Why does a child have dark brown or bright yellow urine: reasons for dark urine and recommendations for parents

Signs of dangerous processes

For any manifestation of a change in the color of the physiological fluid, the baby should be monitored. For children under one year old, even the slightest deviations in health are dangerous. Their course can become severe. It is necessary to analyze what could lead to darkening (foods, medications, overheating). If special symptoms are noted, immediately contact a pediatrician. These signs include:

pain in the abdomen, lumbar region, pelvic region;
fever and chills;
loose stools;
vomiting reflex.

Pediatricians advise paying attention to children's behavior on the potty. If they try to refuse to go to the toilet, cry, become hysterical, it means that it is painful and unpleasant for them to do this. Conclusion - the disease develops. It is extremely important to conduct an examination. This will speed up the baby's recovery and return to normal behavior.

However, urine can have other shades.

Causes of dark urine

A child’s body develops gradually, and all its organs and systems are especially vulnerable. This is why babies are so sensitive to fluid loss, temperature changes and other factors. All of them often lead to the baby’s urine changing color.

If your child's urine has become dark or has acquired any other color, you first need to rule out natural causes.

First of all, the introduction of certain foods into the baby’s diet affects the color of urine:

beef and some types of fish;
herbal decoctions and infusions of buckthorn or cassia;
vegetables and fruits (beets, carrots, rhubarb stems and black berries - blueberries, blackberries).

The color of urine changes if the child drank soda with artificial colors the day before, or if the body is dehydrated. Parents always need to remember about the increased mobility of their babies. Running, jumping and frolicking, the child sweats and loses fluid. And if the baby drinks little, there is a high risk of dehydration. The same thing happens when a child has a fever due to illness.

Urine changes color after taking certain medications:

vitamins;
antibiotics (Metronidazole);
antimicrobial agents (nitrofuran group).

Information about such properties of the drug is indicated in the instructions. But this phenomenon should not cause alarm, because after a course of treatment the situation returns to normal.

If he does not complain about anything, eats normally, and is not bothered by the frequent urge to urinate, then it is enough to establish a drinking regime and also adjust his diet.

What medications change the color of urine?

Among the list of side effects of almost all medications there is mention of a change in the color of urine. We rarely pay attention to this when we take medications ourselves, but the child’s body is more sensitive to the effects of medications, and the frequency of unwanted effects is higher. That is why some medicines are prohibited for children, and many are available in special children's doses. Various drugs have a unique effect on the color of urine, turning it into specific colors:

Red – rifampicin (anti-tuberculosis drug, antibiotic), analgin, tetracycline.
Pink – aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, anti-inflammatory drug).
Brown – activated carbon.
Reddish-purple – Senadexin.
Orange – riboflavin (vitamin B2).

When an infection occurs, the inflammatory process can spread to the bladder and cause cystitis.

Diagnostic methods

Diagnosis of pathology should begin with a visit to the pediatrician. During the initial examination, a specialist can determine the reasons for the change in urine color. So, this may apply to the use of certain drugs or products. The patient also needs to undergo blood and urine tests. Laboratory tests are carried out depending on the suspicion of the presence of a particular pathology.

In case of liver diseases, a biochemical blood test is performed, and in case of renal failure, a urine analysis according to Nechiporenko is performed. If necessary, instrumental diagnostics are carried out. This mainly concerns ultrasound examination. As a result, the presence of organ pathology is established.

In any case, before taking any action, you should consult your doctor.

Red urine

The most common cause of this condition is foods rich in red pigments: beets, rhubarb, red berries. In this case, the urine remains clear, and the baby does not have other worrying symptoms. A day after removing coloring foods from the diet, the color of urine is restored.

Also, medications that can cause red urine are: laxatives, metronidazole, ibuprofen, rifampicin. In other cases, red urine is a signal of pathology.

The urine turns red due to blood entering it. As a result, the urine becomes cloudy, with a dirty tint (even blood clots are likely).

Often blood enters urine from the kidneys. This phenomenon is provoked by glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, urolithiasis or kidney tumor. Against the background of such diseases, the baby also exhibits other symptoms.

The urine may also turn red due to the destruction of blood cells or muscles. Due to these processes, huge volumes of hemoglobin or myoglobin enter the urine.

For hepatitis, hepatoprotectors, enzymes are prescribed, and a maintenance diet is prescribed.

Pathogenesis

The pathogenesis of darkening of urine depends on the cause that caused this phenomenon - in case of dehydration, its rich and dark color is ensured by a high concentration of urochrome; in case of inflammation of the liver, a malignant tumor of the pancreas, gallstones - the presence of excess bilirubin in it (a pigment formed during the destruction of red blood cells ). With other pathologies, various coloring substances appear in the urine - red blood cells, hemoglobin, myoglobin, melanin and others.

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This is a group of diseases that lead to the breakdown of red blood cells.

Normal urine color in a child

In a healthy child, urine has a transparent yellow-straw hue. Of course, in reality, the color of urine can range from light yellow to darker. This is due to the concentration of pigments and salt. Infants' urine is mostly clear. The main reason is that the diet consists of almost only milk.

On a note! With age, urine becomes more saturated in color. Therefore, do not panic ahead of time. This is especially true for morning urination. At this time, the concentration of urine is very high. Therefore, it may have a special color.

lethargy, apathy of the baby;

Causes of yellow urine in men and women

The normal color of urine is pale yellow or amber. In the morning, urine may be brown; this is not considered a deviation, because during sleep the body does not receive fluid and physiological dehydration occurs. But after drinking the liquid, the urine again changes color to light yellow. This condition is almost always observed, and it does not require treatment or correction. But urine can change its shade to a darker and more saturated or lighter color due to various reasons. The most common are:

eating food that contains a rich pigment that is excreted from the body along with urine;
the use of too aggressive medications, vitamins, dietary supplements;
dehydration, the main symptom of which is deep yellow or beer-colored urine;
disruption of the functioning of the genitourinary system;
digestive problems;
pregnancy, in which clear, bright urine indicates hormonal changes.

