Abnormal urine color can be the sign of a disease in certain cases. Through urine not only waste materials from your body goes out but it also represents the condition of your health. Normal urine color varies from pale yellow to deep amber or deep gold, because of the presence of a pigment named urochorome , depending on how diluted or concentrated the urine is. If you notice a sudden change in your urine color like blue, red or brown you surely need to consult a Doctor, since in certain cases alteration of urine color may be the reason of yours serious medical conditions which require immediate medical treatment.
Reasons behind abnormal urine color:
Changes in urine color may be due to various reasons. Blue urine color may be due to bacterial infection while orange color may be signal of dehydration. Again deep red or brown urine color may be due to porphyria, a very rare & inherited disease of red blood cells.
Thus alteration in urine color may be due to intake of certain foods, or certain medications or due to disease or being dehydrated. Among foods beets, fava beans & berries are most likely to affect urine color.
Causes of blue or green urine:
Whether blue color urine is serious or not depends upon its cause. Normally blue urine color is the result of certain medications, food colors, dyes & also due to a disease called familial benign hypercalcemia, a rare hereditary disease.
- Blue urine may be due to intake of foods that are rich in artificial colors
- Brightly colored food dyes or dyes that are used for the tests of kidney & bladder may lead to blue urine
- Lots of medications like amitriptyline, cimetidine, indomethacin, propofol (Diprivan) & some multivitamins may produce blue or green urine
- Blue or green colored urine may be due to bacterial infection caused by Pseudomonas bacteria & Familial benign hypercalcemia, a rare inherited disorder, is sometimes called blue diaper syndrome because children with the disorder have blue urine
Causes of red or pink urine:
- Foods like Beets, blackberries and rhubarb can turn urine red or pink
- Certain medication like rifampin (Rifadin) – the antibiotic often used to treat tuberculosis can turn urine reddish orange , phenazopyridine (Pyridium) – a medicine that numbs urinary tract discomfort and laxatives containing senna
- Blood in urine may be due to an injury, obstruction, infection, kidney cysts, prostate enlargement, kidney or bladder stones or cancer
Causes of brown urine:
- Eating certain foods like fava beans, rhubarb or aloe can lead to dark brown urine
- Certain medicines like the antimalarial drugs chloroquine and primaquine, the antibiotics metronidazole (Flagyl), nitrofurantoin (Furadantin), methocarbamol (Robaxin) & laxatives containing cascara or senna can darken urine color from brown to dark brown
- Liver & Kidney disorders & some urinary tract infections can change urine color to dark brown
- Severe muscle injury can result in dark brown or pink colored urine
Causes of orange urine:
- Medications that change urine color to orange include the anti-inflammatory drug sulfasalazine (Azulfidine); phenazopyridine (Pyridium), some chemotherapy drugs, rifampin & some laxatives
- Orange colored urine in certain cases indicates a problem with your bile duct or liver, especially if your stool is also light in color. Due to dehydration your urine may appear orange in color
When you should consult a Doctor?
Some causes of abnormal urine color may be harmless while others may be due to serious illness which needs immediate medical treatment. Change in urine color that happens because of food intake, or dehydration or due to certain medications is not so much harmful & is temporary also. But if your urine color is deep red continuing for 3-4 days or if you suspect there is blood in your urine then contact a Doctor immediately.
Do not ignore & consult with a Doctor immediately if change in your urine color persists for more than 3-4 days. Book your Doctor with CureMantra Healthcare & get hassle free appointment.