Color can be a vital indicator of a lot of things. In medicine, often, any kind of deviation from the ordinary is reflected by a change in color. For example, in jaundice, often the white of the eye appears yellowish. Thus, its essential that we always keep an eye out for any kind of change in the color of normal structures or excretions, and thus, urine is no exception to this rule. Urine color change is a vital indicator of an underlying disease and disorder. Thus, urine color meaning is a very important sign, which could help in identifying a disease at the earliest possible stage.
The kidneys, are the organs responsible for producing urine. Both the kidneys are continuously involved with filtration of blood. The kidneys process blood plasma, allowing water, sugar, amino acids, vitamins and other vital substances to re-enter the blood stream. The continuous filtration eventually sorts out waste substances like urea, uric acid, creatinine, hormone waste and toxins, and excretes it in the urine. The normal color of urine is pale yellow, and this color is due to the pigment urochrome. However, this pale color of urine is sometimes altered when, in cases of kidney diseases, the filtration and selective re-absorption stages of urine production are faulty. Due to this, certain elements, like red blood cells, white blood cells, proteins, dyes, etc. also get filtered through, thus passing into urine. This leads to a change in urine color, which is often indicative of the exact malfunctioning level of urine production. It’s this meaning of urine color that is used to reach a temporary diagnosis. Given below are different urine colors and urine color meanings.
Urine Color Urine Color Meaning Possible Underlying Disease or Condition Clear urine Excess liquid consumption Any liver disease, like hepatitis or liver cirrhosis, diabetes insipidus or diabetes mellitus. This of also often the urine color during pregnancy Bright yellow or neon yellow Vitamin supplements Excessive consumption of vitamin capsules, leading to a potential risk of hypervitaminosis Dark yellow or golden color Very concentrated urine Severe dehydration, may also be indicative of over consumption of laxatives or food supplements which contain B complex vitamins. Read more on dark yellow urine causes Pink or red color Hematuria, indicative of blood in urine Kidney infections, bladder infections, excessive consumption of certain foods like beets and berries and food dyes, also due to some laxatives Orange Due to certain drugs like rifampin, doxorubicin, phenazopyridine and warfarin If there is ornage urine color, dehydration, excess intake of certain food dyes, laxatives are often implicated Blue or green Side effect of certain medications like amitriptylene, indomethacin Over consumption of certain foods like asparagus and food dyes Cloudy or murky Inability of the kidneys to produce normal urine, presence of protein in urine Urinary tract infection, like inflammation of the urethra (urethritis), bladder infection, kidney stones etc. Read more on cloudy urine causes Dark brown or tea colored Often accompanied by pale stools and jaundice, or diarrhea Indicative of an underlying liver disorder, side effect of certain medications, blood in urine, could also be caused due to certain foods and food dyes
So now we know all about urine color and what it means, and although urine color meanings are significant, and aid in giving us an idea of the underlying disease, one should not solely rely on the urine color for reaching a diagnosis. A final diagnosis should only be made after lab tests have been done regarding that disease, like a microscopic urine examination to look out for protein in cases of urinary tract infections, etc. Thus, urine color meanings often act as a stepping stone towards a final diagnosis of a disease or condition.
