What does dark urine color indicate? Urine color.

Urine is diagnosed based on qualitative and quantitative readings of the substances it contains, and the color is compared with a reference scale.

The color is indicated in writing in the diagnosis.

Unlike the 19th century, current diagnostic methods have made great strides forward; they do not judge the patient’s health level by the color of their urine; a person himself is able to determine the fluctuation in the shade of his urine.Change in urine colorshould alert the patient and encourage him to consult a doctor for advice.

What is the normal color of urine?

Normal urine colordetermined by the state of transparency, color and saturation. To determine,what color should a healthy person's urine be?It is imperative to take into account his diet, what medications he takes and in what quantities. The intensity of the color of urine is determined by the concentration of substances dissolved in it per total volume of urine.

The color will be less intense if a person drinks the liquid in the absence of kidney pathologies or other serious diseases that disrupt metabolic processes in the body.

The standard composition of urine includes about 150 components.What does urine color mean?healthy person? – about the presence of pigments: the presence of urochrome, uroerythrin, urozein, stercobilin. These pigments color urine in different shades of yellow. The color saturation is enhanced by components: mucopolysaccharides. If the urine content of mucus and salt is increased, the transparency decreases and the color becomes duller.

The color of urine is usually determined from a sample taken in the morning on an empty stomach. It is necessary to take the test within two hours after urination, in extreme cases, no later than four hours. After two hours, the components in the urine begin to ferment, causing its color and degree of transparency to change.

Causes of urine color change

Causes of urine color changelies in some processes of the body:

increased intensity in thyrotoxicosis (chronic increase in thyroid hormones in the human body);
the amount of urine produced and the frequency of urination;
age - baby urine coloralmost transparent, in children - a light shade;
preservatives and dyes contained in food, including vegetable origin;
taking medications;
injuries of the urinary system;
liver pathologies, dysfunction of the gallbladder or bile duct;
blood diseases;
hereditary disorder of the body's metabolic processes.

If urine color has changedtowards a milky white hue, then this is a sign of the disease chyluria. The cause of an incorrect connection between the lymph duct and the bladder can be:

With pyonephrosis (the presence of an abscess in the kidney), there is a change in shade towards three layers: a white thick substance at the top, milky white in the middle, at the bottom there are salts, fats in sediment.

If urine remains white for a long time, then this is a sign of diabetes, both diabetes mellitus and non-diabetes diabetes, as well as chronic renal failure.

Pink and red urine, which means

Red urine is an indicator of several facts:

excess levels of a pigment such as urochrome or urobilinogen,
consumption of preservatives, dyes, for example, products from fresh carrots or oranges,
lack of fluid in the body, especially with profuse sweating, for example, during physical labor, in a bath or in the heat,
taking medications: Chloroquine, Riboflavin, Furagshina.

Pink and red urine

A pink tint to urine is caused by eating beets, or too many carrots, as well as red dyes, meat preservatives, lemonade, candies, and plant-based sweets: blackberries and cherries, black currants, rhubarb. Under the influence of medications, the pink tint of urine is caused by taking Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and painkillers.

A pink-reddish tint indicates an excess of red blood cells, hemoglobin breakdown, and bilirubin component in urine, i.e. about the beginning of the development of hematuria. Hematuria develops with cystitis, the presence of stones in the kidneys, tumors of the urinary system, pyelonephritis, systemic vasculitis. With such a dangerous shade of urine, accompanying symptoms usually appear:

pain in the lumbar area,
elevated temperature,
pain when urinating and frequent urination,
swelling,
high blood pressure,
unusual smell of urine.

In representatives of the stronger sex over sixty, the root cause of hematuria is usually prostate adenoma, tumor formations in the bladder. When analyzing urine, substances are detected: red blood cells, mucus, bacteria, protein, epithelium, leukocytes, salt. Mucus or pus is visible even without a microscope; fibrin threads may be present, also during visual inspection.

Red urine with a burgundy tint is a sign of heavy bleeding in the urinary tract. This may be a consequence of damage to the mucosa during the movement of a stone, movement of a tumor, injury to the kidneys or genital organs, hemophilia. If there are stones in the kidneys, bleeding is often caused by oxolate stones, because they usually have sharp edges. Also, the urine turns red when exposed to renal colic. Blood in the urine is a dangerous sign because... blood clogs the ureter and can cause severe retention, which is harmful.

Urine of brown shades more often indicates that the body often does not have enough fluid; a person simply needs to drink more fluids per day. Dehydration is much more dangerous for children. In adults, urine may darken as a result of taking laxatives, nitrofurans, an excess of vitamins B and C in the diet, and antibiotics. A brown tint of urine also appears with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, with viral hepatitis, tumors of the liver, pancreas, with hemochromatosis, with infections of the urinary system, and kidney pathology.

When hematuria occurs due to the entry of red blood cells into the urine, it takes on a brown tint due to the conversion of red blood cells into hematin under the influence of uric acid.

