Urine, which is a liquid biological substance, helps remove metabolic products from the body. A lot can be said based on its color, to predict a disease or malfunction in the human body. But even if the urine is colorless, this is not a sign of good health, but on the contrary, it acts as an alarming signal.
Regardless of the difference in gender, the color of urine should be straw, this is influenced by the amount of pigments it contains. If this is not the case, then we can definitely talk about deviations from the normal state and functioning of the body. Do not underestimate such seemingly harmless symptoms, because their consequences can have a disastrous effect on the well-being and health of the patient. To understand why urine is colorless, you should carefully understand the problem.
As a rule, the color indicates that a large amount of water (liquid) accumulates in the body, which entails the following symptom - frequent urge to urinate. This, by the way, is also one of the reasons to pay attention to your internal state.
Common Causes of Discolored Discharge
Why is urine clear? A variety of factors can provoke such a disorder, which differ significantly from each other depending on the person’s age and gender. There are a number of common reasons that contribute to the release of light urine in children and adults. These include the following diseases:
- Kidney failure - manifests itself due to a decrease in the performance of these filtering structures of the body.
- Diseases of the urethra can also be of inflammatory or infectious origin.
- Diabetes is a serious illness that needs to be identified promptly and taken under medical control. Otherwise, there is a serious danger to the health and life of the patient.
- Dysfunctional changes in liver tissue - although this organ has regenerative properties, sometimes they are not enough. In such a situation, its structural units, hepatocytes, begin to gradually die. Because of this, the functional capacity of the liver is noticeably reduced.
- Urolithiasis is manifested by the formation of solid elements in the urinary tract, which may vary in size and shape.
When such a deviation is observed for a long time, and without the presence of special factors influencing the process of urine formation, doctors consider such a symptom to be pathological. Often, the development of serious diseases in the patient’s body is indicated by the appearance of an unpleasant (sometimes even fetid) odor from the excreted fluid, a change in the color of urine to darker or too bright, or its complete discoloration.
Attention! In healthy people, urine should be a normal, light yellow color. The release of colorless discharge in the morning and throughout the day is not considered a pathological sign if the patient consumed a large amount of water during this period. The appearance of clear urine in this case is necessarily accompanied by frequent urination.
Associated symptoms
In addition to the shade of urine, during laboratory testing, much attention is paid to such a sign as complete or incomplete transparency of urine. This helps in making a diagnosis for a particular disease. The cloudy nature of urine indicates the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the organs of the genitourinary system. Often, opaque urine indicates insufficient intimate hygiene, increased levels of leukocytes, epithelial cells and other conditions.
A change in odor combined with colorless urine is another reason to see a doctor. A strange, pungent, unpleasant odor of the product in women and men often indicates diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and infectious diseases of the urinary system. Cramps and pains when going to the toilet indicate cystitis, urethritis and other diseases.
Blood in the urine is a very bad sign, indicating internal bleeding of the kidneys or bladder. If this sign appears, you should immediately go to the hospital.
Clarifying urine in women
Why is urine white, like water, excreted in the fairer sex, as evidenced by such a deviation from the norm?
If colorless liquid appears during morning urination, this may be a sign of impaired renal filtration. This means that one or both kidneys cannot cope with their functions, so the urine takes on a pale yellow tint. This is how women often experience renal failure - a progressive decrease in the efficiency of the filtering organs, which can lead to serious complications.
A particularly alarming symptom is the discharge of urine that is not just clear or watery, but white. This phenomenon indicates pathology to a greater extent than the situation with the release of colorless discharge from a woman.
Changes in urine during pregnancy
A change in the color of urine from yellow to white can most often be found in the fairer sex during pregnancy. During this period, such a violation is caused by taking medications - vitamin complexes, calcium supplements and other useful medications. In pregnant women, urine becomes whitish when the concentration of acetone increases, which indicates the presence of pathologies of the nervous system and kidneys. Therefore, if such a coloration of the secreted fluid in a pregnant woman is constantly observed, and the patient does not use any medications, she should immediately visit a doctor.
When is clear urine dangerous?
Not in all cases, colorless urine indicates the development of a serious pathology. But if this phenomenon occurs for a long time and does not depend on the drinking regime, you need to visit a doctor. A possible cause of the disorder may be diabetes, in which urine acquires a sweetish aroma. Clear urine in the morning requires special attention - this symptom indicates a malfunction of the kidneys.
