How Is Urine Formed Normally?
The urinary tract contains organs that are designed to perform their specific functions. Kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra are the crucial organs of the urogenital tract. The kidneys consist of thousands of tiny units known as nephrons. The nephrons, in turn, contain a network of blood vessels known as the glomerulus. The glomerulus acts as the filtration unit of the kidneys and removes the water and waste products from the blood. The blood cells, proteins, and other substances required by the body are retained in the blood and sent back to the body. After the filtration procedure, the waste products reach the nephrons and are converted to urine. Finally, this urine is drained into the tube-like structures known as the ureters that send the urine outside the body through the bladder and the urethra. So, the urinary system works to keep the body healthy by allowing a person to eliminate waste products through urination.
What Does the Urine Color Indicate About the Health of a Person?
The urine color tells a lot about the person's health and habits. Under normal conditions, the urine is pale yellow. However, a change in the color of urine can be due to the side effects of certain medications, or the person is suffering from a disease of the urinary tract. Urine contains about 95 percent water and five percent urea and other chemical substances formed by the body. However, this composition changes when the person suffers from diabetes, renal failure, and cardiac diseases. Urine color has a great impact on the health of the patient. For example, patients suffering from kidney stones, urinary tract infections, and urosepsis tend to pass red-colored urine due to the presence of blood (hematuria). Doctors use urine color as an important diagnostic tool for urinary tract diseases. For example, the tests like urinalysis, 24-hour urine tests, and urine culture tests use urine color, pH (potential of hydrogen), and urine output to diagnose diseases. Therefore, the patient must consult the doctor at the earliest to know the causes of the change in urine color.
What Are the Causes of Green Urine?
There are several causes for the change in the color of urine. It can be due to the presence of pigments in the food items, prolonged use of certain medications, and foods like beats and fava beans are also responsible for the change in the color of urine. One of the most alarming colors of urine is green. The causes of green urine are listed below:
1. Food Items - Foods containing asparagus and food dye are more likely to turn the urine green. Asparagus, also known as sparrow grass, is a flowering plant used as a spring vegetable in many places. Asparagus soup and pasta are some of the common dishes prepared with it. Excessive consumption of asparagus can provide a greenish tinge to the urine. Nowadays, food dye is used to impart a characteristic color to food items. Consumption of food containing dye can impart green color to the urine.
2. Medications - Green-colored urine might be due to the side of certain medications. The medications that turn the urine green are listed below:
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Amitriptyline - This medication is used to treat depression.
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Promethazine - It is an antihistamine and is used to treat nausea and allergies.
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Cimetidine - It is used as an antacid to treat gastrointestinal tract diseases and heartburn.
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Metoclopramide - It is used to treat the problems of the stomach and esophagus.
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Indomethacin - It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat pain and inflammation.
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Propofol - It is used as an anesthetic during the surgery to make the patient unconscious.
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Methylene Blue - It is a commonly used dye that is injected into the body during scans and surgery. It is also used to treat methemoglobinemia.
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Flupirtine - This drug is used to treat acute and chronic pain.
3. Familial Benign Hypercalcemia - It is a genetic disorder in which the calcium levels are usually elevated. It is also known as the blue diaper syndrome because the child passes green or blue-colored urine.
4. Excess Vitamin B - When the vitamins, specifically vitamin B, are consumed excessively, the urine turns green. Vitamin supplements or food items containing vitamin B are the reasons for excess vitamin levels in the body.
What Is a Urine Color Chart?
A urine color chart describes the different colors of the urine and helps the doctor check if the person is hydrated enough. The different urine colors and their causes, according to the urine chart, are described in the table below:
What Tests Are Done to Diagnose Green Urine?
Medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests are made to check urine color and associated diseases.
1. Medical History - The medical history is verbal communication between the patient and the doctor to know about the diseases the patient is suffering from, the symptoms of the condition, the drug history, family history, and the treatments the patient has undergone in the past. For example, patients taking antimalarial drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and anti-tubercular drugs are more likely to pass green urine. The following questions are usually asked in medical history:
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What is the color of the urine?
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Did the patient see any blood clots in the urine?
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Does the patient pass green urine rarely or frequently?
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Is the patient urinating frequently?
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Is the patient having pain while urinating?
2. Physical Examination - The doctor examines the patient physically to check the signs of other diseases. For example, a patient suffering from a urinary tract infection and passing green urine usually presents with abdominal pain.
3. Laboratory Tests:
- Urinalysis - The patient's urine sample is sent to the laboratory for examination. If the urine is green-colored, it is easily visible. A microscopic examination is done to check the presence of bacteria, crystals, and white blood cells.
- Blood Tests - The doctor recommends the patient undergo a blood test to check urea and creatinine levels. Urea is a waste product formed after the breakdown of proteins, and creatinine is formed after muscle activity. If the levels of urea and creatinine are high, kidney disease can be suspected.
When Should the Patient Consult a Doctor?
The urine turns green as a side effect of medications like Propofol, Amitriptyline, Promethazine, and Cimetidine. Certain food items contain dye that imparts color to the urine. The treatment of green urine depends on the cause. The following things need to be done if the urine turns green:
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If the urine turns green due to medications, the patient needs to consult the doctor and stop taking these drugs for a few days. The urine color returns to normal after two to three days.
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If the patient is consuming foods containing asparagus, he needs to stop eating them to allow the urine color to change.
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If the urine appears green due to urinary tract infections, or other medical conditions, the patient must consult the doctor for treatment.
Conclusion:
The kidneys are responsible for forming urine that comprises water and waste products. Under normal conditions, the urine is pale yellow or amber-colored. However, it turns green due to several causes, including the medications and consumption of food items containing dye. Sometimes, the urine turns green after surgical procedures wherein Propofol was used as an anesthetic agent. Urinary tract infections caused by Pseudomonas bacteria are also one of the causes of green urine. Green urine is not a life-threatening problem, as the color of the urine restores to normal after two to three days. The patient must not worry about it because no surgical intervention is required. The doctor might prescribe some medications if the urinary tract infection is the cause of the change in urine color. If the urine color does not return to normal after two to three days, consult the doctor immediately.
