The color of your urine could indicate your health and while abnormal urine color may be caused by a number of issues, some may be of no major concern but others need an individual to see a doctor. An individual may experience urine color chances due to side effects of medications, taking certain foods, due to dehydration, or from some medical conditions like liver disease. In normal situations, urine has a yellow color that is derived from a pigment known as urochrome.
The color may vary from yellow to some deep amber depending on how concentrated the urine is. When you have dark urine, it is a sign that you may not be drinking sufficient fluid. Orange urine may be a symptom of eating foods and supplements that contain beta carotene or carotenoids.
It may also indicate an infection, certain medications, dehydration, disease, or injury. The orange appearance is due to changes in contents of the urine. When you have conditions affecting your urinary tract, or some generalized conditions like an infection or cancer, it may also cause the orange color in urine.
Common causes of orange urine
The common causes of passing orange urine are dehydration and urinary tract infections. Foods like blackberries, beets, rhubarb, and senna herbs cause orange urine color. Injury to urinary tract structures such as the ureters, urethra, bladder, and kidney may cause the change in color. People with hepatitis may also pass orange urine.
Cancer of liver, pancreas, bladder, and kidneys also cause the change in color in urine. The orange urine may occur often or periodically depending on the cause and at times, it may be accompanied by frequent urination with only a small amount being released. The urine may look cloudy, or have a foul smell.
In case of dehydration, you may have urine that is orange in color, and this may occur earlier than thirst, so you may want to monitor the color of urine and take in more fluids. Waiting too long to urinate allows wastes to collect in urine and these can interact with each other in the bladder. Experiencing dark urine may be okay if it is occurring once in a while, however, if it happens for long periods of time, it may put the bladder and other related organs at risk.
Ensure you take more fluids such as water so that the bladder fills up and you feel the urge to urinate frequently. This way, you will remove wastes more frequently. In case of liver problems and liver disease, when the liver cannot function properly and not able to help in excretion of byproducts, it may result in orange urine.
Bilirubin is produced as a byproduct of metabolism of red cells and when in excess, it is at times released through urine and creates orange urine. While orange urine alone may not imply a serious condition, when it is accompanied by other symptoms, it could indicate a serious infection.
You may want to seek immediate medical help when you have serious symptoms such as high fever, urinary retention, severe lower back pain, or persistent vomiting. Also, when you are undergoing treatment for orange urine and you tend to experience recurring or persistent mild symptoms, it is also good you seek prompt medical care.
Other symptoms that may accompany orange urine
A person passing orange urine may also have other symptoms depending on the underlying disease, condition, or disorder. The symptoms affecting urinary tract may also involve some other body systems. A person may have bloody or pink colored urine or hernaturia, foul smelling urine, difficult or painful urination, burning sensation when you urinate (dysuria), cloudy urine, and urgent need to urinate.
Symptoms related to other body systems, which may come along with orange urine, are such as fever and chills, excess bleeding, bruising, itchy skin, malaise or lethargy, loss of appetite, pale stools, nausea with or without vomiting, low blood pressure, and rapid heart rate. An individual may also have symptoms like unintentional weight loss, and jaundice or yellowing of skin as well as whites of eyes.
Some serious symptoms may indicate life-threatening conditions, and therefore, if you experience persistent vomiting, urinary retention, severe abdominal pain, and severe lower back pain, you need urgent medical attention.
Complications that may arise from orange urine
Whenever you have orange urine, it may indicate that you have a serious health problem. When you do not seek medical treatment, it can result in complications that might cause permanent damage or they could be life threatening. Proper treatment should be followed when the underlying cause of the orange urine is diagnosed.
Complications may include liver damage, kidney damage, spread of cancer, sepsis or a serious life threatening blood infection caused by bacteria. Complications of orange urine may also include spread of an infection.