Saturday, July 7, 2012

Health - URINE COLOUR INDICATORS

Yellow
"Healthy urine goes from clear to pale yellow, dark yellow to amber,” says consultant urologist Tim Terry. This depends on hydration levels, but if you’re somewhere in the yellow team, you can breathe easy.

Green
“Some antiseptics and anaesthetics give urine a green tinge,” says Terry. This is thanks to methylene blue, a dye which kidneys sometimes struggle with. Nothing too much to worry about though.

Orange
“This is a sign of liver dysfunction,” warns Terry. If your urine is this colour and you notice that your stools are white, it could be obstructive jaundice. Put down that beer – it’s GP time.

Brown
Muddy-looking pee means kidney problems. “This can be a sign of serious renal disease, even a fistula,” says Terry. That’s when your bowel leaks into your bladder. Taxi to casualty now.

Red
This is really bad. Blood in your urine can mean a haemorrhage or cancer. “In anyone over 40 we assume it’s bladder cancer, unless proven other wise,” says Terry. Get yourself to the doctor, pronto.

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