The Urine Spectrum: Health Clues Hidden in Urine Colors

Have you looked at your urine and say to yourself that you might not be feeling too well? If you do so, then you are not alone and it didn't just start now. As back as ancient Egypt, people look at their urine to reveal important important information about their health. Although technology has advanced, and people are now relying on lab tests to identify the medical issue with a person, this doesn't mean that examining the urine cannot still tell a possible illness.

Before delving further, it's crucial to emphasize that one should never jump to conclusions solely based on the color of urine. Seeking professional medical advice is imperative. However, diverse urine colors can indeed serve as indicators of hidden dangers within the body.

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When we drink water, it follows the expected path through the esophagus into the stomach, where absorption occurs in the gut, eventually reaching the kidneys. The kidneys filter fluids and waste products from the blood, forming urine. This vital bodily fluid derives its color from Urochrome. Interestingly, taking vitamin B supplements may result in an extremely light yellow color due to Riboflavin (vitamin B2), as the body expels excess vitamin B2.

Yellow urine is a normal thing most times but having a slight red or completely red urine is wrong. One of the major reasons why urine can be red is Blood which can be caused by bladder cancer so, you should see your doctor. The blood can also come from a Urinary tract infection, which causes the bladder to be irritated. While blood can cause the urine to be red, blood can also cause it indirectly in the form of hemoglobin.

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Hemoglobin is the protein that makes the blood red and this protein is found in urine when red blood cells are damaged or destroyed early. Illnesses like malaria kills the red blood cells leading to hemoglobin to be found in urine and when this happens in excess, it can lead to Black water fever. Another reason why hemoglobin can find its way into urine is as a result of Foot-Strike Hemolysis which can be as a result of breaks in the feet internally.

Blood can have this reddish color as a result of muscle tissue breakage and destruction. The muscle is made up of Myoglobin which gives it the red color. With muscle tissue damage, myoglobin spills into the bloodstream and find its way into urine while destroying the tissue. Another cause can be rhabdomyolysis which can be caused by skeletal muscle injuries. Other causes of red color in urine can be cyanide inhalation leading to cyanide poisoning.

People can have an orange brown urine color, and this is caused by dehydration and medications. Also there are cases where the liver or the bile duct is damaged leading to bile finding its way to urine instead of feces. In all our conversations, I haven't mentioned having a purple urine. When a person have purple urine, it can be associated with tryptophan which is an amino acid that is broken down to form Indoxyl sulfate and with UTI disease, the Indoxyl sulfate is converted to Indigo and indirubin which red in color and whe they combine together, the purple urine becomes visible.

Just as purple urine is rare, so is a urine that has the green color. Green Urine is usually related to dyes and medications. Dyes such as methylene blue when used in a surgical procedure such as a colonoscopy can leak into the urine and like I said, this is rare. In cases where a person experience foamy urine, then the kidney is damaged thereby allowing protein to get into the urine. Healthy kidneys prevent proteins from getting into urine, but when conditions like high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes and autoimmune diseases like Lupus Nephritis.

Urine color can be a subtle indicator of potential health concerns, it is crucial to approach these signs with caution and seek professional medical evaluation for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Please do not self medicate when you notice anything suspicious in your health.

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