Black urine indicates a violation of the liver, or rather its tissues. Liver tissue is usually damaged due to:

types of hemolytic anemia,
chromosome pathology, which is more common in males,
malignant tumors.

With chromosomal pathology, urine turns black when exposed to air.

During pregnancy, the urine darkens in the morning, and during the day it has a calm yellow tint. Fluctuations in the color of urine during pregnancy are associated with hormone fluctuations.

Greenish shades of urine appear less frequently than others; they appear due to the consumption of Phenacetin, which colors urine a tea-colored shade, and Amitriptyline, which colors it blue-green. Or the body’s individual reaction to certain vitamins of artificial origin. In people with congenital metabolic dysfunction, the urine is usually bluish in color.

In addition to the liquid component of urine, urine sediment can also be stained.

A fawn-colored sediment indicates:

an excess of uric acid, the sediment gives off a yellowish tint,
excess of urates, brick-colored sediment,
purulent impurities, in which the sediment is green in color,
erythrocytes, which stain the sediment red.

Atypical shade of urine

If an atypical shade of urine is detected in a visually healthy state of the body, you need to pay attention to the daily fluid intake and diet.

In this case, you should observe a change in the color of the urine within a couple of days. Periodic changes in the shade of urine may indicate the presence of some chronic disease that is hidden.

A change in the color of urine is difficult to notice visually, unless the shade becomes completely atypical, so it is better to submit your urine for laboratory analysis.

Microscopic examination allows us to determine the cause of urine staining and prescribe the correct treatment.

A final diagnosis of a person’s health cannot be made based solely on the results of a urine test; additional diagnostics are required.

Urine or urine is a waste product of the human body, which is formed in the kidneys from the blood through the processes of filtration and reabsorption. Urinalysis is of great value in the initial diagnosis of renal diseases. One of its indicators, determined in the laboratory, is color.

Normally, urine should be transparent and have a straw-yellow color, while its shade changes throughout the day depending on the amount of fluid consumed. This color of urine is due to the presence of various yellow pigments in its composition, mainly urochrome.

Dark urine or other changes in its color, unless they are associated with the use of certain medications or foods, are considered a sign of problems with the urinary system.

Causes of dark urine

A person who discovers changes in the usual color of urine begins to seriously worry about the state of his health and tries to find out why the urine has become dark in color. Darkening of urine may be temporary or may persist for a long period. In the latter case, there is indeed cause for concern, since most often this is associated with certain pathologies of the kidneys and other organs. The reasons for the dark color change in urine are divided into natural and pathological.

Natural factors

Natural factors for darkening the color of urine include the following:

drinking small amounts of fluid;
increased physical activity;
heat;
taking certain medications;
eating certain foods.

In addition to the reasons given above, it should be taken into account that the color of urine changes throughout the day. Urine is usually darkest in the morning. The reason for this is its concentration during the night, when a person sleeps and does not drink liquid. The same thing occurs when consuming small amounts of fluid during the day or excessive sweating during sports training or in hot weather. All these changes are associated with an increase in the concentration of urochrome in excreted urine.

Foods that affect the color of urine include legumes, rhubarb, beets, beef, blueberries, carrots, etc. Changes in the color of urine to the dark side are often observed in people who constantly drink concentrated black tea and coffee. For these reasons, some time after dark urine appears, its color returns to normal if you stop consuming such foods.

Medicines that lead to darkening of urine include those that contain:

acetylsalicylic acid;
cephalosporins;
sulfonamides;
rifamycins;
riboflavin;
metronidazole;
nitrofuran derivatives;
ascorbic acid.

Important: After collecting a general urine analysis, it must be taken to the laboratory as soon as possible or placed in a dark place, since standing for a long time causes dark urine to form. The reason for such changes is the oxidation of bilirubinoids under the influence of light and atmospheric oxygen.

Pathological conditions

A change in the color of urine may indicate pathological processes occurring in the body. These include:

liver pathologies – hepatitis and cirrhosis;
diseases of the gallbladder and bile ducts – cholelithiasis, cholestasis;
tumor processes in the liver, pancreas, kidneys, etc.;
hemolytic anemia;
kidney diseases –,;
urinary tract infections;
intoxication with copper salts;
metabolic disorders - porphyria, tyrosinemia, hemochromatosis;
dehydration.

When urine is dark yellow in color, the cause is most often urolithiasis, which results in an increased concentration of salts in the excreted fluid. If a green tint is observed, this indicates hepatitis. The dark yellow color of urine is also characteristic of a state of dehydration, infectious processes and congestion in the kidneys.

With urolithiasis, the urine may be cloudy and contain blood.

The cause of which lies in pathologies of the liver or gall bladder, due to the high content of bile pigments in it - bilirubin and biliverdin. Such changes are associated primarily with disturbances in the outflow of bile.

Or the color of meat slop is observed when red blood cells enter it, which is typical for inflammatory diseases of the urinary system, hematuria and hemoglobinuria.

