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Medical Health Encyclopedia
Urine - abnormal color
Alternative Names
Discoloration of urine
Home Care
Call your health care provider if
Make an appointment with your health care provider if you have:
- Clear, dark-brown urine, particularly if accompanied by pale stools and yellow skin and eyes
- Pink, red, or smoky-brown urine, and the color change was not expected (due to a food or medication)
- Abnormal urine color that persists without explanation
- Blood in your urine, even on one occasion
What to expect at your health care provider's office
The health care provider will perform a physical exam, which may include a rectal or pelvic exam. You will be asked questions about your medical history and symptoms, including:
- Time pattern
- When did this begin?
- Did this begin suddenly?
- Quality
- What color is the urine?
- Is it consistently the same color throughout the day?
- Do you have increased or decreased urination?
- Can you see blood in the urine?
- Is there an unusual odor?
- Aggravating factors
- What medicines do you take?
- Have you eaten foods such as colored candy, beets, berries, or rhubarb?
- Other
- What other symptoms do you have? (For example,pain when urinating, abdominal pain,back pain or fever)
- Are you drinking fewer fluids or have decreased thirst?
- Do you have a decreased appetite?
- Have you had any previous urinary problems or kidney problems?
- Do you have any allergies?
Tests that may be done include:
Review Date: 09/30/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; Scott Miller, MD, Urologist in private practice
in Atlanta, Georgia. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).
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