Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNormalAbnormalColor ChartWhen to See a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Normal
Abnormal
Color Chart
When to See a Healthcare Provider
The color of yourpee can tell you a lot about your overall health.From your hydration levels to the concentration of certain substances in your body, urine color is a good indicator of healthy chemistry. Colors ranging from light to dark yellow typically indicate hydration levels.
Certain foods, diseases, and medications can change your urine to pink, red, orange, brown, green, blue, purple, and black.
This article will explore the normal color ranges of urine and when color changes might signal a problem.
Pee Color: What’s Normal?
“Normal” pee color varies. Generally, it should be yellow, but it can range fromdark to light yellow, depending on your hydration level.Color charts—like the one above—offer a visual reference for urine colors.
Dark yellow urine often indicates that you are dehydrated, and when you’ve consumed more than enough fluid, your pee might look almost clear.
Some genetic factors and diseases can also alter your standard urine color. For example, your urine may appear darker or brownish in color if you have a chronic liver disease. While this isn’t considered a typical urine color, it might not be unusual with your condition.
Chronic illnesses like liver disease usually require ongoing medical treatment, so talk to a healthcare provider about the usual color of your urine and when to worry about changes.
How Much Water Is Too Much?
Pee Color: What’s Abnormal?
Beyond shades of yellow, certain diseases, infections, medications, and foods can change the color of your urine.
Pink, Red, or Brown
If your urine appears pink, red, or brown, first consider the foods you’ve recently consumed. Some can change the color of your pee. Causes for urine to appear pink, red, or brown can include:
Dark Yellow to Orange
Dark yellow to orangepee colors can result from:
Green or Blue
White
White, thick, or milky-colored urine is usually a sign of infection, particularly urinary tract infections. The white, cloudy color results from bacteria and white blood cells present to fight off the infection. Foods high in purine can lead to uric acid buildup, causing your urine to appear white.
Purple or Black
Color Chart to Match Up Pee Color
Color charts offer a visual reference for urine colors. While urine color assessment is an important clinical tool, color perceptions can be subjective.A standardized urine color chart can help remove some guesswork when comparing urine colors. Always talk to a healthcare provider if you notice any unexplained changes in your urine.
Understanding Unusual Urine Color, Odor, or Appearance
When to See a Healthcare Provider for Your Urine
Any color of urine outside of yellow may be a cause for concern. Still, if you have a medical condition or take a medication that may alter the color of urine, your healthcare provider will usually warn you.
If you experience a new or unexpected change in the color of your urine that doesn’t go away, follow up with a healthcare provider. Changes in the color of your pee can be an early indicator of certain body changes—or a red flag for specific health problems.
Summary
The color of your urine can shift depending on how much fluid you drink, the foods you eat, and the medicines you take. Temporary and rare color changes aren’t always a cause for concern, and are likely the result of food coloring or dyes that pass through your urine.
If your pee changes color without an obvious explanation or if the color change sticks around for a while, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with a healthcare provider. Some urine color changes can be an early warning sign for a more significant medical condition.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behind the color of urine.MedlinePlus.Urine: abnormal color.National Institutes of Health.Hematuria (blood in the urine).Prakash S, Saini S, Mullick P, Pawar M.Green urine: a cause for concern?.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2017;33(1):128-130. doi:10.4103/0970-9185.202190Harvard Health Publishing.Red, brown green: urine colors and what they might mean.MedlinePlus.Alkaptonuria.Kostelnik SB, et al.The validity of urine color as a hydration biomarker within the general adult population and athletes: a systematic review.Journ. Am. Coll. Nutri. January 2020;40:2(172-179). doi:10.1080/07315724.2020.1750073Gunawan AAS, et al.Development of urine hydration system based on urine color and support vector machine.Procedia Comput. Sci.August 2018;135(481-489). doi:10.1016/j.procs.2018.08.200.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behind the color of urine.MedlinePlus.Urine: abnormal color.National Institutes of Health.Hematuria (blood in the urine).Prakash S, Saini S, Mullick P, Pawar M.Green urine: a cause for concern?.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2017;33(1):128-130. doi:10.4103/0970-9185.202190Harvard Health Publishing.Red, brown green: urine colors and what they might mean.MedlinePlus.Alkaptonuria.Kostelnik SB, et al.The validity of urine color as a hydration biomarker within the general adult population and athletes: a systematic review.Journ. Am. Coll. Nutri. January 2020;40:2(172-179). doi:10.1080/07315724.2020.1750073Gunawan AAS, et al.Development of urine hydration system based on urine color and support vector machine.Procedia Comput. Sci.August 2018;135(481-489). doi:10.1016/j.procs.2018.08.200.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behind the color of urine.MedlinePlus.Urine: abnormal color.National Institutes of Health.Hematuria (blood in the urine).Prakash S, Saini S, Mullick P, Pawar M.Green urine: a cause for concern?.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2017;33(1):128-130. doi:10.4103/0970-9185.202190Harvard Health Publishing.Red, brown green: urine colors and what they might mean.MedlinePlus.Alkaptonuria.Kostelnik SB, et al.The validity of urine color as a hydration biomarker within the general adult population and athletes: a systematic review.Journ. Am. Coll. Nutri. January 2020;40:2(172-179). doi:10.1080/07315724.2020.1750073Gunawan AAS, et al.Development of urine hydration system based on urine color and support vector machine.Procedia Comput. Sci.August 2018;135(481-489). doi:10.1016/j.procs.2018.08.200.
Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behind the color of urine.
MedlinePlus.Urine: abnormal color.
National Institutes of Health.Hematuria (blood in the urine).
Prakash S, Saini S, Mullick P, Pawar M.Green urine: a cause for concern?.J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2017;33(1):128-130. doi:10.4103/0970-9185.202190
Harvard Health Publishing.Red, brown green: urine colors and what they might mean.
MedlinePlus.Alkaptonuria.
Kostelnik SB, et al.The validity of urine color as a hydration biomarker within the general adult population and athletes: a systematic review.Journ. Am. Coll. Nutri. January 2020;40:2(172-179). doi:10.1080/07315724.2020.1750073
Gunawan AAS, et al.Development of urine hydration system based on urine color and support vector machine.Procedia Comput. Sci.August 2018;135(481-489). doi:10.1016/j.procs.2018.08.200.
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