Important: If you detect changes in the normal color of urine that are not associated with natural factors, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Urine color during pregnancy

Change occurs for the same reasons as for ordinary people. However, in addition to this, there are other factors that are characteristic only of this condition. One of them is early toxicosis, in which pregnant women develop dehydration due to the loss of large amounts of fluid and nutrients through vomiting. If severe toxicosis occurs, a woman needs to consult an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Vitamins taken by the expectant mother may affect the color of urine

Advice: To avoid or minimize dark changes in urine color during pregnancy due to toxicosis, a woman needs to consume at least 2.5 liters of fluid per day.

Pregnant women greatly increase the load on the entire body, including the liver and kidneys. In the later stages, when the uterus reaches a large size and begins to exert significant pressure on surrounding organs, women may experience stagnation of bile due to a violation of its outflow. This is accompanied by an increase in the content of the bile pigment bilirubin in the blood and urine, which gives the urine a dark yellow color. After childbirth, the condition usually normalizes on its own.

Also, during pregnancy, various kidney pathologies often occur, for example, gestational pyelonephritis. Its sign is an admixture of pus, mucus and the appearance of turbidity in the urine. In this case, the urine takes on a greenish tint. This condition requires immediate medical attention.
In general, if during pregnancy, a change in urine color is observed only for some time and is not accompanied by other symptoms, then there is no cause for concern.

What to do if dark colored urine is detected?

Dark urine is not always a reason to visit a doctor. Its color may be due to the physiological characteristics of the body, the intake of certain medications and foods. In this case, the color of the urine returns to normal over time on its own. If the urine is dark in color, accompanied by an unpleasant odor, the presence of turbidity in it, as well as other pathological symptoms, then you need to contact a specialist. These symptoms include:

yellowness of the skin, mucous membranes and sclera;
increased body temperature;
headache;
skin itching;
general weakness;
pain in the lumbar region;
nausea, vomiting;
painful frequent urination.

If any of these signs are detected, the doctor will prescribe tests and examination to determine the cause of dark urine and choose methods to eliminate it. You should not ignore these symptoms or self-medicate. It can lead to the progression of the disease and the development of serious consequences for the body.

Urine includes the end products of metabolism, which give it different colors. What color is healthy urine in people?

The answer to this question is simple - she

What factors affect the color of urine?

Presence of dyes in food.
Consumption of certain foods.
Taking medications.
Metabolic processes.

What does the color of urine indicate? Amber is about the pigments urobilin, urochrome and others, and the level of its saturation depends on the number of such pigments. In addition, the more fluid a person drinks, the less color the urine becomes. With a lack of water, especially in hot, dry weather and with increased sweating, the urine darkens.

Why does the color of urine change in a healthy person?

Some people do not know what color urine should be and therefore worry when it turns greenish or reddish. For example, why does your urine appear this color if you eat beets, blackberries or rhubarb? In some cases, pregnant women's urine turns orange. A similar color appears when eating carrots and fruits rich in carotene. Redness of urine can also occur after poisoning with toxic substances. If red urine appears in women, it is necessary to consult a specialist. The appearance of blood in the urine is considered a prerequisite for serious problems with a woman’s health. Timely provision of assistance will help to avoid serious problems and consequences.

Why is urine red and accompanied by pain? This happens with diseases of urination and urination. appears in people who take antibiotics. As a rule, the doctor talks about the side effects of medications, so there is no need to be alarmed. Green color of urine is formed after eating asparagus. The blue color may be a result of taking a complex of vitamins or medications. After eating legumes, the urine becomes dark in color. Light-colored urine appears when you drink too much fluid.

Dark urine

Urine contains the enzyme urochrome, which has a yellow pigment, the concentration of which determines the shade of urine in a healthy person. The higher the concentration of the enzyme, the correspondingly darker the color of the urine. In addition, other factors influence its color. For example, pregnant women have dark colored urine.

While carrying a child, a woman’s body is transformed, and all internal systems of the body experience increased stress. Dark urine in a woman during this period is the result of a restructuring of the body. The reason for this in early pregnancy is dehydration due to toxicosis, manifested by vomiting.

A dark shade of urine can be given by:

Food;
medications;
starvation diets;
difficult working conditions;
intense physical activity;
violation of diet, insufficient amount of water drunk per day.

At the same time, what does dark urine color mean? Urine of this color can also be a symptom of various diseases:

kidney;
liver;
genitourinary system;
gynecological;
infectious;
venereal;
oncological

At the same time, dark urine in a woman may also be accompanied by a specific unpleasant odor.

If dark urine is detected, you should contact your doctor and receive a referral for tests, based on the results of which the doctor will prescribe an additional examination, make a diagnosis and provide treatment.

Causes of dark urine in a child

If in the morning parents notice the dark color of their child’s urine, this is not a reason to immediately sound the alarm, since it is caused by natural causes of the body’s vital functions. During the day, its color returns to normal.

If your urine remains dark throughout the day, it may be:

Infectious disease of the genitourinary system of a child. Urine takes on a dark brown hue. In advanced cases, mucus, pus and blood are found in it.
This condition manifests itself as pain in the abdomen, fever, and vomiting. The water-electrolyte balance is disrupted, dehydration occurs, and the urine becomes dark.
Liver disease, in which urine may even be black.