All of the above cases require mandatory medical intervention. But first you need to evaluate the physiological factors that cause urine to become colorless. Urine is an important indicator of our health, reflecting changes occurring in the body. Therefore, it is important to know what the color of urine means and if you have any alarming symptoms, go to the hospital. A timely visit to a urologist will help to avoid many problems and their negative consequences.
Colorless discharge in men
If the urine of an adult representative of the stronger sex turns white, there is no need to worry too much. But what does it mean? Such a deviation can be observed in the patient periodically, when the process of urination occurs immediately after sexual intercourse. Urine acquires a whitish color due to mixing with seminal fluid, a small amount of which remains in the urethra after sex. This phenomenon should subside within a few hours.
Transparent urine in men comes out after active work or doing strength sports. This condition has nothing to do with pathology. The color of the secreted liquid will also return to normal after some time.
Colorless urine in a man appears due to drinking large amounts of water. Too much thirst is characteristic of diseases such as obesity or hypertension. If the patient’s body has not been affected by physical factors (hard work, hot weather), it is necessary to measure blood pressure. Its figures may be overestimated.
When a man regularly produces urine that is clear as water, one should suspect the early development of diabetes mellitus. In such a case, the patient is recommended to undergo a laboratory examination - donate blood to determine glucose levels.
Important! If the appearance of urine without color occurs constantly, then it is simply impossible to find out the cause of such a violation on your own! With this problem, you need to contact a specialist to conduct a full diagnosis and exclude numerous pathologies.
Possible diseases
If the urine is clear in the morning, and nighttime and daytime polyuria is also observed, this may mean the development of diabetes mellitus. Urine in diabetes, in addition to the indicated signs, acquires a sweet smell. In severe cases, urine may smell like acetone and is similar in color to regular water.
Liver disease is another category of causes of discolored urine. Cirrhosis, hepatitis, fatty hepatosis and other serious liver diseases lead to disruption of pigment production. The urine does not turn yellow enough so it remains clear. Other possible signs are yellowing of the skin, sclera of the eyes, pain in the right hypochondrium, heaviness in the abdomen, diarrhea and constipation, nausea, bitterness in the mouth. Similar problems can be caused by diseases of the gallbladder, especially cholelithiasis, blockage of the bile duct by a polyp or tumor.
Among the pathologies of the urinary system that can provoke clarification of urine:
- urolithiasis (nephrolithiasis).
- tumor processes in the kidneys.
- chronic pyelonephritis.
- chronic renal failure.
All of these pathologies cause disruption of the excretory function of the kidneys, resulting in changes in urinary sediment and the volume of incoming pigment.
Is light urine in a child good or bad?
Compared to children's secretions, the urine of an adult always has a more pronounced color. The child’s biological fluid acquires a light yellow hue as it grows older.
That is why, if clear urine is excreted in infants, then this phenomenon is considered normal. This color of urine is explained by the baby’s diet, because children during the first 6 months of life consume only breast milk or special adapted formulas. At this time, the child’s urinary tract is not yet mature enough, so the number of urinations reaches 20-24 per day.
When the baby turns 3 months old, the first complementary foods begin to be introduced. During this period, the discharge may change its character - become a little richer. Subsequently, the color of the urine gradually becomes yellowish.
If colorless urine continues to be excreted in a child after 6-8 months of life, parents have a reason to visit a pediatric urologist. In such a situation, it is important to promptly exclude the possibility of developing the following disorders:
- pyelonephritis;
- failure of metabolic processes in the body;
- kidney failure;
- nephritis of various etiologies;
- congenital anomalies of the urinary organs.
Other therapies
In parallel with the use of drug therapy, experts recommend performing therapeutic exercises. The fact is that sufficient physical activity stimulates metabolic processes in the human body, while improving the functioning of internal organs and systems.
It would be useful to use physiotherapeutic procedures. Most often, plasmapheresis, ozone therapy, electrophoresis, and other techniques are prescribed for these purposes.
If the urine has become clear due to renal failure, then experts recommend hemodialysis to patients.
Treatment and prevention
First of all, you need to determine the main reason that provoked the change in urine color. There are many therapeutic techniques that can help the patient normalize the color of the discharge.