Products consumed

Often, urine acquires a bright orange color due to the consumption of a certain group of products containing a natural pigment that colors the liquid in various shades. In this case, the smell of urine should not be sharp or offensive. If urine is colored this way, then to normalize its color, you should limit the intake of coloring products, and within 3-4 days it will become light. If a person heavily abuses certain foods, his urine constantly changes color, but in this case there are no other symptoms that affect the condition. These products include:

citrus;
red beets;
carrot;
blueberry;
cherry;
black coffee, tea;
dishes containing artificial coloring pigments.

Pharmacy products

If in men or women the urine becomes bright yellow and has a concentrated composition, this condition could be affected by the use of certain groups of medications. This includes vitamins, antibiotics, and laxatives. An acid-orange color indicates the use of vitamin C and B. Brightly colored urine may appear as a result of taking the antibacterial drugs Furacilin and Furazolidone. A person’s urine with an odor is often observed due to an overdose of such vitamin-mineral complexes as Revit, Multitabs, Pikovit. This condition can often be observed in a child who has eaten an extra vitamin secretly from his parents, because it has a pleasant, sweet taste.

Other factors

Bright yellow urine sometimes indicates hormonal changes; this symptom can be especially pronounced by a girl during puberty or after conception. Therefore, if the urine suddenly turns yellow, some girls consider this a sign of pregnancy. Various infectious and inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system can strongly color urine. So, with pyelonephritis, cystitis or urethritis, dark urine is released. This color means that there is an inflammatory process in the body, and pathogenic microorganisms and their metabolic products are excreted along with the urine.

Red urine is released due to blood entering it. In addition to the fact that the color has changed, the patient is concerned about:

temperature;
problems with urination;
cutting and burning;
disturbance of general well-being.

Also, the symptom is often observed in urolithiasis or due to the development of neoplasms of malignant etiology. But in addition to darkening, urine may contain inclusions with a white-pink tint, which are exfoliated epithelium due to pathological processes. Dark yellow urine is also considered a sign of dehydration, in which case the normalization of the color depends on the amount of fluid consumed.

Why does my child have dark urine?

Dark urine in a child is a sign of some harmless factors or the beginning of a pathological process in the body. A change in urine color makes you wary and seek advice from a specialist. Normal urine is yellow or straw-colored, without impurities, sediment and cloudiness. The color of urine depends on the time of day, age, diet, health status and other factors. Infants and 2-3 year olds produce lighter colored urine than children 4 years old and older due to changes in diet and lifestyle.

A change in urine color makes you wary and seek advice from a specialist.

Non-pathological causes

Parents often notice that dark yellow urine is observed in young patients in the morning. This is due to the fact that at the time of sleep, all the waste products of the body, which include toxic impurities, accumulate in the biological fluid. When the color of urine returns to normal throughout the day, parents have nothing to worry about, since this condition is physiological. In addition, darkening of urine can be caused by the following factors, which are not considered dangerous to the health of children:

Eating food that causes urine to become colored. Such products include carrots and beets. In addition, large amounts of protein foods and carbonated drinks that contain dyes can cause color changes.
Taking certain medications. Some pharmaceuticals tend to change the shade of biological fluid, for example, antibiotics.
Use of vitamin-mineral complexes. Changes in the color of urine are associated with the effect of such medications on the functioning of the urinary system. It is important that vitamins are prescribed exclusively by the treating specialist.
Dehydration of the body. Insufficient fluid intake by a small patient, especially in the summer, provokes a dark shade of urine.

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This is due to the fact that parents often confuse inflammatory processes with other pathologies and do not go to a medical facility.

Greenish/Blue tint

Urine may acquire this color after eating asparagus dishes, as well as taking indomethacin, B vitamin complexes, methylene blue and some other medications. Also, this coloring may indicate that the child has poor absorption of tryptophan or has a hereditary disease in which the level of calcium in the blood increases.

Also, this coloring may indicate that the child has poor absorption of tryptophan or has a hereditary disease in which the level of calcium in the blood increases.

Brown

Brown urine in a child may indicate that there is blood in the excreted fluid. Also, this color of concentrated urine is characteristic of a dehydrated body (if the baby receives little fluid and nutrients).

In this case, we can talk about the rapid development of the inflammatory process.

Greenish color of urine

asparagus dishes;
B vitamins;
taking Indomethacin, methylene blue;
poor absorption of Tryptophan;
increased amount of calcium (hereditary disease).

Excessive consumption of confectionery and products with artificial colors gives the color of urine unusual shades.

The color of urine in infants may change due to the adjustment of the urinary system. As the child grows, the introduction of complementary foods gives the urine different shades. If the baby's condition does not worsen, he is cheerful and active - this is not a reason to panic.

how often did you urinate?

Dark urine may be a symptom of:

Viral hepatitis. This is a serious disease when the liver cannot cope with its work and does not have time to process incoming substances. The danger is that the liver practically does not hurt. This is explained by the fact that she has no nerve endings and therefore cannot show that she has problems. Therefore, if a child has dark urine, yellowed skin and eyes, then these are the first symptoms when you need to sound the alarm.
Problems with the genitourinary system. Various diseases can cause urine to change color, so it is worth observing your child's behavior. They usually also cause pain in the abdomen and when urinating. A 3-year-old child will definitely complain, and the baby will cry, tuck his legs and demonstrate in every possible way that he is in pain.

Tests must be delivered for testing as quickly as possible.

