14 Things Your Urine May Indicate About Your Health
Let's face it - if you're drinking a reasonable amount of water every day, chances are that you find yourself running to the bathroom to pee several times throughout the day. It's such a regular part of your day that you likely don't even think about it. It's just a required (and sometimes inconvenient) part of being a human.
However, urine is actually a pretty big deal when it comes to the health of your body. That's because your powerhouse kidneys are always working overtime to filter through everything passing through your blood, and your urine is composed of a lot of waste from that process. Thus, what's wrong in your body very often shows up in your urine. It can indicate a lot of things about your health, and can sometimes help you catch a health issue before things get too bad.
Everything from the colour to the scent to any difficulties expelling urine can hint at problems, some serious, some fairly minor. So, whatever you do, don't ignore it if something is looking a little off in your urine - it could be your body's way of telling you that something is wrong. Here are 14 things that your urine MAY indicate about your health.
Note: These findings are based on various sources, please see your doctor if you have any issues concerning your urine, the following are tips on when it may be a good time to see a professional.
14 Light golden yellow
Okay, urine that indicates a healthy body isn't as pressing as urine that indicates something is wrong, but how on earth are you going to know if something is different if you don't know what your normal is? For most people, healthy urine is a light golden yellow, and should ideally be fairly odourless. Even though it sounds kind of gross, once you know what your normal is, get used to taking a quick peek at your urine before you flush to make sure that nothing is out of the ordinary. That way, in case something ever does change, you'll notice right away and be able to bring it to your doctor's attention.
13 Running to the bathroom far more often than you normally do
If you had a long day with a lot of physical activity and ended up drinking a gallon of water, then of course you're going to be running to the bathroom far more often than you normally do. However, if the frequency of your urination changed and has remained different for quite awhile, that might be a sign of something going on in your body. Some of the health problems that increased urination can indicate are an infection or inflammation in your bladder or urinary tract, incontinence, and pregnancy, according to medicalnewstoday.com. So, if you suddenly find yourself going to the bathroom far more often than you normally do, take note.
12 You are dehydrated/may have an obstruction
Just as urinating way more often than normal can be something to pay attention to, urinating far less than you normally do can be a cause for concern. In most cases, however, it's just dehydration. While it's not healthy to get overly dehydrated on a regular basis, if you find yourself urinating less often than normal, just pay attention to increasing your water intake. However, if you're still urinating less than normal despite drinking a healthy dose of water daily, it might be something more serious such as an infection or an obstruction in the bladder.
11 A bit of a sweet smell
Healthy urine generally doesn't have much of an odour, but what about when your urine has a bit of a sweet smell? No, it's not just something funky coming out of your pipes - it really happens, and there's a reason. If you're smelling something sweet in your urine, it MAY be a sign of diabetes. You see, when the body holds onto too much sugar due to a metabolic disorder like diabetes, your kidneys need to work even harder to push all that sugar out of your system - and the result is often sweet smelling urine. Sometimes this may occur due to food you eat so don't be alarmed, just have it checked out by a doctor.
10 Cloudy urine
There are a lot of things that can change in your urine, such as the colour or the odour. However, consistency is another thing to take note of. There are minor things that can lead to a change in your urine's consistency - for example, if you haven't gone for awhile or you're dehydrated, it may be a bit thicker. However, if it looks cloudy, you might have some type of infection or kidney stones, some sites claim this can also be a sign of a urinary tract infection.
9 Your diet may be rich in certain foods
Your urine can be extremely useful in drawing potential health problems to your attention, but there are times when a change in your urine's colour really indicates nothing more than what you're putting on your plate. For example, consuming a lot of food rich in carotene can cause urine to become orange. Light brown urine can be the result of consuming a lot of rhubarb or fava beans. Greenish urine can be caused by asparagus and pink or red urine may be caused by eating too much beetroot. Now, you should always keep a close eye on any colour-changing urine - while it's often the result of eating a bit too much of a particular food, there are a few serious health conditions that cause the colour of your urine to change, so make sure that you're not ignoring any signs.
