Now You’re in Colour
For years, doctors have looked at the color of a patient’s urine to determine overall health and diagnose specific illnesses. One way to monitor our health is to document the color of your pee over time. Get a notebook, or open your calendar application on your phone. Every day enter details about the color of your urine for a two-week period of time.
Here’s a guide to understanding your health by looking at the color of your urine.
Clear or transparent — may be drinking too many fluids. Drinking too much stresses your heart as excess water increases the amount of blood the heart must pump. Excess water stresses your kidneys as kidneys can filter only about half a litre an hour.
Light yellow, straw-colored, or gold — indicates properly functioning kidneys and adequate hydration levels.
Bright or fluorescent yellow — shows you’re taking B vitamins, no need to worry.
Dark yellow - orange — dehydration. You should drink more fluids.
Amber — severe dehydration, you should re-hydrate quickly.
Brown— extreme dehydration, a urinary tract infection, a kidney problem, pituitary problem or liver disease.
Pink or red — could indicate blood in the urine.
Urine that has a slight yellow tint is healthy urine. If your pee is any other color than light yellow, it may be time to schedule an appointment with your doctor.
Also, frequency can tell you something about your health. Most people have no idea how many times a day they urinate, but 6-10 times per day is the average. What is abnormal is to urinate more than once at night. If you’re peeing too often or too rarely you could be sick.
By using a notebook to track and evaluate the frequency and color of your pee, you can determine your overall health, make changes to fluid intake, or perhaps, make an appointment with your health care practitioner for further testing.
