Video
Body Check – Urine Transcript
Dr Christian: We all feel the relief of a quick pit stop, but a trip to the loo might also reveal something more telling.
Urine is a mix of excess water and waste from all over the body. Its yellow colour comes from a pigment in the red blood cells. The spectrum can stretch from the almost clear to the dark orange – and it’s simply a matter of hydration, which is affected by how much water we drink and how much we sweat out.
What we’ve had to eat can also have some affect on our pee – causing different smells or colours as can any medications or supplements.
If you find, however, that an unusual smell or colour continues for no apparent reason it would be worth discussing with your doctor.
So here are a few things to look out for:
Very dark urine that is unaffected by what you drink is maybe characteristic of a liver disorder such as viral hepatitis.
Pink or red tinges could mean there is blood in the urine; but this could just be from strenuous exercise or a minor infection, stones or in rare cases a sign of kidney or bladder cancer.
Cloudy urine could mean a number of things, it could just be a little debris or in women could be a sign of cystitis. In men, it could highlight a sexually transmitted infection or less commonly a condition called retrograde ejaculation which is where semen enters the bladder and then clouds the urine.
How often you need to go can also indicate there might be a problem, excessive weeing – even when not hydrated can be a sign of diabetes.
Next time you go, take a look and remember to keep on an eye on anything unusual that keeps reoccurring – and don’t forget to tell us about what you find.
For this body check and others featured on the site we want to hear about your findings. So please come back to share your results and discuss them with other site users.
If you have any other problems passing water such as leaking, burning sensation or pain then make sure you speak to your GP or pharmacist.
Body Check: Urine
We all feel the relief of a quick pit stop, but a trip to the loo could also be more telling. In this video, Dr Christian talks about potential health problems that can be spotted from checking your urine.
The colour of urine can stretch from the almost clear to a dark orange and it’s simply a matter of hydration. Food can also have an effect on colour and can cause different smells, as can any medications or supplements.
Dark, red, or cloudy urine that is unaffected by food or drink can be characteristic of underlying conditions such as liver disease, kidney stones, cystitis or STIs.
How often you go can also indicate a problem as excessive urination can be a sign of diabetes.
If an unusual colour or smell persists for no apparent reason or if you have problems passing urine such as leaking, burning sensations or pain it would be worth discussing it with a GP.
We want to hear about your findings, so please click the link below and add your results to our national survey.
+++UPDATE+++
From the 5th-12th May 2009 we conducted a National Health Survey to find out what the state of the nation’s urine was.
Around 80% of our respondents were women, with nearly two-thirds of these under the age of 30.
The good news was that nearly three-quarters of responders were reporting normal, light coloured urine (numbers 1-3). As urine colour is mostly dictated by hydration levels, this indicates a good level of fluid intake amongst those people.
Darker urine can be caused by certain foodstuffs, but it is probably dehydration that is to blame. If your urine is always dark, even after heavy fluid consumption, get this checked out by your GP as it can be a symptom of other illnesses.
Around 20% of you reported an unusual smell when urinating. What you have eaten is the most common cause of funny smelling urine, with beer, garlic and coffee causing unusual smells. If your urine smells extremely sweet on a regular basis, then this can be a sign of sugars being excreted (a possible sign of diabetes) and should be checked out by your Doctor.
Cloudy urine was also present in a around a fifth of responders and is common as a result of an infection, such as cystitis, but in men it can be a sign of an STI or less commonly a condition such as retrograde ejaculation, where sperm enters the bladder.
Only a handful of respondents reported red tinges in their urine. If this is a one off, it’s probably nothing to worry about and could just be a burst blood vessel. If it persists, it could be a symptom of something more serious, such as an injury.
Finally, a few people reported that their urine was green in colour. This could be caused by certain foods (such as asparagus), but it can also be a sign of a sexual infection, such as gonorrhea. As a result it should be looked at by a medical professional.
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I should add that I am 67 yrs old & have had this deficiency in Oestrogen since after the Menopause. I experienced the loss of two miscarriages prior to menopause tho, did go on to give birth to my Son! The last miscarriage I had to be induced as 'no heart beat' & very traumatic, but, wldnt have thought this wld be related to my dryness. I havent had any hiccups like this for a long time, but, wld just appreciate yr professional advice. Thanks!
I have been very itchy & sore around vulva lips where the hair is. Thought it was dryness as have deficiency in Oestrogen & get prescribed Tablets on an applicator by my GP when this happens which, i have been inserting. However, now I am weeing alot & when I go it wont come straight away & then it does soon after. I know I dont drink enough water to flush things through so perhaps i should increase my fluids. Just wondered if I had a wee infection or could it be thrush tho, i dont have a discharge. I sometimes get like a fishy smell. I am prone to Vaginosis because of this dryness. Wld like yr comment on this asap please, many thanks!
