What colour should urine be?
Normal urine colour ranges from pale yellow to deep amber depending on how diluted or concentrated the urine is.
Some pigments in certain foods and tablets can change the colour of the urine especially certain berries and beetroot.
Likewise some tablets can give the urine a red, blue or yellow colour.
If it is not from any of these things then any unusual colour of the urine can be a sign of some medical problem and is worth investigating.
Normal urine colour does vary depending on how much water you drink.
If you drink more water the urine becomes paler and if you do not drink enough it becomes more concentrated and darker yellow.
Seek medical attention if you have any of the following signs
• Blood in your urine. This is common sign of a urinary tract infections and kidney stones. These problems may also cause pain. If you have painless bleeding this may mean you have a more serious problem, such as cancer.
• Dark or orange urine
If your urine is dark or orange and you also may have pale stools and yellow skin and eyes — you may have a problem with liver function.
Colours of Urine and What that can mean
Red/ pink urine
This may not be serious but worth checking with the doctor.It can commonly be caused by urine infections, an enlarged prostrate gland, or by kidney and bladder stones and cysts.
It can also be caused by beetroot, blackberries and rhubarb plus certain tablets.
Orange urine
Severe dehydration can cause the urine to become almost orange
Another cause can be taking certain tablets including the anti-inflammatory drug sulfasalazine (Azulfidine); phenazopyridine (Pyridium); some laxatives; and certain chemotherapy drugs.
Finally it could indicate a problem with your liver and bile duct
Blue or green urine
This is much rarer and can be caused by food dyes or a few tablets such as Amitriptyline and a few other tablets.
Dark brown urine
• This can be caused by certain tablets such as Antimalarials and also the antibiotic Flagyl
• Other causes are eating a lot of rhubarb, extreme exercise and some liver and kidney problems including some urinary tract infections.
Cloudy or murky urine
Urinary tract infections and kidney stones can cause urine to look cloudy
Risk factors
The risk factors of urine infection is covered in urine infections for women and men in other articles on this site.The risk of urinary infection is very high in certain age groups and is a serious problem in the elderly as they can feel very weak and sustain a fall. They also can become very confused.
Other medical conditions that might change the colour of your urine are more common after 50 years old
They are also more common in families with history of kidney disease.