Changes in the color of urine in children are within normal limits

Urine is a liquid that is secreted by the body along with products obtained as a result of internal processes. They turn urine yellow or straw-colored. Sometimes it can take on a lighter or darker shade. Why might the color of urine change? This is influenced by several factors:

metabolism and amount of fluid in the body;
age - the older the child, the darker the color of the urine;
time of day – in the morning the color may be bright yellow.

The normal color for a baby's urine is varying shades of yellow. It can be a light yellow shade, or a darker one - it all depends on the concentration of substances dissolved in it (in particular, salts and pigments). Infants who receive only breast milk or formula often have very light-colored urine.

During pregnancy, if dehydration occurs, the woman undergoes infusion therapy, which will replenish water in the body and the color of the biofluid should be normalized.

Pay attention to the smell

Not only the color of urine, but also the smell can indicate the development of the inflammatory process. If your urine becomes cloudy or has a strong, unpleasant odor, you most likely have to deal with a bacterial infection. It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor if, against the background of this symptom, swelling appears and the number of urinations has significantly decreased without changing the volume of fluid consumed. The described signs may indicate cardiovascular pathology.

Any change in the body’s usual state requires a thorough examination. Even such a harmless symptom as a change in urine color often indicates the development of the disease. People who monitor their health, pay attention to all manifestations of the body, are much less susceptible to serious illnesses.

The color of urine is an important indicator by which one can judge the state of human health and the functioning of body systems.

Yellow urine is perceived as a good indicator, but few people pay attention to changes in shade from time to time and think about what determines the color of urine and whether bright yellow urine can indicate the development of an infection in the body

The color of urine is an indicator of the health of the genitourinary system.

What does the color of urine indicate?

There are many reasons for dark urine in a child. However, urine can have other shades:

Normal;
Bright yellow;
Red;
Brown.

Why does a newborn baby hold his breath during sleep?

Each of them has its own reason.

Normal color

In a healthy child of the first year of life, urine is always light yellow and straw-colored. Normally, it should not contain any impurities. A small amount of sediment with small brownish grains of salt is allowed, this is not a pathology.

Attention! The normal color of urine does not guarantee a complete absence of problems for the baby. There are urinary tract diseases that are not accompanied by a change in urine color. To diagnose them, it is necessary to take tests or perform an ultrasound.

Dark yellow

This color may indicate inflammation of the urinary tract. In this case, you should consult a doctor to prescribe the necessary tests. Timely treatment will help prevent the development of the disease. The pediatrician will tell you what to do and how to solve the problem.

Brown

Red

Sometimes a child's urine color is red. In this case, we can talk about the rapid development of the inflammatory process. Seeing a doctor will help improve the baby's kidney function. Perhaps the doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics.

Children's urine is not only yellow

Everything you need to know about physiology

The color and condition of urine is an important aspect of diagnosing a person’s condition. If you eat well, lead a healthy lifestyle, and do not indulge in foods with synthetic dyes, your urine will have a straw-yellow hue. You should be wary if your urine is orange. The reasons for this condition can be very diverse. A change in the color of the urethra often indicates the development of an inflammatory process in the kidneys. Therefore, if you notice an unpleasant symptom, you should make an appointment with a therapist.

For some patients, urine is considered normal. This is a physiological feature of a particular organism. In this situation, you should panic when the urine, on the contrary, has become lighter and cloudier.

The color of urine directly depends on its composition. Therefore, many people experience bright color in the morning. This phenomenon is considered safe and does not indicate any disease. Why is urine orange in the morning? The fact is that at night a healthy person releases antidiuretic hormone, which allows the body to go without urinating for a long time. It is this substance that gives urine its specific color.

Why is a child's urine dark?

Causes of dark urine in a child
Symptoms to watch out for
Diagnostic principles
Treatment
Conclusion
Video on the topic

The body of a child, especially a baby, due to the imperfection of most organs and systems, reacts very sensitively to any influences, so every mother closely monitors all the changes that occur with her baby.

Often parents consult a pediatrician whose main complaint is a sudden change in the color of their baby’s urine. In order for the doctor to answer the question of why this happened, first of all he will ask a series of clarifying questions, and only then begin the necessary examination.

This is why the doses of drugs in children and adults differ, because adult dosages are extremely toxic for them.

Specialist consultation

If the color of urine has changed, doctors advise paying attention to indicators such as its smell, transparency and the presence of pain when emptying the bladder. After the diagnosis is completed, the patient is treated with treatment, which is aimed at eliminating not only the symptoms, but also the cause of the disease

Antibiotic therapy, uroseptic tablets, antifungals, immunomodulators, such as Cycloferon, are prescribed. In difficult cases, for example, with urolithiasis, surgery is performed under general anesthesia.

In order to prevent re-staining of urine, it is recommended to follow simple rules.

Drink at least 1.5-2 liters of fluid, limit tea and coffee, drink clean water.
Refuse carbonated drinks and lemonade in favor of natural juices.
Maintain personal hygiene and practice protected sex.
Be careful when choosing a sexual partner.
Regularly contact specialists for routine inspections.
Avoid hypothermia, select clothing in accordance with the season and weather conditions.

If you suspect the development of a pathological process, the consequence of which is a green tint of urine, you should not self-medicate, you must contact a specialist to receive qualified help.

What to do if your urine is bright yellow

If the urine turns a rich yellow color, this is not necessarily evidence of the development of any severe disease in the body. That is why you should not panic, but rather take a good look at the past days and answer a few questions:

Have you taken any medications in the last few days?
Have you consumed any brightly colored foods or drinks?

In addition, it is important to reconsider your drinking regime and if an insufficient amount of liquid enters the body, it must be replenished. However, if the rich color of your urine does not change over the next few days, you should contact your physician for advice.

While watching the video you will learn the necessary information about urine analysis.

The specialist will identify the cause of this pathological condition of the body and, if necessary, prescribe an effective one.

