Your pee color can tell you a lot about your current state of health. Youâre probably not spending a lot of time thinking about it, because itâs a common and natural daily activity. Itâs just something you gotta doâ especially if you drink a lot of water! But even though it sounds kind of icky, you should be keeping tabs on how your pee looks.
Thatâs becauseâ just like with your poopâ your pee can create a very detailed reflection of your health and habits. And itâs not just your pee color eitherâ thereâs more to your urine than you may think.
Your peeâ or urineâ is the excess water, electrolytes, and waste that is removed from your body. Urine is produced when your kidneys filter out that extra water and waste out of your blood and prepare it to leave your body through your urethra.
The average adult bladder holds about 16 ounces of liquidâ but you normally feel the urge to empty it at around 8 ounces.
Your urine is also the earliest indicator that you could be pregnant. Thatâs because a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is present in the urine of pregnant women. This is what traditional pregnancy tests check for because itâs not immediately obvious that hCG is present by color or smell alone.
Normal urinary frequency can vary from person to person. But for most people, theyâll pee anywhere between 4 and 10 times a dayâ 6 to 7 times is most typical though.
How often you pee depends on a few different factors, such as:
And while there is no true ânormalâ when it comes to how much you pee each day, itâs important to understand what your normal is. Because if youâre peeing more than your normal amount, then that can be a sign of another problem.
You can pee too often beyond your normal amount. Overactive bladder (OAB) is a sudden, frequent urge to urinate that affects your day-to-day life. You may also need to pee a lot at nightâ this is called nocturia.
Signs of an overactive bladder include:
If you feel like you need to go too often, contact your doctor or your primary care provider. They can help you figure out what may be causing your overactive bladder and help you get the right treatment so you can get back to living your life the way you should.
So now you may be wonderingâ what does healthy, normal urine look like?
When youâre healthy and well-hydrated, your pee will either be a pale yellow color or completely clear. Clear urine is a sign that your urine is diluted with more fluidâ this is a good thing, Beauty!
On the other hand, more concentrated urine is a sign that youâre dehydrated and need to get more fluids. Dark urine can also be a sign of kidney problems.
Normal urine color can vary from day to day, but as long as it stays within a certain healthy color and shade range, youâll know that you and your urine are both healthy! Check out my infographic below to learn more.
Click to enlarge.
Not only can your urine color indicate your hydration status, but it may also be your biggest clue when something is wrong. But thereâs a lot more to your pee than just the colorâ Its shade and pH are super important too.
You already know that pale yellow or clear urine are the signs that youâre healthy and properly hydratedâ so what do other pee colors mean?
A good rule of thumb is that if you see a sudden color change or change in odor to your urine, call your doctor immediately. Rememberâ while itâs normal for your urine to change a little day by day, itâs not normal for it to change drastically in a short time.
If you own a pool or do a lot of gardening, then you know what pH isâ and how important it is to keep a balanced pH level in your pool water or soil. Itâs the same with your body and your urine.
pHâ short for potential of hydrogenâ measures how acidic or alkaline water is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14â 0 is the most acidic, 14 is the most alkaline, and 7 is considered neutral. Excessively acidic/alkaline urine can also be a sign of health problems.
And while you probably wonât be using a pH test to test your pee like you would soil or pool water, a tell-tale sign that your pH is off-balance is a burning sensation while you urinate. This is not normal, and you should always see your doctor if you feel a burning sensation while you pee.
We all know about urineâs very distinctive smell. This is also normalâ to a certain extent. Urine is made mostly of water, so it always has a slight smell. It wonât have as much of an odor if itâs more diluted, but more concentrated urine will have a more pronounced odor.
Different food, medication, supplements and even medical conditions can change how your pee smells. In fact, anyone who enjoys asparagus may know this all too well!
However, particularly smelly urine can be a sign of health problems. For example:
Thereâs a reason your doctor asks for a urine sample when you go in for a check-up. Itâs because your pee is one of the biggest reflections of your overall health. If something doesnât look right there, then thereâs something else amiss.
Pee is never something you want to ask or talk about often, but knowing what to look for can make staying healthy that much easier. This includes your pee color, the shade, and even the smell.
And rememberâ urinating is a natural process that everyone does. So youâre in good company.
