Abnormal Urine Color - Causes and Diagnosis

What Is Abnormal Urine Color?

Normally, the urine is a pale yellow or deep amber colored depending upon the urine concentration and the pigments urochrome. If the urine is abnormally colored, it might have red, blue, brown, green, or orange tints. Abnormalities in urine color might be noticed for various reasons. Sometimes medications and pigments present in certain food change the urine color. For example, if a person stays dehydrated for prolonged periods, his urine might turn amber or brown-colored. However, it is difficult for the patient to decide the exact cause of the change in urine color. Therefore, he must consult the doctor the earliest to know about the underlying medical condition responsible for the change in urine color. Beet, fava beans, berries, over-the-counter, and prescription drugs are some components that make the urine color abnormal.

What Are the Causes of Abnormal Urine Color?

Due to medications, foods, and dyes, discolored urine or abnormalities in the urine color might be observed. Sometimes, the change in the urine color is harmless, whereas, in other situations, it might be due to some medical condition. The causes of abnormal urine colors according to the color changes are described below:

• Dark Yellow Urine - The urine might appear darker than normal if the person is dehydrated. When the patient does not drink sufficient water, the compounds in the urine become more concentrated, making the urine dark. Sometimes, the presence of large quantities of vitamin B in the urine might change its color.

• Red or Pink Colored Urine - The urine might appear red or pink due to the following reasons:

  • Foods - The urine appears pink if the patient consumes fruits having deep pink or magenta pigment. The fruits are listed below:

    • Beets.

    • Blackberries.

    • Rhubarb.

    • Blueberries.

  • Medical Conditions - The following medical conditions make the urine red or pink:

    • Urinary tract infections.

    • Enlargement of the prostate gland.

    • Kidney stones.

    • Urinary tract obstruction.

    • Tumors in the kidneys and the urinary bladder.

    • Long-distance running.

    • Severe muscle injury.

  • Medications - The following medications might change the urine color:

    • Senna containing laxatives.

    • Rifampin.

    • Phenazopyridine.

• Orange Urine - The urine appears orange due to the following reasons:

  • Dehydration.

  • Problems in the liver and bile duct.

  • Adult-onset jaundice.

  • Medications - The following medications change urine color:

    • Rifampin.

    • Phenazopyridine.

    • Laxatives.

    • Sulfasalazine.

    • Chemotherapy drugs.

• Blue or Green Urine - Blur or green urine might be caused by the following:

  • Food - Certain food coloring dyes like methylene blue can make the urine blue or green. This dye is specifically used in candies and some medicines. The dyes used in kidney or bladder tests can change urine color.

  • Medications - The medications that make the urine blue or green are listed below:

    • Cimetidine.

    • Amitriptyline.

    • Indomethacin.

    • Promethazine.

    • Vitamin B supplements.

  • Medical Conditions - The following medical conditions make the urine blue or green:

    • Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial infection (it is caused by a type of bacteria that can cause infections in the lungs, blood, and other body parts).

    • Familial benign hypercalcemia (it is an inherited medical condition wherein the patient has high calcium levels in the blood).

• Dark Brown or Cola-Colored Urine - Dark brown urine might result from the following:

  • Medications - The following medications change the urine color to dark brown:

    • Metronidazole.

    • Nitrofurantoin.

    • Chloroquine.

    • Methocarbamol.

    • Senna-based laxatives.

  • Foods - People consuming foods rich in rhubarb, aloe, or fava beans can change urine color.

  • Medical Conditions - The medical condition named porphyria can cause an accumulation of natural chemicals in the bloodstream, making the urine rusty or brown. Dark brown urine might also be seen due to liver diseases or the entry of bile pigments into the urine.

  • Exercises - Sometimes, running and other intense physical activities might change the urine color, known as exertional hematuria. However, this is not considered an abnormality because the condition resolves after the patient takes rest for a few hours. If the condition does not resolve within 48 hours, the patient must consult the doctor.

• Cloudy or Murky Urine - Cloudy urine is usually a sign of urinary tract infection. It can also be one of the symptoms of chronic or long-standing kidney disease. Some studies suggest that cloudy urine is a sign of dehydration. If a female is pregnant and has cloudy urine, it might be a sign of preeclampsia which is a life-threatening condition. The condition is pneumaturia if the cloudy urine is accompanied by foam or bubbles. It could be one of the symptoms of diverticulitis or Chron’s disease.

How Will the Doctor Diagnose the Cause of the Change in Urine Color?

It is challenging to diagnose the exact cause of abnormal urine color because several medical conditions are responsible for it. However, the diagnostic methods are listed below:

1. Medical History - It is a simple procedure in which the doctor communicates with the patient to know about his general health, the symptoms, the duration of onset and progression, and if he experienced pain.

2. Urinalysis - It is a simple procedure in which the patient collects urine in a container and sends the urine sample to the laboratory for examination under a microscope. If the urine shows high levels of proteins and minerals, the urologic disease can be suspected.

3. Blood Test - The doctor might recommend the patient undergo a blood test to detect the levels of waste products in the blood. People having abnormal urine color usually show high levels of creatinine.

4. Ultrasound - It is an imaging procedure in which the doctor moves a device known as the transducer over the patient’s abdomen. The transducer sends sound waves into the body tissues to obtain images of the kidneys and other body organs. This test helps to detect the abnormalities that might have changed the urine color.

5. Cystoscopy - Cystoscopy allows the doctor to view the urinary tract organs with the help of a special camera known as the cystoscope. In this procedure, a tube known as a cystoscope is inserted to examine the walls of the bladder and urethra.

When Should the Patient Consult the Doctor?

If the patient’s urine develops abnormal color, not due to exercise, the food he has eaten, or dehydration, he must immediately consult his doctor. Sometimes, the causes of changes in urine color are harmless, whereas some changes might occur due to serious illnesses that require medical attention at the earliest. The doctor will help identify the causes of the problems and diagnose the condition at the earliest. For example, if the patient presents with blood in the urine, the doctor might suspect a urinary tract infection or kidney stones and start the antibiotics immediately.

Conclusion:

Abnormalities in the urine color might be seen due to several reasons and underlying medical conditions. The patient must not get worried if the urine color changes due to strenuous exercises or eating food that contains dyes and pigments. However, if the change in urine color is due to some urologic conditions or congenital diseases, the patient must immediately consult the doctor.