Why does children's urine become cloudy?

The appearance of cloudy urine in a child is familiar to many parents. It is known that urine is the main indicator of the state of the body. However, not everyone knows what to do in such a situation. If there is sediment, then parents do not need to immediately panic, the reasons for this are varied, most of them are absolutely harmless.

The appearance of cloudy urine in the first days of a baby’s life should not worry parents, as this is a physiologically normal phenomenon. And after a short period of time everything will return to normal. In infants, this situation is possible when complementary foods are introduced, as the composition of the feeding changes.

Reasons why urine color changes in children:

consumption of certain foods, such as plums, gooseberries, sorrel, parsley, grapes, legumes;
lack of fluid in the body;
burns that occupy a large surface of the skin;
excess vitamins;
acute respiratory infections;
inflammatory processes in the organs of the genitourinary system;
diseases of the liver and biliary tract (hepatitis, parenchymal jaundice);
diabetes;
acute infectious-inflammatory process (pyelonephritis);
blood disease - hemolytic anemia;
congenital anomalies of the kidney structure;
intoxication of the body due to poisoning or infection.

In the evening hours, urine may become slightly cloudy even in healthy babies - this is associated with the child being overtired during the day. If a child has cloudy urine with sediment, a pungent odor and mucus, and the baby does not sleep or eat well, then you should definitely contact a specialist who will determine the cause and prescribe treatment.

Preventive actions:

compliance with personal hygiene rules;
constant emptying of the bladder;
strengthening immunity;
reducing salt intake;
limiting the consumption of foods that contain a lot of calcium;
drinking enough fluid.

If sediment or cloudiness of the urine appears, it is necessary to monitor the baby’s condition. If unusual symptoms occur, it is recommended to consult a doctor and not self-medicate.

Presence of acetone in urine

Most people attribute the unpleasant odor that appears in urine to diet. The appearance of acetone in the urine indicates problems with the kidneys. In many cases, the problem can be easily solved - you just need to return to a healthy lifestyle, but sometimes a medical examination is necessary. Timely diagnosis and testing will help avoid negative consequences. If treatment is not started in time, this can lead to serious illness. In order to avoid this, you need to know the reasons for the appearance of acetone in the urine.

Acetone in urine in adults: reasons

Excessive consumption of spicy and fatty foods contributes to the accumulation of harmful substances in the body.
Unregulated physical activity.
Excessive alcohol consumption.
Consequences of anesthesia.
Poisoning and high fever.
Eating only low-calorie foods.

These reasons are quite serious and need to be addressed immediately.

Symptoms indicating the presence of acetone in the urine:

the presence of a strong unpleasant odor when urinating;
increase in body temperature;
unstable mental state;
high blood glucose levels;
continuous desire to rest and sleep;
pallor and crimson;
lack of thirst and appetite;
causeless vomiting and diarrhea.

Actions to take if acetone is detected in urine

If you notice some symptoms and think that you have acetone in your urine, it is recommended to get tested. This can be done in the laboratory of the clinic. A routine urine test can detect acetonuria.

It is very risky to detect acetone in the urine of pregnant women. Acetone can appear in urine due to toxicosis and frequent vomiting. In this case, it is recommended to restore the water-salt balance in the pregnant woman’s body. If the woman is not worried about anything, then if acetone is detected in the urine, it is recommended to take tests again. And if the result is positive again, then you will need to undergo other examinations that will help determine the reasons for its occurrence and take the necessary measures.

Treatment

If proper nutrition and normalization of the daily routine do not produce results, then special medications should be taken. If acetone is detected in the urine of adults, the reasons may be related to intoxication with poisons or heavy metals, or changes in the level of thyroid hormones. If similar problems are present, inpatient treatment is recommended, which, if necessary, may include IVs, intramuscular injections, and surgery.

If acetone is detected in the urine in a timely manner, it is quite easy to eliminate the causes of its appearance. Before starting any treatment, you must seek help from specialists.

Diseases and color of urine

Let's look at what the color of urine indicates in diseases:

Pale yellow - lack of pigments and polyuria.
A dark lemon color appears with toxicosis, dehydration caused by vomiting, and also with fever.
White - when pus, phosphates, lipids penetrate into urine. This is possible with pyelonephritis, fatty degeneration of the kidneys and urolithiasis.
Brown color - increased amount of urobilin, for example, with anemia, poisoning, problems with blood clotting.
Black color accompanies the disease melanosarcoma and hemolytic kidney.
The color of beer when bile pigments enter the excretory system.
Red - when blood flows.

So, what does the color of urine indicate? Changes in the color of urine are not always the cause of the disease, but you should carefully monitor the body's signals.

