The relationship between urine colour and hydration status The issue is that, whilst urine colour can definitely be somewhat indicative of hydration status, there's definitely not a simple and linear relationship between actual hydration status and the colour of your pee.
It's important to drink enough water every day, but it's possible to overdo it. If your pee is totally transparent and missing a yellow hue, you're probably drinking more than the recommended amount of water. Also, if peeing has become your full-time job, that's another sign you're hydrating a bit too hard.
Clear urine indicates that you're drinking more than the daily recommended amount of water. While being hydrated is a good thing, drinking too much water can rob your body of electrolytes.
Increased urination can also be a cause of dehydration. Frequent urination can be a symptom of diabetes or caused by a urinary tract infection, but can also be the result of certain medications.
Medium-dark yellow urine is often an indication that you are dehydrated.
The relationship between urine colour and hydration status
The issue is that, whilst urine colour can definitely be somewhat indicative of hydration status, there's definitely not a simple and linear relationship between actual hydration status and the colour of your pee.
If you have diabetes insipidus, you'll continue to pee large amounts of watery (dilute), light-colored urine when normally you'd only pee a small amount of concentrated, dark yellow urine.
With her testing, she observed that well-hydrated individuals urinated an average of five times over 24 hours, while those who were dehydrated urinated only an average of three times.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the average person should urinate somewhere between between six and eight times in a 24-hour period. While an individual is occasionally likely go more frequently than that, daily incidences of urinating more than eight times may signal a concern for too-frequent urination.
When you have not drank enough fluids your kidneys try to save as much water as they can and cause your urine to be darker in colour (more concentrated). Dark yellow urine is a sign that you are dehydrated and that you must drink more fluids to prevent dehydration.
An occasional clear pee isn't a big deal. But if it's an ongoing issue you may be lowering salt and electrolyte levels below what your body needs. What if your urine is clear and you're not knocking back glass after glass of water? That may signal an underlying kidney problem or diabetes.
Transparent. Colorless urine may indicate over-hydration. While not as dangerous as dehydration, over-hydration can dilute essential salts, such as electrolytes, creating a problematic chemical imbalance in the blood.
Underlying kidney problems
A set of rare conditions known as Bartter syndrome, or potassium wasting, can also cause a person to urinate frequently. If they drink more to compensate, their urine may be clear.
So, what if you drink loads of water each day but are still feeling thirsty and dehydrated? It can be a sign that something else is going on. Factors like your medication, how much you sweat and if you're sick can affect your levels of hydration.
Urinalysis. Tests done on your urine can help show whether you're dehydrated and to what degree. They also can check for signs of a bladder infection.
A simple way to gauge your level of hydration is to pay attention to the color of your urine. If your urine is very dark and has a strong odor, you are definitely dehydrated and should increase your water intake. If your urine is completely clear, you are likely drinking too much.
Every woman goes on her own schedule, but generally, peeing 6-8 times in 24 hours is considered normal for someone who is healthy, and isn't pregnant. If you're going more often than that, you may be experiencing frequent urination. Frequent urination can happen on its own and isn't always a sign of a health problem.
Rehydrating Your Body
It's recommended to drink at least 64 ounces of water every day. You can also receive the water you need from other beverages, fruits, and vegetables. Drinking coffee and tea in moderation can help contribute to hydration. Caffeine, however, can be extremely dehydrating.
It's considered normal to have to urinate about six to eight times in a 24-hour period. If you're going more often than that, it could simply mean that you may be drinking too much fluid or consuming too much caffeine, which is a diuretic and flushes liquids out of the body.
Two early signs of dehydration are thirst and dark-coloured urine. This is the body's way of trying to increase water intake and decrease water loss. Other symptoms may include: dizziness or light-headedness.
“Diabetes starts as a silent disease, advancing painlessly, almost imperceptibly,” says Dr. Ferrer, who sees 25 to 30 diabetic patients per week. “It mainly attacks the small blood vessels, damaging the kidneys, eyes, and nerves.” It can also affect larger blood vessels.
Some liver and kidney disorders and some urinary tract infections can turn urine dark brown.