If you urinate frequently and at the same time observe a strong lightening of your urine, then first try reducing the volume of fluid you take. Limiting the drinking regime will help eliminate this disorder if it is caused by natural factors. Otherwise, discoloration of urine must be treated urgently, as it is the result of pathological changes in the patient’s body.
Therapy is selected by the doctor based on the nature and type of disease detected. The main ailment is treated using the following means:
- herbal medicines (Monurel, Canephron);
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuklin, Nurofen);
- specific groups of drugs - each form of the disease uses its own medications (for example, antibiotics for bacterial infections);
- analgesics (Nalgesin, Revalgin);
- means of general strengthening action (Uro-vascom, Lavomax);
- antispasmodic drugs (Drotaverine, Papaverine).
Some methods of physiotherapy are also used for therapeutic purposes - electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, massage and UHF. The patient is required to be prescribed a special diet. The patient’s diet should include only healthy foods, while the amount of water and other drinks consumed is significantly reduced. Salt is completely excluded from the menu. The entire complex of therapy is prescribed to a person by a doctor qualified in this field of medicine, based on the results of the examination. The duration of treatment depends on the type and characteristics of the disease.
Is light urine good or bad? Sometimes it is impossible to answer such a question without the help of a specialist. The appearance of colorless discharge should not always be regarded as a pathological symptom. But if the disease is discovered, and the patient himself does not take the necessary measures or does not follow the doctor’s recommendations, he may develop serious complications in the future. To prevent the development of pathologies of the urinary system, any patient is required to submit urine for general analysis at least 2 times a year. Each person must independently regulate the amount of water entering his body throughout the day.
Preventive actions
As for prevention, there are no specific preventive measures to prevent urine discoloration. In this situation, the patient can only be advised to protect their genitourinary organs from inflammation and hypothermia. It is also very important to maintain personal and intimate hygiene and eat rationally.
Light urine in some cases indicates the development of a dangerous illness in a person. Do not delay visiting a specialist if clear or colorless urine appears. It is better to promptly identify the disorder and eliminate it at an early stage of formation than to later deal with the consequences of an advanced disease.
What to do
To determine the cause of discoloration, which is not caused by food and drinking regime, you should take tests and undergo a full medical examination. Therapy always depends on the diagnosis. For kidney disease, patients are prescribed drug therapy, including the following medications:
- antispasmodics (Drotaverine, Mebeverine, No-shpa);
- analgesics (Ibuprofen, Indomethacin);
- antiseptic drugs (Morphocycline, metacycline);
- diuretics – diuretic drugs (Furosemide, Aldactone);
- drugs, stone dissolvers - prescribed for the formation of stones in the kidneys (Cyston, Canephron, Cystenal).
Important! Drug therapy is used strictly as prescribed by the attending physician; independent use of drugs is extremely dangerous to health.
For diabetes mellitus, medications containing insulin or agents that promote its natural production are used. Patients with diabetes are advised to follow a strict diet. Diet excludes fatty, fried, spicy, smoked foods. Smoked sausages, lard, hot spices, seasonings, chocolate, cocoa, and alcohol are prohibited. A diet is recommended that includes cereals, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, herbal teas, and juices.
Maintaining proper nutrition is one of the methods of treating many diseases
If the water-salt balance is disturbed in the human body, excess water can be produced. As a result of this phenomenon, urine becomes transparent and colorless.
Treatment for this condition is as follows:
- Correction of drinking regime.
- Exclusion of diuretic products from food.
- Limiting the amount of salt.
- Saturation of the body with essential vitamins and minerals.
- Treatment of concomitant diseases.
Physical exercises have proven themselves to be effective in the treatment of water-salt imbalance. Therapeutic gymnastics improves metabolism and restores body functions.
How to act independently
If you want to know what it means if your urine is colorless, then try a few simple steps.
- Start drinking less fluids, including various sweets, juices and liquid foods.
- Reduce the amount of tea and coffee you drink.
- Try to eat less juicy fruits.
If you follow this “diet” for several days, then after about 2-3 days the color of your urine should return to normal. If this does not help, then this should prompt you to contact a urologist to establish the exact causes of the anomaly.
If the disease is neglected, it can have quite dangerous and unpleasant consequences. It is better not to joke with the work of the urinary system, and certainly not to self-medicate. Leave this matter to a qualified medical professional who will not only determine the cause of discolored urine, but also tell you how to prevent such abnormalities in the future.
