What Color Is The Urine During Kidney Failure?

When one or both kidneys are unable to function on their own, it is said that they have failed. It could result from a sudden kidney injury or a long-term illness that slowly disables the kidneys. By eliminating extra fluid, minerals, and wastes, healthy kidneys purify the blood. 

Yet, when they are failing, the body accumulates toxic wastes and retains too much water, altering the look, volume, and frequency of urine production.

Kidney failure can cause urine to discolor and appear reddish or brown. It may also seem frothy or bubbly. To control these changes, doctors treat the underlying renal disease with medicines, dialysis, or a kidney transplant.

Urine is typically clear to light yellow in color. Other symptoms, such as orange-colored or frothy urine, may suggest underlying health issues.

This article illustrates how kidney failure can change urine color. It also discusses various signs of kidney failure and treatments.

Kidney failure can disrupt the blood's salt and mineral balance. It can also cause waste items to accumulate in the urine, leading to less frequent urination. This might cause the urine to discolor, turning reddish or brown.

The National Kidney Foundation states that frothy or bubbly urine might be an early symptom of kidney disease. This is frequently a sign of the presence of unfiltered protein in the urine.

What Urine Colors Are Out of the Ordinary?

The color of your urine might warn you to the state of your kidneys and the necessity for a medical evaluation. Urine ranging from clear to yellow is typical and shows normal kidney function, however unusual colors such as orange or blue may be caused by drugs such as laxatives, antidepressants, and antibiotics. Nonetheless, two colors must be taken seriously: red and dark brown.

Pink or red urine indicates the presence of red blood cells in the urine. These colors might indicate an infection, kidney stones, or even malignancy. Dark brown urine may indicate severe dehydration, but if you consume enough of fluids and the urine remains brown, you may have muscle breakdown, kidney disease, or kidney failure.

What Color Is Urine When Your Kidneys Fail?

As the kidneys fail, the increased concentration and accumulation of toxins in the urine causes it to become deeper in color, which can be brown, red, or purple. The color shift is caused by abnormal protein or sugar, an abundance of red and white blood cells, and an abundance of tube-shaped particles known as cellular casts. Because of the presence of blood in urine, it may seem red or the color of tea or cola. Dark brown urine develops in renal failure owing to waste product accumulation in urine or peeing less frequently and in smaller amounts than usual.

Foaming or bubbling urine is also an indication of kidney failure, while foam is not a color and is generally caused by an increase in protein in the urine or kidney disease. Foamy pee suggests that the kidney's capacity to filter and clean the blood has been compromised.

Additional reasons of urine color changes:

Red, orange, or brown

• Hemoglobinuria
• Bilirubin
• Drugs such as rifampin (Rifadin) or phenazopyridine (Baridium)
• Foods such as Beets

Misty white Urine

• Infection
• Chyluria, or the presence of lymphatic fluid in the urine
• Crystals of precipitated phosphate

Green Urine

• Drugs such as amitriptyline (Elavil) or propofol (Diprivan)
• Pseudomonas infection

Dark brown or black

• Melanoma

Contact your doctor if the color of your urine changes.

If left untreated, kidney failure might lead to other health problems:

Anemia: Develops when the kidneys do not produce enough of the hormone that aids in the production of red blood cells. Anemia can lead to fatigue.

Mineral and bone disorders: Abnormal kidneys may produce less of the hormone that maintains bones strong. Symptoms include joint discomfort and bone weakening.

High blood pressure: This may cause additional kidney damage. High blood pressure can also induce edema and a fast heartbeat.

Malnutrition: Kidney failure might prevent you from feeling hungry and eating adequately. Infections and other kidney-related disorders may potentially influence how your body utilizes food.

Treatments for Kidney Failure

Kidney failure can be a severe and life-threatening disorder with symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, widespread edema, shortness of breath, congestive heart failure, and deadly cardiac rhythm abnormalities. If your kidney is failing, treating the underlying condition may be the first step toward recovery.

Many causes of kidney failure are treatable, and seeing a urologist will ensure that the underlying issue is identified and treated so that normal function may be restored. In order to prevent chronic kidney disease, the urologist may also recommend that blood pressure, diabetes, or other underlying disorders be controlled. 

Nonetheless, in rare cases, kidney failure is gradual and permanent. When this happens, the only treatment choices are dialysis or transplant, both of which have advantages and disadvantages.

You will need to alter your lifestyle, including how you eat and schedule your activities, regardless of the course of therapy your urologist prescribes. You may carry on living a full and active life with the support of your urologist, loved ones, and friends.