We’re all familiar with what urine should look like. We also know that the typical yellow color can vary. Urine may be different depending on the time of day, our activities and our level of hydration. For instance, it tends to be a deeper yellow first thing in the morning. It can also be a darker yellow if you’re doing hard physical labor or participating in physical exercise while not drinking enough water to maintain proper hydration. Likewise, it tends to be a lighter yellow when you’re drinking a lot of fluids. The question is, what does it mean when you have pink or red urine?
Pink or red urine
Urine should never be pink or red. If your urine has a reddish or brownish tint, it’s an indicator that you may have blood in your urine, also known as gross hematuria. Sometimes blood is present in the urine but is not seen by the naked eye. This is called microscopic hematuria because it is only detected under a microscope.
There are many conditions that can cause blood to be present in the urine. Pink or red urine may be the result of a injury, urinary tract infection, kidney stones, tumors, excessive physical exercise or other conditions which cause the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra to leak or ooze blood into the urine. There are also a number of medications which can cause the urine to turn colors. In this case, the color of urine should resolve within a day or two after discontinuing the medication.
If you detect a change in urine color, from yellow to a pink or red tint, it’s important to seek medical attention. A Urologist is able to test the urine for blood, and recommend additional testing when blood is present. It’s important to get to the root cause of blood so that a proper diagnosis can be made and treatment is started.
If you can visibly see blood in your urine, contact Urology Austin to schedule an appointment. If you’re experiencing additional symptoms such as severe pain, nausea, vomiting, fever or chills, you should seek emergency care.
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