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.
Yes
NoComments and Questions
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
when i near to finish my urinal i have a pain in the end even every thing is all right like color etc...
I'm 30 and always had cystitis and the odd bouts of thrush. But three months ago I thought I had cystitis as i had that horrible pain after peeing. But this didn't go away so my gp sent me home with anti buotics even thought the urine test came back normal. Three weeks of antibiotics I went to my private gynae who ended up doing a laporoscopy. He treated endometriosis and lesions on my womb and thought that was that. However the pain came back three days after the op. He then said everything down there is fine and referred me to a urologist. He has done a cystoscopy and found nothing in my bladder. My new gp thinks I could have urethral syndrome. Does anyone know about this or ever had anything similar? I'm not convinced I have this when reading about this on the Internet.apparently 30% of women have this, well how come my gynae and urologist didn't pick it up? Please help! It's affecting my life now and I'm so depressed I have even contemplated suicide as I think I'm gonna have this forever!
My urine has Been smelling odd for a few weeks now and I'm not sure what it is. I'm not doing anything unusual and I thought maybe it was a urine infection but have no other symptoms so can't work it out. Any ideas? Could it be that the pH in my vagina is a bit mixed up or anything like that?
I am 16 and quite recently I have had to pee a lot more, I don't know if it is just because it is summer and i am drinking a lot more water but now I seem to be going every 20 minutes for relly long pees but I am drinking about 2 litres of water a day now is that what it is? Just in case I have diabetes could someone tell me what other symptons could be?
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include excessive thirst, excessive hunger, weight loss and tiredness. You can also vomit or pass out in the later stages before diagnosis. If you think you have diabetes you should see a doctor as soon as possible because it can become very serious very quickly. I was 14 when I was diagnosed and I nearly went into a coma.
Your show and website states '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.' I have brought up this condition with my GP but am receiving no help or explanations even after repeat visits...what else can I do?
my urine is very dark and sometimes slightly green... what is wrong with me?
helloo, im 16 years old and im on the contraceptive injection. for the pas couple of days i have noticed a really funny smell when i go for a wee, and my wee has been very cloudy and then yesterday i started to get a pain when i finish the end of my wee, can you tell me what this could be please. many thanks xx
hi, my urine kinda smells of.. digestive biscuits im abit too embarrassed to go to my GP its not everyday that this type of question probably gets asked. i just want to know if its anything serious thanks.
Today i urinated and noticed a jelly based substance in it. I havent masturbated or had sex for days. Any idea's wha it could be.
hi, im 14 and i always seem to have to go during lessons... even if i havent had anything to eat or drink? im kind of worried about it, ihave wet my self before because as soon as i see the toilet i just let go... it can be very imbarresing and want to know how i could stop this from happening.
