It is normal for urine to change color with levels of hydration. Pale or transparent yellow urine typically indicates sufficient hydration, while darker yellow or amber urine may be a sign of dehydration. Certain food and medications can also change urine color.
Pale yellow to clear urine means you're giving your body the fluids it needs. “When you're healthy and hydrated, your urine color should actually have very little color to it, from light yellow to clear,” Dr. Wolach said. “However, it's not abnormal for the color of your urine to vary throughout the day.”
The most optimal color for your urine is a pale yellow.
“Normal urine is pale yellow to amber in color and is clear. Darker urine is often a sign of dehydration. If you notice that your urine is darker than normal and you have no other symptoms, try drinking some more water and see if this helps your urine return to a lighter color,” Alyssa said.
Normally, urine doesn't have any bilirubin. If there is bilirubin n your urine, it may be an early sign of a liver condition. Bilirubin is a yellow substance that your body makes during the normal process of breaking down red blood cells.
Clear to yellow urine is normal and indicates normal kidney function, while odd colors such as orange or blue may be due to certain medications such as laxatives, antidepressants and antibiotics. But there are two colors that you must take seriously: red and dark brown.
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.
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.
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.
If your pee is bright yellow
The most common culprit is vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, which is found in most multivitamins. The neon color in pee is just a harmless sign that you're taking more than your body needs, and the excess is mixing with your pee.
If you only drink water and your pee is still yellow, don't worry. This is completely normal. Even if you drink a lot of water, your urine may still be yellow because of the urochrome pigment.
Because people tend to sleep for several hours without having a drink, their urine is normally darker when urinating first thing in the morning.
Is clear urine always a good thing? In most cases, clear urine is a sign that you're well hydrated. And that's a positive thing because good hydration helps your body function at its best. But, in some cases, clear pee may mean that you're drinking too much water and you're too hydrated.
If dark urine does not go away even after drinking plenty of water or traces of blood in your urine, seek medical attention immediately. Urine can change colour and take on a darker hue depending on what is causing it: dehydration, medications, one's diet, or a health condition.
When you are drinking enough fluids your body is in balance and your urine will be a pale straw yellow colour. 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).
Most people have two kidneys, one on either side of the spine under the lower ribs. They are bean-shaped and reddish brown in colour. Each kidney is about the size of a clenched fist.
One of the early signs is the appearance of swelling over the ankles, feet or legs: One will start to notice edema at these sites which pits on applying pressure and is termed as pitting edema. As the kidney function begins to fall there is sodium retention which causes swelling in your shin and ankles.
It is normal for urine to change color with levels of hydration. Pale or transparent yellow urine typically indicates sufficient hydration, while darker yellow or amber urine may be a sign of dehydration. Certain food and medications can also change urine color.
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.