The urine should feature a light yellow color under normal circumstances. But sometimes, you can notice different colors ranging from blue to yellow or even dark brown. There are various factors why your pee changes in color, including dehydration or more serious medical conditions.
When you are hydrated, it is clear with a shade of light yellow. If it is orange instead, it doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong with you. Sometimes, this can be a clear sign of a liver disorder or even a urinary tract infection.
Below, we will discuss why your pee is orange. Take a look at these 5 causes that change the color, especially if it is bright & dark orange or even red. However, liver disease and medication are the most common reasons pee turns orange.
Summary
In most cases, your urine will be a variation of yellow but it may also be bright orange, dark orange or even red. A number of different reasons can cause this and for some of them it can be serious and you need to consult your doctor.
Below, we also include the following topics:
- What does it mean when your pee is orange & what happens?
- Causes for orange urine
- Why is my pee bright orange?
- Why is my pee dark orange?
- Why is my pee orange-red?
- Does Azo make your pee orange?
- Orange pee while pregnant
- Newborn orange pee
- Medicine that makes your pee orange
- FAQ
Continue reading
You will see that even though orange pee can be harmless it can also be indication of a very serious medical condition and will need immediate medical attention to make sure to identify where your problem lies.
What does it mean when your pee is orange?
Normally, your kidneys can filter between 120 and 150 quarts of blood each day. It is their main purpose, and urine is just the result of this process. It is represented by extra fluid or waste products that the body cannot use for anything.
After processing, it is stored in the bladder until you remove it from your body. The pigment called urochrome gives a specific color to urine. This pigment is created when the dead blood cells are broken down. If your pee is more concentrated, there will be a higher level of urochrome. It results in a brighter color.
Typically yellow, healthy urine can change in color due to several factors. In the case of orange, this can be a sign of different health conditions. In most cases, there is always a simple explanation. Take a look below at the possible causes.
Causes for orange urine
- Liver disease
- Medication
- Laxative
- Pyridium
- Rifadin
- Azulfidine
- Diet
- Dehydration
- Kidney disease
There are many reasons why you may have orange urine. We will talk about the most common ones:
1. Liver disease
Cholestasis might also cause the orange color. It appears when the flow of bile stops between the small intestine and the liver. Bilirubin is a yellow substance that will build up and can enter the bloodstream. Too much bilirubin in the blood will give the urine an orange color.
Liver disease has several causes, including alcoholic liver disease or inflammation of the liver due to an infection. If you have one, orange urine is just one of the symptoms. There are many more, including abdominal pain and itchy skin. You can also experience loss of appetite and even vomiting.
These are all serious causes of concern, and you should take them as warning signs. It means your health is in danger and you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Most likely, they will take a blood test and an ultrasound of your liver to diagnose the problem.
2. Medication
Certain medications can change the color of your pee and give it several shades. There are specific medications that will turn it orange, including:
3. Laxatives
They contain a herb named senna which is used to relieve constipation. As a side effect, this herb also causes orange-reddish urine. It is not a cause of concern as the medication is just getting eliminated from the body.
4. Pyridium
Usually prescribed to treat pain from a UTI, Pyridium and other similar drugs will change the color of your pee to orange.
5. Rifadin
It is used to treat certain bacteria in the throat and nose and tuberculosis. A combination of rifampin and isoniazid will specifically affect your urine. It changes it to an orange shade.
6. Azulfidine
Used as an anti-inflammatory medication to treat inflammatory bowel disease. While highly efficient, it can turn the urine and the skin orange.
7. Diet
Some specific foods and drinks contain pigments that alter your pee color. An orange shade can be related to red, orange, or dark yellow foods. They contain beta-carotene, which will change the color of your pee when eliminated from the body.
Beets and carrots are also good examples as they can darken your urine. Carrots will make it orange, while beets will feature a red shade. You can also notice the same effect after taking certain supplements such as vitamin C or vitamin B12. But also other foods or vitamins may change the color.
| Type of food | Color |
| Beets | Red- or pink-tinged |
| Carrots | Orange |
| Rhubarbs | Pink or red |
| Vitamins B | Bright yellow or orange |
| Food dyes | Variable |
| Vitamin C | Bright yellow or orange |
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8. Dehydration
Our daily water intake is not strictly related to the pure water that we drink. Juicy fruits and vegetables have a high concentration of water, which we can also take from other foods. But orange pee can be the most common sign of dehydration, which means that you are not drinking enough water.
We spend 6 to 9 hours every day sleeping, and we cannot hydrate during this time. That is why you notice your pee being orange in the morning. The same effect can happen after an intense workout, as you lose fluids when you sweat.
The color can be precisely related to your hydration levels. After noticing dark yellow or orange shades, increasing your water intake during the day is recommended.
9. Kidney disease
When not working properly, kidneys will allow substances to build up in the urine. As a result, the color will change to an orange shade. It is because blood enters the stream in small quantities.
In the case of chronic kidney disease, darker or lighter shades of yellow can be expected. It depends on the concentration of urochrome and the presence of blood, but the color can vary.
Some kidney conditions that cause the situation are kidney failure, kidney stones, and even infections.
- kidney failure
- kidney stones
- infections
| Reason for discoloring | Shade of color |
| Liver disease | Orange |
| Medication | Several shades |
| Laxative | Orange-reddish |
| Pyridium | Orange |
| Rifadin | Orange |
| Azulfidine | Orange |
| Dehydration | Dark yellow / orange |
| Kidney disease | Darker or lighter yellow |
