Some liver and kidney disorders and some urinary tract infections can turn urine dark brown. So can bleeding inside the body called a hemorrhage. A group of illnesses that mainly affect the skin or the nervous system, called porphyria, also can cause brown urine.
Make sure to see a doctor if your urine contains blood or is dark. Blood in the urine warrants further investigation as it could be a sign of a urinary tract infection, kidney stones or urinary tract cancer. Dark or orange urine may signal a liver problem.
When you're dehydrated, your urine becomes darker in color. If this happens, it might mean you need more fluids. Make sure you drink enough fluids daily to stay hydrated and keep yourself healthy.
When your kidneys are failing, a high concentration and accumulation of substances lead to brown, red, or purple urine. Studies suggest the urine color is due to abnormal protein or sugar as well as high numbers of cellular casts and red and white blood cells.
Dark yellow urine is a sign that you are dehydrated and that you must drink more fluids to prevent dehydration. Your fluid intake goal is to make your urine no darker than the colour of # 3 on the chart. The darker colours (4-8) are signs of dehydration and may cause you to become ill.
What causes dark urine? Dark urine can be a sign of dehydration, jaundice, infections, and other health conditions. Certain medications and foods such, as rhubarb or beets, can also change the color of urine. Urine consists of excess water and waste products that the kidneys filter from the blood.
Transparent and lacking in color
Transparent, colorless urine could also be a sign of some other health disorders, including diabetes and kidney disease, or from taking diuretic medication.
Abnormal urine color is a known side effect of a number of drugs. Medications including rifampin, doxorubicin, and propofol can cause urine discoloration ranging from red or orange to blue-green. Dark brown or black urine has been associated with drugs such as nitrofurantoin, acetaminophen overdose, and metronidazole.
Smelly urine is usually caused by bacteria and fungi that live in the urinary tract. Therefore, smelly and yellow urine is highly likely related to urinary tract infection.
Cola- or tea-colored urine could indicate inflammation of the kidneys (glomerulonephritis). Orange hued urine can also indicate a problem with the liver or bile duct. Greenish or cloudy urine may be symptomatic of a urinary tract infection.
Urine that is dark orange, amber, cola-coloured or brown can be a sign of liver disease. The colour is due to too much bilirubin building up because the liver isn't breaking it down normally.
Light-brown or tea-colored urine can be a sign of kidney disease/failure or muscle breakdown.
When you're dehydrated, your urine typically turns dark yellow, gold, or even brown. It happens because there isn't enough fluid in your urine to dilute the toxins that are released when you urinate.
The more unusual colors – like bright highlighter yellow, orange, brown, green or blue – are likely caused by medications, changes in diet or food dyes. Even vigorous exercise can cause urine to change to a pink, red or tea-colored hue. This is because exercise can cause blood to mix with urine.
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.
What are the signs and symptoms of dehydration? Signs of dehydration are visible in your urine. Dark and strong smelling urine is a clear sign that you need to drink more fluids.
It will smell stronger and appear darker than healthy urine, which is pale or clear. If someone becomes dehydrated after drinking too much coffee, or if they drink coffee while otherwise dehydrated, their urine will often smell like coffee.
When you're healthy and hydrated, your urine should fall somewhere between colorless and the color of light straw and honey. When you don't consume enough fluids, your urine becomes more concentrated and turns a darker yellow or amber color.
Because people tend to sleep for several hours without having a drink, their urine is normally darker when urinating first thing in the morning. Darker urine during the day or evening may be one of the signs that someone is dehydrated meaning they are not drinking enough fluids.
4. Discolored urine. Another common symptom of kidney stones is blood in the urine. This can make your urine discolored red, pink, or even brown.