Why is my urine orange?

The reasons why your urine is orange are many and can range from something as simple as some type of medication, certain foods or food coloring, to a serious health problem. If the color change in your urine occurs occasionally and you notice that as the days go by it is yellowish again, you should not be too alarmed since the problem comes when this is persistent.

The main causes of orange urine are as follows:

• Dehydration: This is the main cause why urine turns orange, it is characterized by drinking little liquid, which is why the urine becomes more concentrated due to the increase in urochrome pigment (yellow nitrogenous substance, which forms the most abundant pigment in urine). It can also occur due to a constant loss of fluids, such as vomiting or diarrhea, prolonged exposure to the sun or exercise where sweating occurs. Some symptoms of dehydration that you should not ignore are constant thirst, a dry mouth and a swollen tongue, confusion, dizziness, fainting, and heart palpitations.
• Medicines: supplements such as vitamin B and C or medications such as those containing sulfasalazine, phenazopyridine, certain laxatives, diuretics and some drugs indicated for chemotherapy can be the cause of orange urine.
• Food: This problem can also appear when you eat foods that contain beta-carotenes, these have a pigment that gives them the color orange or red.
• Diseases: in the most severe cases, the orange color in the urine may be due to liver diseases such as hepatitis, cirrhosis or fatty liver. They can also be due to gallstones, kidney, pancreas, or urinary tract problems that are usually urinary tract infections. Studies affirm that most urinary infections are caused by bacteria that invade and multiply through this system and that these bacteria come from the digestive system and begin to colonize the urethra.

Faced with any of these causes diagnosed by a doctor, it is advisable to continue visiting the doctor to examine you more thoroughly, especially if the orange urine is persistent. If in the presence of orange urine the doctor has ruled out the causes described above, he will have to continue the analyzes focusing on other possible less frequent causes, such as some diseases, apart from those already mentioned.

Sometimes the orange color in the urine brings symptoms associated with the causes explained in the previous section. Some of the symptoms related to orange urine that must be taken into account and do not hesitate to go to a doctor if you observe their appearance are:

• Fever.
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headache.
• Confusion.
• Muscular weakness.
• Diarrhea.
• Lack of appetite.
• Fatigue.
• In the case of liver, pancreas or biliary diseases, as in the case of gallstones, there may be associated symptoms similar to jaundice and changes in the color of the skin turning yellow.
• Renal failure in the case of kidney problems.

The treatment for orange urine usually administered by the doctor can vary greatly depending on the cause:

• In the case of dehydration that is not very advanced, you can regain the normal color of your urine by drinking plenty of fluids, especially water. Keep in mind that it is recommended to drink between 2 and 2.5 liters of water daily. If the dehydration is very advanced, the doctor will surely tell you that you have to be admitted to be able to administer fluid therapy and that you recover as soon as possible. Studies, such as the one indicated at the end of this article, have shown that in most hooves dehydration disappears quickly after the intake of liquids without limitation, but they affirm that it is better to drink liquids in small quantities although frequently. Depending on whether you have other symptoms associated with this problem, he may send you some medicine for dizziness or vomiting if you have them and it is necessary.
• If you are taking any medications and supplements that can affect the color of your urine, it is totally normal that your urine has turned orange. So don’t worry, the normal color of your urine will return when you finish this treatment.
• Foods rich in beta-carotenes can turn your urine orange, however if you observe your urine orange, visit a doctor in case you are ingesting these foods in excess and it is harmful for you or simply to make sure that everything is okay. Don’t worry, if it is due to these foods it should not be a serious problem. So, if the orange color of your urine is really due to it and nothing else, you will have to reduce this type of food and that’s it.
• If it is not possible that your urine has turned orange due to the type of diet, medication or dehydration and you also have other worrisome symptoms, do not hesitate to go to a doctor to examine you and can administer the necessary treatment if you have some disease or infection appeared in the urinary tract. Treatment will depend on the reason why your urine has changed color, which can only be diagnosed by your doctor.

In any case, you may the doctor Recommend you perform a urinalysis and a blood test.

This article is merely informative, at oneHOWTO we do not have the power to prescribe any medical treatment or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

• Rodríguez García, B. (2014). Study of mild dehydration and its environmental causes with image processing techniques(Bachelor’s thesis) ISO 690