Changes in the external characteristics of urine

Too strong and persistent smell of urine may indicate a metabolic disorder in the body. A putrid smell of discharge appears during bacterial infections of the kidneys, as well as in the late stages of tumor diseases of the urinary system. In diabetes, the urine smells like acetone.

Too light, clear urine is produced when drinking too much water. Certain medications and foods can also cause urine color to change. When treated with isoniazid drugs, the discharge becomes bright red or orange. Taking too many vitamins may cause bright yellow urine. The fact is that coloring additives are often used in the production of vitamins.

Dark urine is the result of liver dysfunction. Dark urine may also be produced when blood cells are destroyed. Red urine is a symptom of a large number of red blood cells getting into it. The discharge becomes red due to glomerulonephritis and inflammation of the bladder. Blood in the urine can also appear due to tumors of the bladder and kidneys. Green discharge is the result of a severe bacterial infection of the kidneys, and can also be a symptom of a severe tumor process.

Cloudy urine appears as a result of the release of large amounts of mucus, leukocytes and epithelial cells. This happens with inflammatory diseases of the urinary system.

In women, the color of urine can be affected by vaginal discharge. With uterine bleeding, the urine may turn red. As a result of inflammatory diseases of the lower genital tract of a woman, a large amount of mucus and leukocytes enter the urine. During pregnancy, the amount of mucus produced by the vaginal lining may increase. When retained for a long time, the urine becomes slightly cloudy. During pregnancy, kidney problems can sometimes develop. Urine mixed with blood may indicate a pregnancy disorder.

In men, urine may change due to inflammation of the prostate gland. With prostatitis, the urine becomes cloudy with a large amount of mucus mixed in. The main sign of prostate inflammation is a frequent urge to urinate at night, as well as periodic disturbances in the outflow of urine.

In a child, dark urine may be a symptom of viral hepatitis A. In acetone syndrome, the urine smells like acetone. If your child pees too often, or, on the contrary, is worried about urinary retention, do not delay going to the hospital. A child with changes in urine should be urgently taken to a pediatrician for consultation.

In infants in the first days of life, bright yellow urine may be a symptom of a congenital metabolic disorder. The baby in the maternity hospital is necessarily examined and tested for congenital enzyme defects. If changes in the baby’s urine appear after discharge, you need to call a pediatrician as soon as possible or go to the clinic yourself.

The causes of violations must be determined as early as possible. Finding out why urine suddenly changed its properties is possible only through a detailed examination of the body.

Pathologies

When a child’s urine is determined to be dark in color, which means a change in the shade of the biological fluid, only a leading specialist can say. Often such a deviation from the norm indicates the progression of a serious disease. It is very important to make a diagnosis in a timely manner so that the doctor can select the most correct treatment.

If a child has a fever and dark urine, then often these two symptoms together indicate the development of an infectious or inflammatory process localized in the organs of the urogenital tract. The change in the shade of urine is due to the fact that the disease disrupts the process of removing fluid from the body.

The color of a healthy person's urine. Source: diagnosislab.com

In this case, urine accumulates, becomes highly concentrated, and therefore acquires a dark color. Sometimes pathologies occur in a latent form, so they are detected already at an advanced stage. In this case, the child will have dark urine in the morning, afternoon and evening, and there will also be particles of blood, mucus and pus in it.

It is considered especially dangerous when the urine of an infant is dark. If a change in the shade of biological fluid occurs against the background of inflammation of the kidneys or bladder, then there is a high probability of making an error when making a diagnosis. If inappropriate treatment is prescribed or there is a lack of qualified medical care, a baby under one year of age may develop kidney failure or die.

When dark-colored urine appears in a child, the reasons may be related to poisoning of the body, which results in its intoxication. In this case, the baby will experience pain in the abdomen, his temperature will rise, and constant vomiting will provoke dehydration. Since the water-electrolyte balance is disturbed, the urine becomes dark. When the liver is damaged, yellowing of the skin, sclera of the eyes, and a decrease in the baby’s weight are noted.

Other causes of urine discoloration

The normal color of urine in a person can sometimes differ from generally accepted concepts due to personal characteristics of metabolic processes or hereditary factors. Also, the strongly expressed color of urine is explained by the high level of salts in the urine. This process leads to the formation of sand and crystals in the organs of the urine excretory system. Under such conditions, the result of a rich yellow color of urine can be kidney stone disease, manifested by the deposition of stones in the kidneys. Urine may become beer-colored due to hepatitis. In women, bright yellow urine sometimes indicates the occurrence of urethritis (increased proteins). If the urine turns yellow in men, the onset of prostatitis is possible.

External signs are a signal given by the body. The color of urine, which is formed as a result of blood filtration, is a sign of a person’s condition. It is not difficult to determine the disease by urine, having basic knowledge. In a healthy person, the urine is transparent yellow, sometimes deep yellow. The indicators depend on the concentration of urine. If it is transparent yellow, it means you have drunk a lot of liquid. If it is deep yellow, it means there is not too much water in the body. How to identify a disease by visual signs?

Problems with different organs

Liver problems can cause dark urine. This condition is often accompanied by defecation with light-colored feces and yellow (with jaundice) eyes.

Urine can also be a sign that your blood sugar levels are high. If you have other symptoms (dehydration, frequent urination, lethargy), you should talk to your doctor about checking to see if diabetes treatment is needed.

Changes in the tone of this fluid excreted from the body may be a sign of problems with the kidneys or bladder function. If your urine becomes cloudy or has a strong odor, this may be a sign of a bladder or kidney infection. This assumption is mainly confirmed by the occurrence of symptoms such as pain during urination, fever, and vomiting.

