What your pee says about you

Danielle de Haas
Feb 11, 2017
2 min read

What your pee says about you...

The colour of your pee usually catches your attention when it looks unusual. I have put some information down below to what the colour of your pee may be suggesting. This is no actual diagnosis – just a guide. Most colours are of no concern and are usually just a reflection of what you have consumed (i.e. food, vitamins, medications).

Clear

If it is clear or very light yellow – you may be overhydrated from consuming too much water. Unless you have health issues such as kidney stones – its best to slow down on the water consumption as you may be losing salts with all that drinking.

Straw or light yellow

This is the perfect colour.

Cloudy

One of the most common causes of cloudy urine is phosphaturia – phosphate crystals that form when the acidity of the urine is low. If your urine is chronically cloudy then see your GP. It could be an infection or a sign of other inflammatory conditions. If you have cloudy urine combined with burning or urgency to wee then you probably have a urinary tract infection. One in five women will have a UTI in their lifetime.

Dark yellow

You are too dry. Drink more water.

Neon yellow

This colour is usually linked to an intake of vitamins B and C. Some other medications may also cause the urine to turn neon yellow.

Dark orange/brown

A dark orange colour bordering on brown could mean there is too much bile being excreted into your urine. This could be a liver or gastrointestinal problem. If your urine is brown, definitely see a doctor.

Smelly

If you haven’t consumed asparagus and your urine is really smelly then you may have an infection. This can be treated with antibiotics.

Orange/blue/green

These other colours are usually the result of medication, food dye or something more. If it persists – see a health care professional as you may have a bacterial infection called pseudomonas. This can be treated quickly with antibiotics.