This Is What Color Your Pee Is Supposed To Be
You're doing amazing. Pee is made by the kidneys from a mixture of waste called urea and extra water in your blood, according to MedlinePlus. The yellow color comes from a peptide that's called urochrome, per the Mayo Clinic. The amount of water in your system determines how diluted the pee pigment is. When nothing is wrong and you're appropriately hydrated, urine is straw yellow, and the more water you drink, the less-intense the yellow will be.DashDividers_1_500x100Illustrated by Naomi SilverioIf amber is the color of your urine, that's not a great sign. Shades of gold shouldn't happen naturally — in fact, they're a sign that you're severely dehydrated. The eerie thing about dehydration is that it can often cause decreased urination and sweating, because with less fluid, your body tries to retain what it has. Drink water, and if you have other symptoms of dehydration such as confusion, fainting, or a rapid heartbeat, you should seek medical attention.Other times, orange pee can be caused by taking certain medications, so you might want to double-check the labels to see if that's a reported side effect of anything you're on.DashDividers_1_500x100Illustrated by Naomi SilverioBlood is often the culprit when your pee turns red or pink. Hematuria is the medical term for having blood in your pee, and it can be caused by a number of factors, ranging from a bladder infection to having sex. Even eating reddish foods such as beets or certain berries can alter your pee color. Once you can confirm that the blood is in fact coming from your pee (and not your vagina or your anus), see a doctor so they can diagnose the underlying issue.AdvertisementDashDividers_1_500x100Illustrated by Naomi SilverioWhen you eat specific foods, such as asparagus or ones containing food dye, the coloring can end up affecting the shade of your urine, causing it to turn blueish or green. Or, if you've ingested certain medications (such as the antidepressant amitriptyline) blue or green pee can be a side effect. Finally, in more severe cases, UTIs caused by bacteria may result in green urine, according to the Mayo Clinic. This is just another reason why you shouldn't discount or ignore your UTI symptoms.DashDividers_1_500x100Illustrated by Naomi SilverioWhen urine is dark brown, but still see-through, then that can be a sign of more serious health conditions that affect the liver, according to MedlinePlus. For example, hepatitis B, an infection that results in liver swelling, can cause dark urine and yellowish skin. Long-term liver damage can also turn urine brown due to a build-up of a pigment called bilirubin. Although these situations tend to be less common, it's important to be aware of the possibility.DashDividers_1_500x100Illustrated by Naomi Silverio