Infections may be accompanied by bleeding in the urinary tract, which can change the tone of the urine. Blood in the urine is one of the reasons why the urine turns red. Harmless causes of redness in urine indicate the presence of beets or blackberries in the diet.

Bleeding caused by kidney problems is much less common in children than in adults. Although some rare disorders can cause it, some of them include:

Henoch-Schönlein disease;
hemolytic uremic syndrome;
Wilms tumor.

Any bleeding from the urinary tract in children is considered abnormal. In this case, it is necessary to urgently seek immediate medical help.

In this case, the fluid removed from the body must be checked for the presence of infection-causing bacteria. Before you consult with your doctor, you should prepare a list of answers to the basic questions he will ask, such as:

when the patient first noticed changes;
what his diet consisted of recently;
what medications or supplements he takes;
whether there is any intense physical activity in his daily schedule;
have there been any sleep disturbances recently;
Is the bowel movement normal and regular?
is there a rash on the body;
whether the patient has had headaches recently;
whether he had any problems with his vision.

Advanced age increases the risk of changes in urine tone. For example, kidney or bladder cancers are common in older people. Men over 50 years of age will find blood when urinating if they have an enlarged prostate gland.

Pathological causes of urine color in kidney disease

Every day, under normal conditions, a person should urinate from 800 ml to 1.5 liters

The reasons for the abnormal color of natural fluid are those components that should not be in the urine (red blood cells, proteins, leukocytes, etc.). In the presence of such components, it can be revealed that pathological processes are occurring in the body, to which it is important to pay close attention. The color of urine is an important guide to diagnosing the disease. The rate often varies with kidney disease

The rate often varies with kidney disease.

But not only serious disorders in the body are the causes of color:

Some vitamins, after taking which and.
Carrots always turn bright orange.
Medicines contain dyes that affect the color of urine.
Age is also considered a factor in changes in color characteristics.
During physical exertion in adults over 50 years of age, blood particles can enter the urine, turning the urine reddish.

Light urine

It is believed that light urine means that the body is healthy. But too light urine also occurs in diseases - diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis. During pregnancy, urine takes on a light transparent color. A different type of vitamin leads to the fact that the body cannot digest useful elements. As a result, such elements in urine change color to sand. Yellow, sandy-colored biofluid is a consequence of the disease, which occurs when stones and sand form.

What does the bright color mean: neon yellow, yellow

Neon coloring indicates taking vitamins to improve health, or taking medications. The danger is that an excess of vitamin substances leads to a disease called hypervitaminosis. Drugs such as nitrofurans (used for inflammatory processes in the human body) can turn urine bright yellow. Daily consumption of a different coloring product (carrot juice, asparagus) increases the amount of bright yellow pigment.

Color dark: golden or dark yellow

Dark colored urine indicates health risks. But don't be too quick to worry. Dark-colored varieties range from dark brown to brown to golden. First, determine what color your urine is. To do this, make sure there is enough lighting for proper output.

It is important to check for any dye residue on the toilet. The range of causes of discoloration is wide - from harmless to life-threatening

If the dark color of your urine has recently appeared, remember what food you ate recently. Blackberries, foods with dyes, rhubarb, and licorice candies can cause temporary coloration of urine. If you take medications (sleeping pills, laxatives, medical dyes for diagnostics), the effect of changing the tone of the biofluid occurs. A very dark color is possible with kidney disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis, bleeding). It is advisable to immediately go to a urologist to determine the true cause. To do this, you will have a urine test.

Dark or dark yellow urine color

Talks about kidney disease and these types of problems:

Dehydration. With frequent vomiting or diarrhea, low water consumption, the biofluid is concentrated with nitrogen waste, which gives it a dark yellow color.
Excessive use of food or drug additives.
The first symptoms of illness and disorder. Liver infections, anemia, jaundice, hepatitis change the breakdown of red blood cells, which turns urine into an unusual color.

Pathological causes of dark urine

If your urine has darkened, do not rush to make hasty conclusions about your health. The maximum that a person without medical education should decide is whether he has had natural causes of dark urine . If you consider your drinking regime to be normal (1.5-2 liters of clean water per day), there is no room for excessive physical activity or other reasons to sweat, the above foods are not found in your diet and you are not undergoing drug therapy, then most likely you have a dark urine is of pathogenic origin.

It is extremely important at this stage to contact a medical professional because other manifestations of the disorder (which may not even be noticeable to the untrained eye) should be taken into account. The doctor will also analyze your medical history and probably prescribe laboratory or other diagnostics.

For example, the darkening of urine can vary:

dark brown color is a sign of liver and gallbladder diseases, in which the kidneys excrete bile pigments bilirubin and biliverdin into the urine; An example of such pathologies may be cholestasis due to cholelithiasis (when there is an obstacle to the outflow of bile);
dark yellow color of urine is a sign of diseases of the urinary system (both bladder and kidneys), in which the urine contains an increased amount of salts, urates, and similar sediments;
blood impurities - this makes the urine reddish in color or the color remains natural, but inclusions of blood are noticeable in it; a very alarming symptom, meaning damage to the tissues of the urinary organs and tract;
cloudy urine - indicates an infectious disease or kidney stones; to avoid the possible development of infection, it is better to take a urine test, which will help identify the cause of this phenomenon;
during pregnancy - if you are pregnant and observe dark urine, the reasons for this may lie in partial dehydration (for example, due to toxicosis and vomiting), and in the redistribution of substances in the body, and in additional stress on the kidneys, liver (the latter leads to to an increase in the content of bilirubin in the blood and its appearance in the urine).

