Video
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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Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out the Channel 4 Health site or NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
Hi I am 30 yaers old.I have urinating problem.It is Frequent and urgent.I consult my GP they check my urine and blood and said I dont have any problems.But I feel still I have some problem, becouse If I drink a cup of water, in another half or an hour later I must go to pee otherwise it comes itself cannot stop.Still waiting for a good consulatnt to check, then any improvement I come back to this comment. Also this website really very very..helpfull for our daily life circles. Thank you.
My five year old daughter was frequently ill since being born, it turned out she had urine infections and at the age of three and a half two kidney stones were found measuring 2 cm and 5 mm. Six months later she developed more kidney stones, they have grown to 4 mm and the doctor is hoping she will pass them. Is that so? Also her left kidney is small, but her right is ok? what could be wrong to cause this.
my wee is clear and sometimes pale yellow is that healthy ?
Hi, when i need the toilet i can't seem to pee. Its really sensitive and i keep needing to pee but just can't it really annoys me because i can be sat on the toilet for ages. It sometimes helps to rub the inside of my vagina or stand up and pee. Warm water helps and covering up with toilet roll then peeing helps. What could this be??
hello
I'm 13 and I am worried I may have an sti due to the colour of my urine. Its pale green ot yellowy green in colour and latley its had a very strong unpleasant smell that lingers for a while in the bathroom. All my partner did was rub his penis against my vagina, we didn't have intercourse, and I am also woried he had some semen on his fingers when he insreted them into me perhaps this could have caused an sti to be transmitted. I am quite worried so please help me!
recently i have noticed my urine be a clear or pale green colour, is this normal? i went to the GP about an itchy left eye and he said it was an allergic reaction but i had not used any different make-up or creams or anything like that and the Gp told me to bring a urine sample if it got worse because it might be to do with my protein levels, is this right?
I have recently noticed a very stange smell to my early morning urine. It is hard to describe – not "pear drops" as my pharmasist suggested could be an indication of diabetes. It is just very strong and sweet smelling and makes the bathroom smell for a good 5 mins after.
Any suggestions would be welcome.
Thankyou
hi i'm woondering if i'm oky sumdays i drink loads and sumdays i hardly drink but no matter wot i'm awaly goin 4 a wee it stoping me having a gd nite sleep and sumtimes its alot of wee bt mostly a few drops. i'v had lots of sti checks and all cum bk clear wot should i do plz help
my urine tests that i have handed to the doctor the last six have had blood in them,for example i went into hospital to have a opperatiaon and the nurse asked when was my period,i had a hysterectomy 9 years ago, i have pain in the morning in my lower back, and since my gallbladder removed i have severe swelling of my tummy,i do still have my overies in,please could you help.
Hi,hoping you can help as i'm desperate!
I have been having problems on and off with my wee for about 10 years or so,but things have got worse in the last 3 years.
I get a lot of pain which can sometimes feel like constant pressure in my bladder or a pain like i get when i've got a uti.But when i go to the gp she tells me i haven't got one.I am getting repeated infections at the moment,particularly bad following a cystoscopy and bladder distention i had done.I also had biopsy's taken of my bladder and urethra and they came back as showing mild chronic inflammation which my consultant said was probably due to an infection,nothing else.
i'm on pain killers from my gp and anti biotics to prevent uti but still in so much pain i can't get up some days.I just feel like i'm being ignored,and life really isn't worth living some days.