lyudmila Chuhunova/Shutterstock

It also comes from bilirubin – making urine dark brown as a substitute of orange. But it could possibly even be attributable to blood, although this time, less fresh. Nephritis – a condition referred to as glomerulonephritis – May trigger bleeding that turns red to brown because it passes through the urethra.

But finally, on the clear side of the spectrum, comes colorless urine. Although it's best not to pay attention yellow urine, large amounts of dilute urine may also indicate disease, whether diabetic or pathological. Drinking more.



This just goes to indicate the sheer number of various colours of our urine, and the sheer number of various conditions they'll indicate. And that is in no way an exhaustive list.

But, by understanding the causes of coloured urine, you can even be looking out for symptoms like bleeding that warrant a visit to your doctor. Or picking up that water bottle for a much-needed swig.