Factors not associated with pathology

Why does my child have dark urine? A child's body develops rapidly from the first days of independent life. Cell division, the construction of new tissues, occurs 5-6 times faster than in an adult. Metabolic processes also occur much more intensely, and the digestive, endocrine, excretory and cardiovascular systems can experience short-term failure under the influence of external and internal factors. In children, urine becomes darker for the following reasons, they are not initially associated with diseases:

taking medications if they contain chemical components that tend to react with biologically active substances contained in the child’s body (a similar physiological phenomenon is observed with long-term use of drugs from the group of phenothiazines, rifampicin, or tablets with food coloring in the protective coating);
dehydration of the body, when pale shades of urine or its natural yellow color do not appear due to an increased concentration of waste products that physically cannot be diluted due to lack of sufficient water intake (in medical practice, it occurs in children at 2 years old, when the baby begins to grow faster than usual, the need to consume additional fluid increases, and parents do not take measures to provide the child with plenty of fluids);
intoxication with toxic chemical substances, accidentally drunk by a child due to the negligence of people around him, or entered his circulatory system along with vapors during breathing (there is a high probability of developing complications associated with impaired filtration function of the kidneys and liver tissue);
eating foods that contain a natural pigment that colors the baby’s urine dark orange and brown (carrots, beets, prunes, dried apricots, raisins, drinking rosehip teas and diuretic herbs, liver, all types of legumes, blueberries, blackberries, fried meat, smoked meats);
the febrile state of the body and high temperature, which lasted for several days in a row, was not brought down with the help of medications, or the disease was difficult to respond to traditional treatment;
hormonal imbalance and a sharp increase in sexual secretions caused by the unstable functioning of the glands of the endocrine system (occurs in adolescents 14-16 years old, their body is in the stage of adolescence, when rapid maturation and development of internal organs occurs);
long-term use of vitamin and mineral complexes, if the body is already saturated with useful components and begins to take measures to eliminate them by the kidneys;
hypothermia of the body when the baby was outside for too long, was not dressed for the weather and was very cold (the kidneys are activated, releasing a large amount of fluid and partially dehydrating the body);
an allergic reaction to external and internal irritants present in the baby’s life (such may be mold spores, pollen from flowering plants, household dust, fragrances, particles of pet hair, the body’s inability to accept certain types of products);
unbalanced nutrition, when a child’s diet does not contain a sufficient amount of protein compounds, and the body starts the process of breaking down proteins found in muscle tissue, which causes metabolic disorders and developmental delays.

Causes of lemon-colored urine

Light yellow urine is most often observed in people who neglect their drinking regime. An increase in the concentration of pigments in biological fluid can also be explained by:

increased sweating in the hot season, or in the presence of certain diseases;
lactation period;
edema in various pathologies;
acute intestinal diseases;
use of laxative medications.

These are the most common causes of lemon-colored urine in men and women. As for expectant mothers, this anomaly may have its own explanation.

What could it be if lemon-colored urine is observed in pregnant women? First of all, such changes in the color of urine occur with the development of gestosis - late toxicosis. This dangerous pathology is accompanied by a significant increase in blood pressure and swelling of the arms, legs, and face. In this case, light yellow urine may alternate with darkening of the urine, while it becomes cloudy and acquires a specific odor.

Preeclampsia is a dangerous pathological condition that can cause serious complications not only in the expectant mother, but also in the fetus. That is why, if in the late stages of pregnancy a woman has bright lemon-colored urine, you need to act immediately. Timely medical intervention will help prevent dangerous consequences for the health and life of mother and baby.

Urine has become too yellow - what should I do?

If you have figured out the question of why urine is very yellow and found an explanation for this, then you can safely move on to the next stage - solving this problem. In the event of the development of one or another pathology, the situation can be stabilized only with the help of a doctor. However, if it’s not a disease at all, but you still have very yellow urine, then try taking the following measures to eliminate this unpleasant problem:

drink enough water;
stop taking pills that turn your urine yellow;
Avoid foods containing food dyes;
Do not do strenuous physical exercise, which leads to a large loss of fluid from the body.

The main thing is to remember: deep yellow urine is not an indicator of illness, so don’t panic in advance and give yourself a “deadly” diagnosis! If you do not control the situation and your emotions, then even the most minor deviations from the norm in your body will plunge you into shock, and this is already fraught with serious consequences for your nervous system.

Urine color is normal

The causes of dark urine are often related to impaired kidney function.
But what exactly determines its color? And what is considered the norm and what is its deviation? Normally, the color of urine is defined as amber yellow or straw yellow. These are light shades of yellow. At the same time, it is absolutely normal for morning urine to acquire a darker color (up to light mustard or mustard). What affects the color of urine?

This is the concentration of urochrome pigment in urine. How concentrated its content will be in a particular portion of urine depends on the person’s fluid consumption the day before. Urochrome dissolves in human drinks and plain water. It is noteworthy that the quality and composition of the drinks you drink can affect the color of your urine. Plain drinking water dilutes the concentration of urochrome, and for example, carbonated drinks with a high content of dyes only worsen the color. If you drink a lot of liquid during the day, especially ordinary drinking water, then during the day the normal color of your urine will be slightly yellowish, almost transparent.

Factors that affect the color of urine also include medications, toxins, dyes, and food. A special place among the factors of pathological coloration of urine is occupied by diseases and not only of the excretory or genitourinary systems.

Why does urine color change?

The reasons why moderately yellow urine suddenly becomes bright can be divided into physiological and pathological, with the former occurring much more often. This includes external factors, lifestyle, and behavioral characteristics of a person. There is no need to panic if previously light urine has become lemon-colored - better analyze your behavior, and within a couple of days you will see the liquid of the usual shade.

Bright yellow urine is formed under the influence of several factors:

diet

Manufacturers like to add numerous dyes, preservatives and flavors to products. There are fewer and fewer natural ingredients in our food, and additives contain a huge amount of pigment substances. Colored soda, candy, strong coffee, alcoholic drinks - all this is guaranteed to color the urinary fluid. Moreover, the less pure water a person drinks, the higher the concentration of coloring enzymes in urine will be. Among natural products that change the color of urine, the leaders remain beets, carrots and any citrus fruits.

