Have you ever looked down before flushing and thought, “Why is my urine that color?”
It may seem like an awkward thing to notice, but urine can actually provide a few useful clues about what’s happening in your body.
Most of the time, urine ranges from pale yellow to a deeper yellow, and the shade can change throughout the day depending on how much fluid you’ve had, what you’ve eaten, medications you’re taking, and other factors.
So if your urine looks a little darker first thing in the morning, there’s usually no reason to panic.
But what about urine that’s orange?
Or red?
Or cloudy?
Or even green?
That’s where things get more interesting.
Urine color isn’t a diagnosis, but an unusual or persistent change can sometimes be worth paying attention to.
Let’s take a closer look at what different shades may mean—and when you should stop simply watching and