1 – kidney; 2 – ureter; 3 – bladder; 4 – urethra; 5 – renal arteries; 6 – renal veins

The urinary system is one of the most important systems of the human body. Urine contains excess water and metabolic products that come from the kidneys. The parameters of this biological fluid can tell a lot about a person’s state of health; its analysis makes it possible to make a correct diagnosis in the presence of a disease and prescribe adequate treatment. With this one of the most important characteristics that even a person without medical education can control is urine color. A healthy person's urine is usually yellow (straw-like). The color is due to the presence of urochrome in urine, a special pigment that is formed during the decomposition of hemoglobin, which in turn carries oxygen in red blood cells. The pigments urobilin, uroroserin and uroerythrin are present in lower concentrations. However, you should not immediately panic if the color of your urine changes. There can be many reasons for this, from the most harmless to a serious illness. In any case, a final assessment of a person’s health status, and what the color of urine indicates, can only be given by a qualified doctor, whom you should contact at the first signs that alert you.

Products that change the color of urine

If your urine color has changed, first of all you need to remember what was included in your diet the day before, since many foods can change the color of urine. So, it will be orange if you consumed a lot of carotene, which is found in large quantities in carrots. Raspberry-colored urine does not immediately indicate the presence of blood or some kind of pathology; it acquires this color when consuming beets, cherries, blackberries, and products that contain food additives and dyes. If you drink strongly brewed, rich tea, the urine becomes very dark.

Also, urine may have a dark yellow color in a healthy person in the morning after sleep, since at this time its concentration in the body is very high. Dark color occurs in hot weather, when the body is dehydrated, and during significant physical activity. When drinking large amounts of liquid, a person will have light-colored urine. Research has shown that urine output may change when taking certain medications. Red urine can be caused by taking rifampicin, sulfonamide, analgin, phenolphthalein, aminophenazone, ibuprofen, aspirinic acid and other drugs. Green, blue color occurs when using methylene blue, saffron yellow when taking nitroxoline, which is used in nephrology. Taking vitamins B and C makes urine deep yellow. All these natural causes of changes in urine color disappear after a short time, otherwise you should be wary.

Color change during pregnancy

The color of urine during pregnancy usually does not differ from the color of the urine of a normal healthy person, and expectant mothers should also first of all analyze their diet. In addition, some gynecologists do not allow their patients to drink a lot of fluid, as a result of which, naturally, the dark color of urine should not be surprising. If after some time this factor is accompanied by symptoms such as light-colored feces and vomiting, then you need to see an obstetrician-gynecologist as soon as possible. However, the color of urine and feces may also change due to certain hormonal changes in the body of pregnant women.

If the color of urine does not return to normal or any additional symptoms appear, this is a serious reason to consult a specialist.

Diseases that change the color of urine

Pale yellow color associated with a low concentration of dyes, this happens with diabetes and chronic renal failure. In this case, polyuria may occur, emitting a large amount of urine per day (more than 2 liters).

Dark brown color or the color of beer caused by a large number of bile pigments is one of the signs of viral hepatitis. In this case, shaking the urine leads to the formation of yellow foam, which is associated with bilirubinuria. In this case, the skin and sclera of the eyes may also become icteric. Also, this color may indicate a disease such as hemolytic anemia. At the same time, the process of hemolysis (destruction) of red blood cells, which do not have time to fully mature in the bone marrow, is increased. As a result, the increased breakdown of blood cells increases the level of bilirubin and causes the appearance of jaundice.

Brown color may indicate the presence of cirrhosis of the liver or poor kidney function, which are not able to efficiently remove toxins. Brown urine in older men sometimes indicates the formation of prostate adenoma. In this case, an urgent consultation with a urologist is required.

Red urine, like blood, appears if the urine contains red blood cells that come directly from blood vessels due to injury, kidney tumor, urethritis, cystitis, . The saturation of the color depends on the amount of blood that gets into the urine. In the case, which mainly affects women, in addition to blood, all kinds of films, pus, mucus clots are observed in the urine, and there is also severe cutting pain in the lower abdomen and from the kidneys. With pyelonephritis, headaches, increased blood pressure and body temperature, and swelling additionally appear.

Pink color Urobilin is added to urine in chronic hepatitis. A changed dark purple or even black color of urine is a sign of significant hemolysis of red blood cells due to severe poisoning by poison, drugs, blood transfusion of another group, or melanosarcoma. In the medical literature, there is such a color of urine as the color of “meat slop”, this is the shade that water has after washing meat, it is red, but with a dark, dirty tint. This color is a sign.

Blue in diseases it is quite rare, however, this shade can also occur, but not due to damage to the genitourinary system, but due to internal infections, for example pseudomonas. Blue color of body fluid can sometimes appear in children with familial hypercalcemia. This is a hereditary disease in which the level of calcium in the blood is significantly higher than normal.