It is worth paying attention to the amount of salt consumed: its excess leads to stagnation of urine and the accumulation of toxins.

dehydration

If a person drinks rarely and little, a serious disruption occurs in the urinary system. “Wasted” substances are not excreted in urine, but accumulate in the body, causing intoxication and chronic dehydration. The body is desperately trying to find some useful liquid in its depths; the process of reabsorption begins in the kidneys - sucking water from the urinary fluid. Urine becomes very concentrated and acquires a bright color. Dehydration most often occurs in hot weather, during sports activities with high sweating, and during diarrhea and vomiting.

influence of medications

Many drugs contain active components that are not completely absorbed by the body, but settle in the kidneys for some time, giving the urine an unusual color. These are antibiotics such as Furacilin, derivatives of nitrofuran. Laxatives, causing loose stools, always provoke a large loss of moisture. This also includes tableted medications in colored shells, colored syrups, and herbal infusions. But urine changes its signs most strongly after taking vitamins A, B, C. Even children who eat handfuls of Revit secretly from their mother notice this. "Multitabs", "Pikovit" and other multivitamin complexes instantly color urine. Bright yellow urine begins to smell with a characteristic vitamin odor.

climate change

Leaving for hot regions is always stressful for the body. In unusual conditions, a person sweats more and loses a lot of fluid

While on vacation, it is very important to drink at least 2 liters of clean water a day - it will help “wash” all toxins from the body.

What to do?

If your baby is sick and needs medical attention, before visiting the doctor in the morning, you need to collect a medium portion of urine in a sterile container. Before this, the baby needs to be washed and wiped dry. To properly collect urine from a baby, you can use a urinal, which is sold at any pharmacy. If the child is over 3 years old, urine is collected in a sterile container during the normal act of urination.

An initial examination will take place in the doctor’s office, after which the baby will be sent for a blood test and a urine sample taken for bacterial culture. To clarify the diagnosis, an ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs is performed. If the cause of cloudy urine is inflammation, then on an ultrasound the doctor will see a change in the contours of the organ, its increase in size, and the formation of edema

After the results are ready, treatment is prescribed, in which it is important to follow all the doctor’s recommendations

Treatment

If the urine has changed its color and acquired a dark tint, then, even taking into account the fact that this may not indicate the presence of a disease, the appearance of such a symptom cannot be ignored. The only right decision would be to go to a doctor who will prescribe a urine test and recommend an ultrasound screening of the pelvic organs, as well as a serological test for antibodies to hepatitis.

Only after the reason why the urine of a 4-year-old child, younger or older, has become dark is precisely established, will the specialist develop a treatment regimen, individually for each clinical case. When diseases are identified, therapy is aimed at eliminating them. And if the color change occurs as a result of eating certain foods or drinking irregularities, then a corrective diet is prescribed.

Diagnosis of dark urine in a child

The examination should begin with a visit to the local pediatrician, who will examine the child, find out the details of the diet and possible intake of vitamins or drug therapy, and prescribe tests. You will definitely need to take a general urine test and a clinical blood test. Perhaps some symptoms will indicate kidney disease, in which case a urine test according to Nechiporenko may be prescribed. If liver pathology is suspected, a biochemical blood test is prescribed. Bacteriological culture of urine will help identify infection with pathogens, and sometimes a blood culture test is prescribed. Tests may be performed for rotaviruses, coproculture, electrolyte levels and blood urea concentrations. If any specific disease is suspected, appropriate tests may be prescribed.

Instrumental diagnostics for complaints of dark urine in a child usually consists of an ultrasound examination of the kidneys, bladder, and liver. You may need other studies (x-ray, lumbar puncture) and consultations with a nephrologist, gastroenterologist, infectious disease specialist or hematologist.

Causes

Initially, you need to know that a change in the color of biological fluid can indicate either serious health problems or does not pose any danger. In the latter case, the provoking factor that the urine is dark in a child 2 years of age or older is poor water balance, consumption of foods containing a high concentration of color pigment, as well as taking medications.

When parents notice that the child’s urine has darkened, but not much, its shade can be described as yellow-orange, then such changes are associated with the consumption of large amounts of carrots, medications that are included in the group of phenothiazines or Rifampicin. But at the same time, the dark color of the biological fluid can indicate dehydration of the body, which is a rather dangerous condition.

Dark urine in children appears when the body is dehydrated. Source: cistit.pro

If a child has dark-colored urine, that is, a brown tint predominates, among the provoking factors for such a deviation, the following list can be identified:

High body temperature;
Nausea and vomiting;
Dehydration of the body;
Heart diseases;
Taking foods such as aloe or rhubarb;
Treatment with antimalarial and laxative drugs;
Chemical poisoning;
Progression of glomerulonephritis;
Pathologies of the liver and gall bladder.

It should be noted that dark urine in a child (3 years old, older or younger) is not a natural phenomenon. The biological fluid is characterized by a yellowish or straw-colored tint. Therefore, the occurrence of this symptom indicates the need to visit a pediatrician. You can accurately diagnose what is happening to your baby after an examination and urine test.

Change in urine color in males

The number of white blood cells released plays an important role in the male body. They affect the transparency and shade of biological fluid. This is due to the development of the inflammatory process in the urinary system. In men, the color of urine can vary from yellow to yellow-green. To determine the true cause of this phenomenon, it is necessary to carry out a set of diagnostic measures.

Indicates the presence of the following diseases:

prostatitis;
urethritis;
kidney pathologies;
inflammation of the urethra.

The presence of these diseases is accompanied by a change in the color of the secreted fluid, namely the appearance of yellow urine. The development of anomalies in men leads to gluing of the urethral sponges, as a result of which they are retained and mixed with urine during excretion. There is marked turbidity.