Hi i'm 21. 3weeks ago i had pyelonephritis. when i went to the doctor for follow up, the test showed that there was no bacteria and that the wbc in the urine had decreased considerably but then after 2 days i went back for the urine test and this time there was presence of bacteria in the urine plus an increase in the wbc in the urine. the doc said it's probably from a vaginal yeast infection since the culture test showed that presence of bacteria was clinically insignificant and that it commonly occurs after use of antibiotics. it's been three days now since i've taken the fluconazole pill for the yeast infection and i can still see that my urine is a bit cloudy and a bit oily with pointy things in it that look like small bubbles. so now i'm getting worried. does anyone have any idea if the urine is weird and may indicate another underlying problem???
Ive only 1 kidney had 1 removed when i was about 8 yrs old im 24 now female.. My urine is dark and and wakin at night to use the loo alot i have pain in the left side were ive no kidney im weak and tired all the time.. Also have scarin to the kidney from alot of infection..
You have to go to the Dr. I also have had a kidney removed and the symptoms that you have described sound like a urine infection. You need to sort this out - you have only one kidney so look after it.
Hi there my pee smells so bad that my family think that I have had a po0 when I just pee. My kids won't go into the bathroom for ages after me as the smell is horrendous. My mum said she thinks it's like a sulphur smell I do frequently have urine infections Also I have had a kidney scan but it looked fine I started a new job with everyone using the one loo so it's very embarrassing when I need to go Any thoughts what this could be ( I drink lots of coffee and the last few weeks I've been drinking more water but it's made no difference)
Hello Doctors. I have been taking pain killing tablets for my back . I have a wedge fracture of my T8 vertabrae . I was told 23 years ago that it was not a good idea to have any surgery as there was a 70% chance I could become paralysed . This was an accident that happened to me while I was in the army. I have been on 30% disability pension from the MOD since then . The tablets I am now taking are Subsyde-CR (one per day ) and if I need a booster I take 1-3 Ultracet per day . Some days I do not need to take the booster. My questions are 1. Is Urine related as the colour at times is dark orange /brown . I do drink alot of water to flush my kidneys and sometimes my urine is of a normal colour , is it the tablets that are making my urine dark ? 2. is it now possible to have the wedge fracture fixed now that technology has moved on or is it better to keep taking the medication ? 3. I am not sure if this is age related or tablet related ? I am 52 years old and have up until about a year ago led a normal sex life with ejaculation , however , now my sex drive is nil and even if I do become aroused to the point of ejaculation, there is very little semen . Before I thought I was normal but now I only have 1/2 a teaspoon if that. Please advise , many thanks
Did you serve during Gulf War 1? Is so did you have all the injections and Napps tablets? If yes like many of us you could be suffering suffering from Gulf War Syndrome you need to look up the NGVFA The National Gulf Veterans and Familes Assoocation they have loads of information and guidance on getting more pension to better pain meds respite complete run down of help. You sound as you are in the exact boat as me it's like reading my story, you could be low on testosterone or have a thyroid problem the list goes on my friend. Seek help before it cost you your marriage as it did me twice. Good Luck God Speed All for one and one for all.
many thanks for that information , I am now about to contact the NGVFA to find out more .
hi am a 46 year old female i havent had a period in 4 months i have addominal pain i also have a urine smell can u plase help me
Hi, my urine is lime couloir and I get stabbing pains in my bladder and pains in my kidneys help
Hi, I'm a 29 years old healthy female. Since the age of 16 I have been having problems with many urine infections and pain when passing urine. I have not had a urine infection for two year now but I have a constant problem with pain when passing urine. It burns when I'm passing urine and it's very painful. The colour of the urine is normal, it's light and clear. I have spoken with many different GP's over the years about my problem. They have all tested my urin for infection but I been told that there is no infection. The pain get's worst if I get cold and after sex. I can not swim in a pool or in the sea as It's gets extremely painful to pass urine after. It helps a bit when I drink cranberry juice and a lot of water ( I drink at least 1,5 to 2 liters of water every day). It is very difficult to live with the contsant pain for years and I'm not getting any help from my GP as they just tell me it's no infection. Thank you!
I have exactly the same! It comes when ive rode a bike too! its so horrible, I wake up some nights at 4am and just cant pee so im up for hours trying. The pain of needing to go and not being able to is so horrible! Im 20 years old and dont think i should be having this pain!
Go to the doctor and get some antibiotics called norfloxacin 400mg 6 day course , you'll notice pressure off within hours !!
hi my wee smells and is a lime couler is that a bad sign please reply to me
