Dark urine is deeper in color than urine that is typically straw to yellow in color. Darker urine can be various colors, but is usually brown, deep yellow, or maroon. Urine is produced in the kidneys. IYTHEALTH.com describes the contributing aspects, causes, and possible treatments and home remedies for urine dark brown.
When you take in fluid or food, it passes from your gastrointestinal system, into your circulatory system, and into your kidneys where it is filtered. The kidneys then get rid of waste products and additional fluid through the urine.
Why is My Urine Dark Brown?
Urine gets its color, which is generally yellow, from a pigment called urochrome, or urobilin. Lighter colored urine is more watered down, whereas darker urine includes less fluid. Really dark urine could be a sign that you’re dehydrated.
If your urine doesn’t fit within this color pattern, do not panic. A lot of things can change the color of urine, consisting of the foods and dyes you eat or the medications you take. For example, beets and berries can turn urine red. Depending upon which medication you take, your urine can turn a rainbow of colors, from yellow to red to blue.
Particular colors, however, can indicate an issue. A red or pink hue could be a sign of blood in the urine. If you think blood in your urine or notification embolisms, it’s important to see your doctor to figure out the cause. Brown urine might indicate something as simple as a brand-new medication, or it might be a sign of a more serious condition.
The ureters are tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder. The bladder clears the urine via the urethra, tube you urinate through.
Preferably, your urine would be a light yellow color. This would indicate you’re hydrated. Urine naturally has some yellow pigments called urobilin or urochrome. The darker urine is, the more concentrated it tends to be.
Dark urine is most typically due to dehydration. Nevertheless, it might be a sign that excess, unusual, or potentially unsafe waste products are flowing in the body. For instance, dark brown urine might indicate liver disease due to the presence of bile in the urine.
Bloody, or reddened urine is an indication of other potential problems, including direct injury to the kidneys. If you have these symptoms, it’s essential to see a doctor.
Here are some possible causes of brown urine.
Particular Foods Can Lead to Brown (or Dark Brown) Urine
Some foods may turn urine brown if you eat enough of them. These include: aloe, fava, beans, food colorings, rhubarb and many others.
Associated Diagnoses
Conditions connected with dark urine include:
- hepatitis
- rhabdomyolysis
- cirrhosis
- glomerulonephritis
- dehydration
- injury
- biliary obstruction
- gallstones
- bladder stones
- bladder cancer
- jaundice
- liver disease
- kidney cancer
- pancreatic cancer
- malaria
- thalassemia
- porphyrias
- side effects of blood-thinning medications
- bladder or kidney stones.
Excess or extremely exhausting workout can likewise contribute to dark urine. Extreme workout can cause muscle injury that causes your body to release waste items in excess. The results can be urine that is either pink or cola-colored.
Often it’s hard to tell the difference in between dark urine due to dehydration or due to other causes. Dark urine due to dehydration is usually amber or honey-colored.
Dark urine due to other causes can be tinged with brown or red. Some individuals have urine that appears practically syrup-like. This is the case when an individual has liver or kidney disease.
If you’re dehydrated, you can have extra symptoms besides dark urine. Examples include:
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- dry mouth
- dry skin
- headache
- thirst
- constipation.
If you consume extra water and your urine becomes lighter, you can tell dehydration was the cause of your dark urine
Medications that Cause Brown (or Dark Brown) Urine
Medications that can make your urine darker include:
- Antimalarial drugs.
- Antibacterial drugs.
- Iron supplements.
- Laxatives that contain cascara or senna.
- Levodopa, which is used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
In addition, muscle injury caused by extreme workout, injury, or chemical ways can lead to rhabdomyolysis. This can cause the release of a compound called myoglobin, which turns the urine brown or pink. If this occurs after workout, it’s essential to seek medical attention right now.
Outdoors Factors that Impact Urine
Often dark brown urine does not have anything to do with hydration or general health. Rather, it’s associated to something you ate or drank or a medicine you took. If your urine is dark, reflect to what you’ve consumed. If you’ve had beets, berries, rhubarb, or fava beans, these can all cause your urine to appear dark.
Some medications can cause dark urine. Normally your doctor will let you understand ahead of time that this is a possible side effect. Some examples of medications known to do this include:
- laxatives with senna
- chemotherapy drugs
- rifampin
- warfarin (Coumadin)
- phenazopyridine.
When to call your doctor
You must seek medical interest if you see blood in your urine, or experience dark urine that does not disappear after drinking water. It’s extremely important to understand the specific cause of your symptoms.
If you have actually dark urine alonged with extreme pain, particularly in your back, you may have kidney stones or a urinary tract infection. If you can’t see your doctor right away or if the pain and any other symptoms worsen or are accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and a high fever, seek immediate medical attention.
Diagnosis and Treatments
If you’re experiencing dark urine that isn’t really caused by dehydration or is a side effect of your medication, you’ll need to have an extensive assessment by your doctor. They will require your detailed medical history and you will have to have a physical examination and urinalysis.
A urinalysis includes taking a minimum of a two-ounce sample of your urine. A lab will test the urine for the presence of a number of things, which could show the presence of an underlying medical condition. Examples include:
- bacteria
- bilirubin
- crystals
- glucose
- protein
- red blood cells
- white blood cells.
A lab will provide a report based upon 3 elements.
- a visual examination will check out if the urine is clear, cloudy, and focused, in addition to its color
- chemical tests include details about bilirubin, blood, ketones, proteins, and glucose
- a microscopic assessment tests for the presence of bacteria.
Preferably, the urine sample will come from the first urine you produce in the early morning. This urine is probably to show abnormalities if there are any because it is more focused than other urine you produce over the day.
If your urinalysis exposes uncommon results, your doctor might buy more targeted tests. These tests may consist of blood testing or a urine culture, which attempt to identify the type of bacteria in your urine. Also, a total blood count or thorough metabolic panel can assist your doctor determine if your kidney or liver function is jeopardized.
Treatment will depend upon your medical history, symptoms, and the outcomes of any lab research studies and other diagnostic tests.
Avoiding Dark Urine
If your urine color is because of medicines you take, you ought to continue taking them based on your results. Constantly speak with your doctor if you are worried about your urine color in relation to the medicines you take. You can also avoid foods understood to trigger dark urine.
If your dark urine is due to inadequate fluid consumption, you need to start drinking more water. According to Harvard University, you need to preferably make about 6.5 cups of urine a day and void anywhere from 4 to 8 times.
Try drinking an extra cup of water after awakening. You can purchase a big container to hold water and keep it with you at all times making sure you remain hydrated. Nevertheless, if your urine is so light that it is nearly clear, this might be a sign you are consuming excessive water.
Any modification in the color of the urine not due to consuming certain foods or taking particular medications should be reported to your doctor. And call your doctor right away is you see blood in your urine.
Home Remedies on How to Treat Dark Brown Urine
Discoloration of urine has no particular treatment, as it suggests an underlying cause, it might be a safe one or of major origin. Whatever it may be, at the first circumstances discover whether it is not a side effect of the recently consumed medication or food.
If that is the factor removing the food or changing the medication after discussing it with your doctor can produce typical color of urine.
Drinking lots of water assists to keep your urine diluted and hence your color of urine lighten from dark brown.
When dark brown and cloudy urine is because of urinary tract infection, consume a glass of water with 2 tsp of baking soda dissolved in it.
Drinking cranberry juice is the best home treatment for bladder infection. It is beneficial for both, men in addition to women.
Any modification in the color of the urine not due to consuming certain foods or taking particular medications should be reported to your doctor. And call your doctor right away is you see blood in your urine.
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