Clear pee is most often a result of drinking a lot of water. But, in some cases, it can be a sign of an underlying health condition. In addition to overhydration, the most common causes of clear urine include kidney issues, diabetes, diabetes insipidus, medications, and pregnancy.
Pale or transparent yellow urine
Diabetes insipidus is a condition in which the body produces excess urine. It can cause people to pass large quantities of light-colored urine every time they urinate. It can also cause people to feel very thirsty, leading them to drink fluids frequently.
Regular urine color ranges from clear to pale yellow. But certain things can change the color. Foods such as beets, blackberries and fava beans can turn urine pink or red, for example. And some medicines can give urine vivid tones, such as orange or greenish-blue.
When kidneys are failing, the increased concentration and accumulation of substances in urine lead to a darker color which may be brown, red or purple. The color change is due to abnormal protein or sugar, high levels of red and white blood cells, and high numbers of tube-shaped particles called cellular casts.
Diabetes insipidus is a rare condition that causes you to have an almost unquenchable thirst and your body to make a lot of urine that is colorless and odorless. Most people pee out 1 to 2 quarts a day.
Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR).
A UACR test lets the doctor know how much albumin passes into your urine over a 24-hour period. A urine albumin test result of 30 or above may mean kidney disease. It's important to know that: The test may be repeated once or twice to confirm the results.
Having a simple urine test can help find kidney disease and other health conditions early. Finding kidney disease early is important because treatment can help keep it from getting worse. It may even make some problems better.
Some people may notice they have to get up every couple of hours during the night to urinate and that they produce more urine when they do go. The presence of excess glucose can also cause the urine to have a sweet smell. This is most common in advanced cases of type 2 diabetes, he says.
The presence of ketones in the urine therefore indicates that patients' blood glucose level is likely to be very high and that they may have ketoacidosis, which is a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes and needs urgent treatment.
Three simple tests to check for kidney disease:
Check for diabetes and high blood pressure. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a blood test which measures how much blood your kidneys filter each minute). A GFR of 60 or higher is in the normal range. A GFR below 60 may mean you have kidney disease.
The issue, as mentioned in the study above, is that while urine color can be somewhat indicative of hydration status, there is not a linear relationship between actual hydration status and the color of your pee. Numerous other things can affect the color of your pee, including: Drinking alcohol.
Common causes of smelly pee
Pee is usually clear or pale yellow, with a mild smell. Things that can often make your pee smell stronger include: certain types of food and drink, like asparagus or coffee. not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)
Foamy or bubbly urine
Kidneys make urine, so when the kidneys are failing, the urine may change. How? Urine may be foamy or bubbly. This can lead to an above-normal amount of protein in the urine.
Stage 1 CKD means you have a normal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 90 or greater, but there is protein in your urine (i.e., your pee). The presence of protein alone means you are in Stage 1 CKD. At stage 1 CKD, you may not notice any effects on your health.
Kidney pain often feels like a dull ache that gets worse if someone gently presses on that area. While it is more common to feel kidney pain on only one side, some health problems may affect both kidneys and cause pain on both sides of your back.
Cloudy, murky-looking urine can be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI) but can also indicate kidney stones, a sexually transmitted disease or diabetes. White or milky urine can also be caused by an overabundance of proteins.
Individuals with poorly controlled diabetes have larger urine volumes and are more likely to have more urine than fits in a standard collection jug. They void more often compared to non-diabetics, so they have more opportunities to mishandle urine causing it to not be included.
A small amount of glucose in your urine is normal. If a random urine sample shows more than 0.25mg/ml, this is considered glycosuria and can be caused by too high blood glucose levels, a problem with your kidney filters, or both.