8 You may have a UTI
As far as health issues go, a Urinary Tract Infection - also known as a UTI - is probably one of the more common for women. However, that doesn't change the fact that it's painful, uncomfortable, and just all around unpleasant. One thing that helps is nipping it in the bud and catching it as soon as possible - something that your urine can help you do. If you find yourself having difficulty urinating, despite feeling like you need to, or you feel a burning sensation when you're urinating, you may be suffering from a UTI. Figure it out fast so you can get on those antibiotics ASAP.
7 Your bladder wall may be inflamed
Listen up closely - this one may seem similar to the symptoms describing a UTI, but there are some differences. When your bladder wall is inflamed, you'll often feel pain when your bladder begins to get full - when you need to urinate. Once you manage to go to the bathroom, which might include a burning sensation that would lead you to confuse this with a UTI, you'll feel relief and the pain will go away. There are several treatments for an inflamed bladder wall, but in any case you'll need to diagnose it, so remember the symptoms if you ever find yourself in pain the minute your bladder starts to fill up.
6 You have stress incontinence
Everyone has heard of someone peeing a bit when they laugh, cough, or sneeze - in fact, it may have even happened to you at one point. It's technically called stress incontinence, and it's most common in women who have experienced childbirth, pregnant women, or women going through menopause. It's not a sign of anything life-threatening - it just means that your pelvic muscles are weak, and consequently, some leakage might occur when there's stress placed on your body. This one has an easy solution - just do your kegel exercises regularly to strengthen your muscles, and sooner or later you'll be able to laugh, sneeze and cough worry free.
5 You are seriously dehydrated
Urinating less frequently than you're used to can be a sign of dehydration, but there are countless other signs that you're not getting enough water. While a pale yellow coloured urine is normal, once your urine starts to lean towards the dark yellow or amber side of the spectrum - or if it turns brown - you definitely need to be drinking more water. Things like a very strong, almost ammonia-like scent, or cloudy urine, also point towards dehydration. Make sure to drink enough water, so that you can more accurately spot any changes in your urine - otherwise, dehydration might very well be masking other health issues that your urine may have been able to tell you.
4 Bright brown or red
Since the kidneys are the body's filtration system, it only makes sense that changes in your urine often point back to some type of issue with your kidneys. While changes in consistency or clarity in your urine may indicate kidney issues, so does a change in colour. Bright red or brown urine is probably the most alarming of colours, as you immediately assume you're excreting blood. The causes for red urine include everything from kidney stones to cysts to an infection. So, if you're finding a strange reddish colour, particularly if its paired with a bubbly or cloudy texture, beware - it could very well mean that there's some serious trouble with your kidneys.
3 Violet/purple colour
This one is a bit less likely, but if your urine has a violet/purple colour, then you might have porphyria. What exactly is porphyria? It's a rare hereditary disease in which your hemoglobin isn't metabolized normally, and the excess porphyrins your body is producing are excreted in your urine. This condition can end up causing damage to your organs and nervous system, so make sure to see a doctor in order to see what lifestyle changes you can make to lessen the impact of this disease.
2 You're taking specific medications
If you notice something strange about your urine shortly after you've started up a new medication, the changes are likely because of the new treatment you're taking. For example, things like antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, blood thinners, and medications for UTIs can give your urine an orange hue. Anti-malarial tablets, muscle relaxants, and laxatives may cause your urine to turn a brownish colour. Some anesthetics and antipsychotic drugs can cause a red or pink tint, and some anti-nausea drugs and heartburn medications can give your urine a bluish or greenish hue. Now, it's not guaranteed that popping a new type of pill will immediately give you Rainbow Brite urine, but it's something to keep an eye on, just in case.
1 Bubbles
If you've recently cleaned your bathroom until it's spotless and you find some bubbles or foaminess after you've peed, it's likely because your urine is mixing with some of the leftover chemicals hanging out in your toilet bowl. However, bubbles or gas when peeing can also indicate something much more serious like a fistula. Make sure to see a doctor if you find your urine to be strangely aerated out of the blue.
Sources; allwomenstalk.com, bustle.com, thehealthsite.com