Urine clarity

An important sign of the disease, in addition to color, is the smell of urine. In a healthy person, it is odorless or has a slight odor. Also, an important indicator is the transparency of urine. Normally, urine is opaque only in a newborn, and even then for only a few days; then in a person without pathologies it is always transparent. Very rarely, turbidity can occur in a healthy body when taking protein foods, in too hot weather, after a sauna, and after some time the urine becomes transparent. However, most often cloudy urine occurs when there is a large amount of salts in it and the presence of bacteria. Before going to the doctor, it is possible to determine the cause of cloudy urine. It is necessary to collect and place the container with urine for some time. If cloudy urine is caused by the presence of salts, then they will soon settle to the bottom, as a result of which there will be a clear boundary between clear, light urine at the top and cloudy urine at the bottom. If the cloudy urine is of bacterial origin, then there will be no clear separation. Also, cloudy urine can be due to the presence of fats, mucus, and an increased number of red blood cells, leukocytes and casts. Cloudiness may also indicate the progression of prostatitis in men. It should also be remembered that cloudiness may be due to the precipitation of salts that are naturally contained in urine due to its long exposure to the open air. Therefore, if there is a need to submit urine for analysis, then the urine collected in the morning must be brought to the laboratory no later than 3-4 hours later.

Additional symptoms of the disease

Additional symptoms that you should pay attention to when the color of urine changes are constant thirst, fever, poor appetite, yellowing of the sclera and skin, severe pain in the right hypochondrium or lumbar region, frequent urination, which is accompanied by pain, increased blood pressure, light discolored stool, weight loss, weakness, headache.

If you have all of these additional symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor for medical assistance.

Brown urine causes real panic for many, as it can indicate serious pathologies. Let's consider the causes of this phenomenon, methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Slight changes in urine color are considered normal. Darker urine in the morning is associated with increased concentrations of urochrome. When drinking heavily, it changes color to bright yellow. But in some cases, the change is caused by pathological or physical conditions.

A dark shade can be caused by excessive consumption of preparations based on aloe, legumes or rhubarb.
Various laxatives that contain sena grass or cascura, antibiotics, antimalarial medications also provoke color changes in the fluid excreted by the body.
In some cases, prolonged abstinence from urination and drinking insufficient amounts of fluid causes the body fluid produced by the kidneys to turn dark.

But the situation is much worse if all of the above factors are absent. In this case, dark urine color may occur due to serious kidney and liver diseases.

Causes of brown urine

Unusual color of urine can occur for a number of reasons, these are both non-dangerous factors and symptoms of serious diseases.

Non-dangerous reasons:

Increased concentration of urochrome due to lack of fluid in the body.
Increased sweating associated with physical activity or climatic conditions.
Use of medications.
Drinking drinks and foods with dyes.

The biological fluid changes color when beef, rhubarb, legumes and strong tea are included in the diet. The drugs naphthol and salol, laxatives, also cause changes. But when the drugs are discontinued or the above foods are consumed, the color is quickly restored.

Pathological reasons:

Jaundice (hemolytic, mechanical, parenchymal).
Prostate diseases.
Inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and liver.
Pathologies of the genitourinary system.
Diseases of the female internal genital organs.

With jaundice, the color change is caused by a violation of the formation and excretion of bile enzymes. Acute intestinal diseases cause large loss of fluid and provoke dehydration of the body, so they can also be a cause of deviation. When the kidneys are damaged, the urine becomes darker due to the presence of blood or pus in it. Such secretions pass through the genitourinary tract and, subject to an acidic reaction, color the liquid.

Brown urine in men

Brown urine in men is characterized by physiological and pathological changes. This may occur due to dehydration or serious diseases of the internal organs and genitourinary system. If the changes are caused by pathological phenomena, then accompanying symptoms appear, simplifying the diagnostic process. As a rule, these are nausea, elevated body temperature, pain in the abdomen, an unpleasant, pungent odor of urine and painful urination. Such symptoms indicate a progressive disease, and therefore require urgent help from a urologist, therapist or nephrologist.

Main reasons:

Diseases of the prostate, testicles and vas deferens.
Prostatitis.
Inflammation of the epididymis.
Scrotal injuries.
Increased concentration of urochromes.
Use of medications.
Jaundice, hepatitis.
Excessive intake of vitamins B and C and increased red blood cell count.
Copper poisoning.
Urinary tract cancer or bacterial infection.
Liver cirrhosis, anemia and other diseases.

But if you are not taking medications or consuming foods with dyes, the disorder requires medical diagnosis. In addition, the color of biological fluid becomes darker in elderly patients. If this phenomenon persists for several days, you should contact a surgeon or urologist.

Brown urine in women

Changes in the color of urine in women usually occur with inflammatory diseases. But the shade can change due to dehydration, drinking drinks and food with dyes, exposure to toxins and the use of certain medications. The defect appears in diseases of the genital area. These are sexually transmitted diseases, cervical tumors, disintegrating uterine fibroids or nonspecific inflammation of the genital tract. In addition to color changes, there is a sharp foul smell of discharge and pain when urinating.

Causes of the disorder:

Fluid deficiency in the body and high levels of urochromes.
Consumption of products with dyes.
Jaundice of viral etiology or hepatitis.
Hemolytic anemia and elevated bilirubin levels.
Urinary tract infections.
Vasculitis.
Pregnancy period.
Kidney diseases.
Pancreatic and liver cancer.
Dietary factors.
Various injuries.

