Urine color in cirrhosis or acute viral hepatitis

Medical Reasons for Urine Discoloration

One of the indications that medical practitioners use to gauge a person’s health is by the examination of urine. The urine of a healthy person is usually clear, or has a slightly yellow color

While there are various non-health-related factors that may influence urine discoloration, such as eating certain foods, a change in urine color may also serve as an indication for certain medical conditions. TestCountry.org’s Lena Butler shares some of them.

Urine that assumes a brownish hue can be an indication of the presence of several medical conditions. Liver disorders such as cirrhosis or acute viral hepatitis can cause urine to turn brown, or tea-colored. Brown urine can also be a sign of acute glomerulonephritis, a kidney disease that prevents the kidney from removing excess wastes and fluids from the body.

Jaundice is another liver disorder that may cause a patient’s urine to turn brown, or dark yellow. The disease is caused by an obstruction in the bile duct, which leads the body to accumulate bilirubin; its most common symptoms are yellowish skin, and having the whites of one’s eyes turn a shade of yellow.

Certain medical conditions, on the other hand, can cause the urine to become reddish in color. Willis tumor, an abdominal condition commonly found in children, can cause the appearance of blood in the urine, which turns it reddish.

The high levels of porphyrins excreted by a person suffering from chronic lead and mercury poisoning can also cause one’s urine to turn red.

It is therefore suggested that people be conscious about changes or discoloration to one’s urine. Consult your physician if you notice unusual discoloration that is not brought about by food.