What your Urine Colour, Odor or Volume Indicates About Your Body?

Normal Urine Characteristics:

• Color: Ranges from pale yellow to deep amber, influenced by hydration levels.
• A very well-hydrated person will have clear urine color, while a dark golden color can be due to dehydration.
• Normal urine is often a pale yellow color due to urochrome, a pigment produced by the breakdown of hemoglobin.

Abnormal Colors:

• Red:
  • Presence of Red Blood cells or Hemoglobin.
  • Or if the person is consuming red-pigmented food like Beet Root.
  • Hematuria: Presence of RBCs.
    • Causes: Kidney and other urinary tract infections or stones, kidney inflammation or injury, prostate problems.
  • Hemoglobinuria: Presence of hemoglobin in urine.
    • Causes: Malaria, typhoid, yellow fever, or hemolytic jaundice.
      
• White or Milky:
  • Also known as chyluria, indicates the presence of lymph in urine.
  • Most commonly associated with the parasitic infection Wuchereria Bancrofti, but can also have non-infectious causes.
  • Causes: Trauma, congenital lymphatic malformation (e.g., lymphatic-urinary fistula), post-surgery (e.g., nephrectomy), congenital stenosis of thoracic duct.
    
• Dark Brown or Black:
  • Alkaptonuria, or black urine disease.
    

• Clarity: Normally clear.
  • Cloudiness might indicate the presence of mucus, cells, or microbes as in UTIs.
  • Foamy: Excessive bubbles might indicate protein in the urine, a potential sign of kidney disease.
    
• Odor: Mild odor due to ammonia.
  • In conditions like liver disease, it may smell musty.
  • Foul smell indicates bladder infection.
  • Mousy smell in the case of Phenylketonuria.
  • Sweet smell in the case of diabetes mellitus.
  • Another genetic disorder makes it smell like maple syrup.
    
• Volume: About 800 to 2,000 milliliters per day for adults, varying with fluid intake.
  • Polyuria: Urinary volume >2000ml/24 hrs.
    • Causes: Diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, chronic renal failure, and diuretic therapy.
  • Oliguria: Urinary volume <400ml/24 hrs.
    • Causes: Febrile states, acute glomerulonephritis, congestive cardiac failure, or dehydration.
  • Anuria: Urinary output <100ml/24 hrs or complete cessation of urine output.
    • Causes: Acute tubular necrosis, acute glomerulonephritis, and complete urinary tract obstruction.
      
• pH: Usually slightly acidic, ranging from 5.6 to 7.
  • Acidic urine:
    • Causes: Large intake of meat & certain fruits (cranberries), metabolic & respiratory acidosis.
  • Alkaline urine:
    • Causes: Vegetarians, metabolic & respiratory alkalosis, urinary tract infection by urea-splitting bacteria which split urea to ammonia (alkaline).

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