The 5 ways your pee is telling you something is seriously wrong with your health

PEEING is such a habitual part of our day, you might not pay much attention to it.

But your urine could actually tell you a lot about your health and whether your body is functioning as it should be.

From your urine’s colour, to its smell and clarity and how often you need to go, here are five ways in which your pee could be alerting you to a potential health problem.

1. Colour changes

A pale straw hue is the optimum colour for your wee – it means you’re drinking enough water and your kidneys are functioning nicely.

If it’s a darker yellow, you’re probably dehydrated.

Dehydration can cause fatigue, headaches and nausea and can have more serious health consequences for the very young and elderly.

The affects can be both physical, resulting in lethargy, and mental, causing lack of concentration.

Your body needs water to maintain healthy function in your organs, so be sure to drink your six to eight glasses a day.

Different medications can dye your pee all sorts of shades: red, green, blue, as well as dark brown or black.

But if your pee is a reddish brown, it most likely means you have blood in your urinary tract resulting from infection, stones in the kidney or bladder, cancer or conditions such as interstitial cystitis and painful bladder syndrome.

Meanwhile, orange pee can indicate liver disease or a problem with your bile duct.

And purple pee is caused by a rare genetic condition called alkaptonuria, in which a chemical called homogentisic acid accumulates, according Dr John S. Young, associate professor in Urology at the University of Portsmouth.

2. A funky smell

Your pee will never smell like a bed of roses – but sometimes the scent might become stronger or more pungent.

Certain foods can can change the smell of your wee, such as asparagus or garlic, as will certain medications and supplements, like vitamin B6.

But in some cases, stinky urine could mean you’re dehydrated. If that’s the case, you’ll also feel thirsty and dry-mouthed and your pee will be dark yellow.

But stronger smelling pee could indicate you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), a yeast infection or a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

All the three of these conditions will also come with accompanying symptoms: a UTI will cause a burning sensation when you pee and a temperature, while a yeast infection might give you cottage cheese-like discharge and an itching sensation down there.

Meanwhile, STIs such as chlamydia or trichomoniasis can cause unusual discharge from your vagina, penis or anus, as well as itchiness and rashes, blisters, sores or warts and pain when peeing.

If your pee is smelly and you have other accompanying symptoms, it’s a good idea to visit a GP or sexual health clinic.

3. Cloudiness

If you’re noticing that your wee is cloudier than usual, it might point to a UTI, dehydration, an STI or kidney stones.

It could also be a sign of prostatitis, a painful swelling in your prostate gland.

, prostatitis can give you:

• pain in your penis, testicles, anus, lower abdomen or lower back, and when you poo
• pain when peeing
• the need to wee a lot, trouble starting, or not being able to at all
• blood in your wee
• pain when ejaculating

See a GP straight away if you have these symptoms so that the cause can be investigated. 

 could also be behind your murky wee. It’s pretty common and treatable – symptoms include soreness and itchiness in and around your vagina, unusual discharge, dryness, spotting and swollen or cracked skin.

There are a few things that can cause it, including STIs, yeast infections, hormone changes during menopause and skin conditions such as eczema.

But something as simple as the soap or tampons you use could also cause vaginitis. It’s best to go to a sexual health clinic or GP if you think you have it for the first time, or the symptoms are really bothering you.

4. Peeing more often

If you’re needing to pee lots, especially during the night, this is yet another UTI red flag. But it could also be of diabetes.

Common signs you may have diabetes include:

• going to the toilet a lot, especially at night
• being really thirsty
• feeling more tired than usual
• losing weight without trying to
• genital itching or thrush
• cuts and wounds that take longer to heal
• blurred vision

Having a stroke can also lead to an increased urge to wee.

According to Petr Holy, consultant urological surgeon at , Kingston: “Nerves linked to the bladder can be affected and as a result we might need to pee more often, or lose the ability to hold it in our bladders.”

Bladder cancer could also be the culprit, Mr Holy continued: “The bladder is a vital part of the urination process and a tumour in it can affect how we pee.”

He said needing to pee more than ten times a day is worth seeing an expert about.

An increased urge to wee could also be a sign of prostate cancer. You might also feel like you’re straining while you’re peeing or that your bladder hasn’t fully emptied.

5. Blood in your pee

Though it could be a sign of a UTI, the NHS says it’s important you speak to a doctor about blood in your pee as it could be a sign of cancer.

This will be easier to treat if it’s found early.

If blood in your wee is accompanied by a burning pain, a need to go often, smelly or cloudy pee and a high temperature, it’s most likely that you have a UTI.

If you’ve got pain that comes and goes in your sides, lower back or groin, you feel sick and are unable to lie still, it’s possible you have kidney stones.

Older men who are finding it difficult to pee or are needing to pee suddenly and often and notice blood in their pee might have .

When should I get help?

To summarise, you should set up a GP appointment if:

• you need to pee suddenly, more often than usual, or during the night
• you have pain or a burning sensation when peeing
• your pee looks cloudy

See a GP urgently or contact NHS 111 if:

• there’s blood in your pee
• you have lower tummy pain
• you have pain in your back, under the ribs
• you feel tired and unwell
• you feel confused or agitated
• you have a very high temperature, or you feel hot and shivery
• your temperature is very low