Orange urine is an easy to spot occurrence as one can just determine the prevalence by having a glance at the flow of urine or in the toilet bowl. Orange urine can be indication of underlying health irregularities. Normally urine color should range from yellow to deep amber. But in most cases it should be almost clear or very light yellow. The urine color greatly depends on the amount of water and concentration of urochrome which is a pigment present in urine that gives it its color. There are possibilities that nutritional factors may lead to urine color change. Sometimes foods may contain pigments that give the urine an irregular color. Also use of some medications may cause alteration in color of the urine.
Orange urine may also occur in case of dehydration and infection of the urinary tract. Sometimes urinary system trauma such as trauma to bladder can be diagnosed as cause of urine color change. In case of excessive bilirubin which is often excreted through urine is also a factor that causes urine to appear orange. This commonly happens in case of hepatitis liver infection. In serious cases cancer of liver, bladder or renal cancer can also lead to orange urine. When the urine is orange there are chances that the affected person may also urinate frequently and/or urine may appear to be cloudy with a pungent smell. People experiencing ejection of orange urine should consider consulting a doctor.
Symptoms of Orange Urine
The symptoms experienced along with orange urine may greatly depend on the causing factor. Some common symptoms experienced along with urine color change include:
- Pungent foul smelling urine
- Urgency of urinating (sometimes one may only eject few drops)
- Increased frequency of urinating
- Experiencing pain while urination which may lead to a condition called dysuria
- Urine appearing cloudy
Apart from the aforementioned urinary tract symptoms there may be other symptoms experienced due to the condition; these may include:
- Pale stools that would suggest that most bilirubin is excreted through urine
- Dramatic and irrational loss of weight followed by reduction in appetite
- Decreased blood pressure (hypotension) which can lead to ‘tachycardia’ because the heart attempts to pump more amount of blood
- Queasiness usually accompanied with barfing
- Fever, chills or itchiness of skin
- Yellow appearance of skin and eyes due to Jaundice
Some symptoms may need immediate medical attention as they may hint about underlying fatal condition. These are:
- Extremely high fever of over 101 ° Fahrenheit
- Severe lower back pain
- Severe pain in the abdomen
- Persistent vomiting
- Unintended retention of urine wherein urine does not flow even if you try to strain
Causes of Orange urine
There are medicines that may cause orange urine. Foods and infection are also considered as common cause of urine color change. Some of the common causes of orange urine include:
- Pyelonephritis which is technical term for kidney infection
- All kinds of diseases of the kidney
- Cystitis also commonly known as bladder infection
- Use of Certain medicines such as warfarin, pyridium, etc,
- Taking beta carotene supplements
- Prostate gland infection
There are also other life-threatening causes of orange urine determined in the industry. These causes need serious and immediate medical aid. Serious causes of urine color change include:
- Hepatitis, even of acute nature
- Other liver diseases such as cirrhosis and liver failure
- Cancerous cells in renal system
- Bladder cancer
- Serious dehydration causing electrolyte and fluid loss which can also prove to be fatal
Diagnosis
There are various steps that may be used by your doctor to determine the cause of urine color change. The doctor may start probing you on the symptoms and some of the questions that you may encounter include:
- Does urine have pungent smell?
- Are there any medicines that are being used?
- What vegetables and fruits are included in the diet?
- Is beta-carotene supplement used?
- When did orange urine issues started?
- Is urination often accompanied pain and/or burning sensation?
- Are any traces of blood in urine is seen?
Depending on these questions’ answer, the doctor may suggest further tests to rule out possibilities that cause such symptoms. He may target on probability of cancer or inflammation of certain internal organs. It is essential that one mandatorily undergo these tests to find the root cause of the condition. Based on the results of diagnosis the doctor will suggest you treatments for orange urine.
Treatment for orange urine
After determining the cause of urine color change, through diagnosis, the doctor will suggest a suitable treatment to deal with the condition. If it is determined that the condition is associated with diet then it is not a matter of concern. If it is approved by your doctor then you may be suggested to consume foods that do not contain or contain lower degree of beta-carotene.
If the doctor detects prevalence of infection, through tests, then he will plan a suitable treatment for you. In such a case doctor would prescribe a regimen based on antibiotics. Usually in mild to moderate cases, oral antibiotics are prescribed. However, if the infection is severe then the patient may be suggested supportive care in hospital setting wherein the patient will be administered with intravenous antibiotics. Specialized treatment may be needed if there is a more serious condition causing urine color change such as cancer or organ damages. Since there are possibilities that serious conditions may cause the issue, it is essential to consider treatment as soon as possible if you experience orange urine.