To identify the true cause of deviations, the doctor prescribes general and biochemical tests of urine and blood. Based on the test results, a treatment and prevention plan for the disorder is drawn up.

Brown urine during pregnancy

During pregnancy, many changes occur in the female body due to hormonal changes. Very often during this period the urine turns brown, which makes the expectant mother worry. Normally, the color of biological fluid is yellow, but the appearance of deviations does not always indicate serious pathologies. For example, if the day before you ate beets, rhubarb, cherries or blackberries, your urine will become darker. But if there were no coloring foods in the diet, and the woman maintained her water balance, then it is worth going to the hospital.

During pregnancy, the genitourinary system experiences increased stress. The growing fetus and enlarged uterus put pressure on the kidneys, complicating their functions. The kidneys have to work for two organisms at the same time - remove metabolic products from the maternal body and the fetal body.

Pathological color appears when:

Presence of bile pigments and blood.
The use of medications and dehydration.
In the presence of urobilin.

Regardless of color, the most important thing is that the liquid is not cloudy. A pregnant woman should regularly undergo urine tests in order to promptly identify possible pathologies.

Brown urine in a child

Darkening of the color of a child's urine causes panic among parents. But such a disorder does not always indicate a pathological character. The color of the fluid excreted by the kidneys is affected by the foods you eat. So, if your baby has recently eaten carrots, blueberries, beets or rhubarb, then the brown color should not cause concern. The color and smell of discharge are affected by medications and dehydration.

If the changes are accompanied by high fever, abdominal pain and painful urination, then these are signs of the disease. These kinds of symptoms may indicate pyelonephritis. In any case, it is necessary to undergo tests for research. If an increased number of red blood cells is detected, then this is glomerulonephritis, and an increased level of protein may indicate cystitis. The treating pediatrician will prescribe additional tests, which will help identify the disease and the degree of the inflammatory process. But if, against the background of the changes described above, the baby feels well, then there is no need to worry, since it is quite possible that he needs to take more fluid.

Brown urine as a symptom of illness

Very often, deviations in the color of urine from the norm indicate the development of a certain disease. Normally, biological fluid has a yellow color, which is determined by the concentration of substances dissolved in it.

Changes in the color of urine in various diseases:

	Pathological conditions
Brown	Hemolytic anemia	Urobilinogenuria
	Nephrolithiasis, renal infarction	Hematuria (fresh blood)
	Lead anemia	Uroporphyrinuria
	Acute glomerulonephritis and exacerbation of chronic glomerulonephritis	Hematuria (changed blood)
Whitish	Fatty degeneration and breakdown of kidney tissue	Lipuria, pus, phosphate crystals
Dark yellow	Congestive kidney, edema, burns, diarrhea, vomiting, toxicosis, feverish conditions	Increased concentration of dyes
Pale yellow	Diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus, renal glycosuria, renal failure	Low concentration of dyes
	Acute hemolytic kidney	Hemoglobinuria
	Alkaptonuria	Homogentisic acid
	Melanosarcoma
Greenish-yellowish	Obstructive jaundice	Bilirubinuria

The disorder may be caused by the patient's age. Thus, in patients over 50 years of age, brownish impurities are possible due to prostate adenoma, kidney stones and bladder stones. In many women, the deviation appears against the background of infectious lesions of the genitourinary tract. Another factor influencing the color of the liquid is increased physical activity.

Light brown urine

Light brown urine most often indicates a urinary tract infection. Patients complain of pain in the abdomen, a constant desire to urinate, increased sweating and a strong smell of discharge. If blood impurities appear against this background, but the change in color is not associated with food intake, then medical attention is required.

Particular attention should be paid to the color of the skin, sclera and stool; if they have a yellow tint, this indicates liver disease and requires hospitalization. The deviation occurs due to the action of medications, certain foods and food dyes. Chronic intoxication with harmful substances and poisoning can also affect the color of biological fluid.

Brown cloudy urine

Cloudy, brown urine is a sign of a pathology that requires medical attention.

Main reasons for deviation:

Alkaptonuria - during urination, hemogentisic acid is released, which darkens in air and makes the liquid cloudy.
Increased levels of bile pigments.
Use of medications.
Pyuria, that is, the release of large amounts of lipouria and phosphates.
Phosphaturia is the detection of magnesium phosphate and calcium phosphate salts in the urine.

With stones and sand in the kidneys, the urine also becomes cloudy, as it contains blood impurities. This happens because solid elements passing through the urinary tract damage them. Tumors of the genitourinary system and infections are another cause of the defect. If your urine remains cloudy for several days, you should definitely seek medical help.

Dark brown urine

The dark brown biological fluid excreted by the kidneys most often acquires this color due to the foods consumed the day before. For example, beans, rhubarb, cherries and foods with artificial colors change the color of urine. In this case, there is no reason to worry, since it is enough to change the diet and everything will return to normal. Some medications cause darkening. For example, antimalarials, antibiotics and laxatives. After stopping the medication, the color becomes normal.

