Your Urine Can Tell A lot About Your Health And Your Habits

Urine is produced in the kidneys as blood is filtered and excess waste and water are removed. This waste travels through tubes known as ureters and is stored in the bladder until you urinate. The urine then comes out through the urethra to the outside of your body.

So, do you know that your urine color and odor are important indicators regarding your health? Do you have foul-smelling urine, dark or discolored urine, foamy, cloudy or bloody urine? A change in the color or smell of your urine could be harmless, but it can also indicate a health problem. For example, a discolored urine can be due to the use of certain medications; a fishy odor or cloudy urine can indicate that you have a urinary tract infection while a foul-smelling and discolored urine can be a sign of a sexually transmitted infection. Likewise, a fruit- smelling urine can indicate type 2 diabetes and an ammonia- like odor and concentrated urine can be a sign of dehydration. Blood tinged/red colored urine can be caused by urinary tract infections, an enlarged prostate, tumor, kidney or bladder stones or some foods like beets. Dark brown urine may also indicate liver disease due to the presence of bile in the urine.

With the above information, it is important that you do not ignore certain signs and symptoms your body might be showing you. Most times, people with the above problems will also show other symptoms. It is also important to emphasize that the color or odor of your urine is not enough to diagnose you of a medical problem. Your healthcare provider will likely do some other diagnostic tests as necessary before concluding and offering treatment if needed. When you are in doubt, consult your healthcare provide. ***Remember, normal urine color ranges from pale yellow to deep amber***