If, in addition to the above symptoms, the appearance of foam and bubbles during excretion is added, it means that the permissible amount of protein in the urine has been exceeded. In men, similar symptoms are caused by the penetration of sperm waste products.

Features of the urinary system in newborns

The urinary system of a newly born baby has a number of features that are not typical for older children. These features include:

The effect on the color of urine of foods that a nursing mother eats;
Sensitivity to overloads;
Increased susceptibility to bacteria and viruses;
Imperfections of the digestive and excretory systems associated with the peculiarities of the baby’s adaptation to the outside world.

Parents should monitor the color of their baby's urine to spot any changes. To do this, you need to periodically refuse disposable diapers and wrap your baby in a light-colored diaper. Also, if there is a tangible reason for concern, you can buy a child’s urinal bag at the pharmacy and put it on the child in the morning, as soon as he wakes up, or at night. The urine obtained in this way is poured into a transparent container, now you can evaluate it by color.

Light yellow or clear urine is traditionally considered normal. This type of discharge is typical for most healthy children. However, the presence of an inflammatory process in the kidneys and bladder can cause a significant change in the color of urine.

Attention! The urinary system of a baby during the newborn period is particularly vulnerable and susceptible to infections. Parents must strictly observe hygiene rules and properly care for their child to prevent inflammation and other disorders.

Bright yellow urine in pregnant and lactating women

During the period of bearing a child, a woman may experience urine of a rich lemon color. As a major marker of health, pregnant women's urine is regularly tested. The doctor will immediately see the slightest changes in the composition of urine and, if necessary, take action. The main danger in this situation is gestosis. It is accompanied by high blood pressure and severe swelling, which causes dehydration.

During breastfeeding, women often experience hormonal imbalance. The body experiences a colossal water load: the kidneys work intensively, a large volume of fluid is spent on milk production, which can lead to dehydration. If you don't drink enough, toxins are not eliminated from the body, and the urine takes on a characteristic color.

Natural Causes of Dark Urine

Morning urine, within the normal range, has a concentrated yellow (mustard) color. If you notice that the same color is characteristic of urine during the rest of the day, do not rush to sound the alarm. Although this fact should not go unnoticed. Analyze whether your lifestyle has completely natural causes of dark urine:

low fluid consumption - most often this concerns a specific period of the day, for example, in the morning (when we did not consume fluid during the night, which means the concentration of urochrome in the urine will be the highest); dark urine can also be a sign of an unhealthy lifestyle, more precisely an unbalanced drinking regime (with little consumption of clean drinking water);
increased physical activity, hot climatic conditions are circumstances in which increased sweating occurs, which means that part of the consumed fluid is excreted from the body through sweat, but could also be through urine; if at the same time you drink more fluid, the urine will remain normal in color;
long-term use of certain medications - this mainly concerns B vitamins and vitamin C, as well as laxatives, nitrofuran derivatives, anti-tuberculosis and anti-malarial drugs, laxatives (they can reduce the amount of urine produced due to the fact that more liquid will be contained in the stool);
consumption of certain food groups - natural products that partly have laxative properties or saturate the body with vitamins B and C can indirectly affect the composition of urine; but especially the cause of dark urine is considered to be a portion of legumes, beef, rhubarb, black tea; after a short time, the color of the urine is restored.

Is yellow urine a cause for concern?

In order to find out whether you need to worry about the color of your urine, you need to go to a doctor, he will tell you what disease this occurs with. He will conduct an anamnesis (collection of information based on a patient interview), learn about the drinking regime and diet.

If changing your food intake and increasing your water intake do not produce results, there is no need to worry, you need to go to the doctor and take a general urine and blood test.

Medicines that color urine

A separate category, which does not relate to either physiological or pathological causes of changes in the color of urine, includes the use of strong medications that temporarily change the color of the excretory fluid. Red - appears after prolonged use of certain antibiotics (sulfonamides, rifampicin), aspirin. Blue - occurs after medications containing methylene blue dye. Green - due to iron supplements. The use of vitamin complexes containing vitamins B and C leads to a bright yellow or red color.

Why is urine yellow? This question has a simple and clear answer. The reasons for this particular color are due to the natural component of urine - urobilin, which is formed during the conversion of bilirubin that occurs in the kidneys, liver, gallbladder and gastrointestinal tract. The saturation of urine with urobilin determines the degree to which the urine turns yellow. The urine of a healthy body has a very definite yellow color with some gradation of brightness and saturation of shades - from light, almost transparent, to rich yellow.

As a rule, in the absence of visible symptoms of the disease, the color of the urine excreted is of little concern to the person, and this is generally normal, however, if the change in the usual color, smell or transparency becomes significant, it is worth paying attention to this. This behavior of the body, and specifically its urinary system, can signal a problem that can only be solved with medical intervention.

The influence of food on changes in urine color

The predominance of carrot dishes and products containing a large amount of pigments that have a yellow and orange tint in the menu leads to an orange coloration of urine. Taking vitamin-mineral complexes gives a similar result. When consuming foods containing red pigments, for example, beets, cherry compotes, strawberries, blackberries, urine may acquire a reddish tint. If the urine does not lose its transparency and there are no other alarming symptoms, after changing the diet, the color of the urine returns to normal.

Urine takes on a similar color if the child likes dishes made from beans, peas, lentils or rhubarb.

The color of urine changes if the child eats a lot of foods high in food coloring. The specialist takes into account the possibility of allergic reactions and recommends making changes to the baby’s diet. It may be necessary to reduce dishes made from beef, beets, carrots, rhubarb, blueberry compotes and fruit drinks, and herbal teas with buckthorn bark in the child’s menu, as they provoke darkening of the urine.