I THOUGHT SOMETHING was wrong when I did not empty my bladder with the force I usually do. But I ignored the first sign. Then, I needed to pee more often again. I ignored the second sign that warned me something was wrong. It was not until the third sign, when there was blood in my urine, that I knew something was wrong, and I had to do something about it.
How often we’re peeing, what we feel while we’re peeing, and what we might be seeing when we look into the toilet bowl after we’ve finished—involves more organs than just the bladder.
I became aware of an issue based on what my pee looked like in the bowl and instantly knew the presence of blood in the urine was abnormal and needed to be investigated.
When I saw a urologist, he said, “The shade, smell, and frequency of your urine can reveal what’s happening inside your body.” Back in Victorian times, it was probably bad news to be a doctor’s assistant because medical texts describe how they would taste a sample of the patient’s pee, with sweet urine known to be a sign of diabetes.
Understanding your urine’s colour, smell, and frequency will help you recognise early signs of disease and maintain proper hydration. While various health conditions, foods, and even medications can change the colour of your urine, the medical profession highly values all these signs.
What is Normal?
Urine should have a slight yellow tinge caused by a chemical called urobilin, made in the liver. If your urine is completely colourless, it could indicate you drink too much water. Your urine should be a reasonably clear fluid.
From Dark Yellow to Blue
The most significant factor impacting urine colour is hydration. “If your urine looks like a glass of white wine, you’re drinking plenty, whereas if it looks like Tango, you’re not drinking enough.”
While most changes in urine colour are harmless and can be attributed to diet or medications, some can be indicative of severe health conditions. About 10 to 14 per cent of the population are genetically predisposed to beeturia, causing red or pink urine after consuming beetroot, blackberries, or red berries. While harmless, this occurs because they struggle to break down certain pigments in these foods. Other foods like asparagus or excessive vitamin B intake can turn urine greenish-yellow. Medications can also impact urine colour, ranging from red to blue.
Smell
Pungent urine can indicate dehydration, with concentrated proteins and toxins. Diet can also affect urine smell. For instance, if your urine smells strongly of ammonia, it could be a sign that you’re not drinking enough water. Coffee, onions, garlic, or fish can make urine smelly. Sweet-smelling urine, however, is usually a bad sign, indicating uncontrolled diabetes, where excess sugar and ketones are present. New parents should watch for sweet-smelling urine in their baby’s nappy, which can indicate maple syrup urine disease, a genetic condition requiring a specialist dietitian’s referral.
Frequency
Urinating more than six to eight times a day can indicate conditions like diabetes-related kidney damage, an overactive bladder, or obstructive sleep apnea. In older men, it can signal an obstruction in the urethra due to an enlarged prostate. Nocturia, the need to urinate at night, is expected as we age. You should drink more in the morning and avoid fluids within three hours before bed.
Consistency
Cloudy urine is often benign, caused by dehydration or a urinary tract infection. Frothy urine, however, can indicate high protein levels, a marker of kidney disease. It can also signal a fistula, an abnormal connection between organs, which can cause frothy urine due to air entering the bladder.
When to See a Doctor
Seek medical advice if you notice unusual changes in urine colour, smell, or consistency unrelated to hydration; blood in urine requires immediate attention. Remember, your urine can provide valuable insights into your health, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
