Urine - Abnormal Color
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Definition
Urine of an abnormal color appears different from the usual straw-yellow color. Abnormally-colored urine may be cloudy, dark, or blood-colored.
See also: Urine, bloody or dark
Alternative Names
Discoloration of urine
Considerations
Tell your health care provider about any changes in urine color that do not go away, or that do not seem to be caused by a food or drug. This is very important if the urine changes color for longer than a day or two, or you have repeated episodes.
Common Causes
Some dyes used in food may be released in the urine. A wide variety of drugs can change the urine color.
Diseases that can change the urine color include:
- Acute cystitis
- Acute glomerulonephritis
- Acute tubular necrosis
- Acute unilateral obstructive uropathy
- Alport syndrome
- Carcinoma of the urinary bladder
- Chronic glomerulonephritis
- Chronic prostatitis
- Endocarditis
- Hepatitis
- Nephrolithiasis (kidney stones)
- Prostate cancer
- Renal cell carcinoma
- Rhabdomyolysis
Cloudy or milky urine is a sign of a urinary tract infection, which may also cause a bad smell. Milky urine may also be caused by bacteria, crystals, fat, white or red blood cells, or mucus in the urine.
Dark brown but clear urine is a sign of a liver disorder such as acute viral hepatitis or cirrhosis, which causes excess bilirubin in the urine.
Pink, red, or lighter brown urine can be caused by:
- Beets, blackberries, or certain food colorings
- Hemolytic anemia
Injury to the kidneys or urinary tract
Medication
Porphyria
Urinary tract disorders that cause bleeding, such as cystitis, an enlarged prostate, a kidney or bladder tumor, tuberculosis, bladder stones, kidney infection, or kidney cancer such as Wilms' tumor (in children) or hypernephroma
Dark yellow or orange urine can be caused by:
B complex vitamins or carotene
Medications such as phenazopyridine (used to treat urinary tract infections), rifampin, and warfarin
Recent laxative use
Green or blue urine is due to:
References
Gerber GS, Brendler CB. Evaluation of the urologic patient: History, physical examination, and the urinalysis. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 3.
Landry DW, Bazari H. Approach to the patient with renal disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 116.
Review Date: 9/16/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Scott Miller, MD, Urologist in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2004 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Alternative Names
Discoloration of urine
Call your health care provider if
Make an appointment with your health care provider if you have:
What to expect at your health care provider's office
The health care provider will perform a physical exam, which may include a rectal or pelvic exam. You will be asked questions about your medical history and symptoms, including:
- Time pattern
- When did this color change begin?
- Did this begin suddenly?
- Quality
- What color is your urine?
- Is it always the same color throughout the day?
- Do you urinate more or less often than usual?
- Can you see blood in the urine?
- Is the urine an unusual odor?
- Factors that make it worse
- What medicines do you take?
- Have you eaten foods such as colored candy, beets, berries, or rhubarb?
- Other
- What other symptoms do you have? (For example, pain when urinating, abdominal pain, back pain, or fever)
- Are you drinking fewer fluids or are less thirsty?
- Do you have a decreased appetite?
- Have you had any urinary problems or kidney problems?
- Do you have any allergies?
Tests that may be done include:
References
Gerber GS, Brendler CB. Evaluation of the urologic patient: History, physical examination, and the urinalysis. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 3.
Landry DW, Bazari H. Approach to the patient with renal disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 116.
Review Date: 9/16/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Scott Miller, MD, Urologist in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2004 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Review Date: 9/16/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Scott Miller, MD, Urologist in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2004 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.