The pathological nature of the deviation may be associated with diseases such as hepatitis, acute glomerulonephritis and cirrhosis. Impaired kidney function results in the organ being unable to remove waste and excess fluid, making its color dark. Infectious diseases, kidney stones, prostate adenoma, bladder stones are a number of other reasons that provoke a change in the color of urine.

Do not forget about recently suffered bacterial and viral infections, which also affect the color of biological fluids excreted by the body. This pathology is called post-infectious glomerulonephritis and occurs in both adults and children. Pathology can be caused by family history and increased physical activity. In any case, if, against the background of these changes, you experience pain or discomfort, then you should consult a doctor and get tested to check the condition of your body.

Detection of brown flakes in urine

The presence of brown flakes in the urine most often indicates inflammatory damage to the kidneys. Pathology can be considered as an independent disease or a complication due to prostate cancer, hyperplasia, acute renal failure, gynecological diseases or urolithiasis. But a similar defect occurs with venereal lesions, cystitis and pyelonephritis. Sometimes the presence of flakes indicates increased protein levels.

If the deviation is accompanied by pain during urination, pain in muscles and joints, gastrointestinal disorders, fever, pain in the lumbar region, increased sweating and headaches, then urgent medical attention is needed. In this case, without tests and a number of diagnostic procedures, it is difficult to establish the cause of the disease, much less eliminate it.

Brown mucus in urine

Normally, every healthy person produces a small amount of mucus when urinating, which is not detected during diagnosis. Its increased content most often indicates prolonged stagnation of urine or infection of the excretory system. These pathologies lead to increased mucus production and difficulty in drainage. That is why a small part of it is constantly brought out. But sometimes the presence of mucous formations is not pathological in nature, but indicates incorrect urine collection for examination and requires a retest.

Most often, women face the problem of mucus in the biological fluid produced by the kidneys. This may indicate pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, gynecological lesions and even pregnancy. During pregnancy, the presence of mucus indicates an inflammatory process, which without proper treatment can cause miscarriage or premature birth.

Diagnosis of brown urine

To diagnose brown urine, you need to undergo tests. We are talking about a standard urine and blood biochemistry test.

Urinalysis - allows you to determine the level of red blood cells and increased protein content. These values indicate disturbances in the release of metabolic products, infections and bacteria.
Blood test - determines the level of urea nitrogen (waste) and creatinine. It can detect elevated liver enzyme levels and diabetes mellitus.
Other studies are prescribed depending on the results of the tests described above. The main reason for continued diagnosis is the presence of red blood cells.

Laboratory testing makes it possible to evaluate the microscopic, chemical and physical characteristics of a liquid. Particular attention should be paid to its collection, since the veracity of the analysis results depends on compliance with all the rules.

Kidney diseases are treated with medication; patients are prescribed a course of long-acting medications and a special diet.
Diseases of the female reproductive system - depending on the type of disease, appropriate therapy is selected. If these are tumors and malignant lesions, then the patient will undergo a course of chemotherapy.
Diseases of the male reproductive system - the treatment principle is the same as for lesions of the female reproductive system. In men, urine color disturbances most often appear with prostatitis, alcohol abuse and smoking.

The most effective way to get rid of brown urine is to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Particular attention should be paid to genital hygiene. This applies to a large extent to men, since due to microbes entering the prostate, the excreted biological fluid acquires a brown tint. But no matter what causes the deviation, timely seeking medical help will help you maintain your health.

Prevention of brown urine

Prevention of brown urine is necessary to prevent the occurrence of dangerous diseases. So, before using any medications, you should carefully read the instructions and ask your doctor about possible changes in the color of urine. To prevent diseases that cause deviation, it is recommended to perform the following procedures:

Urinary tract infections

Urinate at the first urge to urinate and immediately after sexual intercourse.
Drink more fluids.
After urination, wiping should be from front to back.
Stones in the kidneys
Limit salt, spinach, rhubarb and protein intake.
Drink more water.

Kidney and bladder cancers

Quitting smoking and alcohol.
Drink more water.
Maintain a normal weight.
Maintain physical activity and a healthy diet.
Avoid exposure to toxins and hazardous chemicals.

In addition, it is necessary to promptly treat any inflammatory and infectious diseases. Since they are the ones who most often provoke disorders of the excretory system.

Brown Urine Forecast

The prognosis for changes in the color of urine depends on what is causing them. If this is caused by your diet, then you should reconsider the foods you eat. If there is a deviation caused by medications, it is enough to stop taking them and the color of the liquid will normalize. But if the defect is caused by a serious disease, then ignoring it is a danger to life, and therefore has a negative prognosis.

Brown urine is a common problem experienced by both adults and children. Many reasons and factors provoke its appearance. If it is accompanied by additional painful symptoms, you should seek medical help. Timely diagnosis will allow you to identify and eliminate any pathology, while normalizing the color of urine.