Balance June 2018 - 49

SLASH & LEARN

ale straw. Rusty orange.
Lime green. No, not colour
swatches from Dulux's
latest collection, but rather the colours
that can be left in the toilet after a
call of nature. So, what's causing that
magenta tinge? And is it something
to worry about?
"There are different aspects of
urine," says Ramesh Thurairaja,
consultant urological surgeon at The
London Clinic. "The smell, colour,
consistency, volume and frequency
all give an idea of whether it's normal
or if something's not quite right."
Wee is essentially the body's way
of managing your metabolism and
blood pressure, getting rid of any
excess by-products. While the kidneys
are filtering the body's blood, they
produce waste fluid, which passes via
the ureter to the bladder, where it is
stored and topped up until you get
the urge to go.

P

MELLOW YELLOW

conserve water, resulting in a darker
shade of wee. "Anything from almost
colourless through to a bright yellow
or amber is considered normal," says
Ramesh. "If it falls outside these
parameters, it's a warning something
bigger might need to be addressed."

WATER WORKS?
Changes in your wee routine can
also be caused by a variety of other
factors: the antibiotic rifampicin and
the blood thinner warfarin will turn
your pee orange; urine that is cloudy
and stings are symptoms of an urinary
tract infection, while a sweet smell
could be a sign of diabetes.
Conditions such as a diabetes
or heart and kidney problems can
also cause you to pee more, too. "If
there's a clear difference between
daytime and night-time activity, that
could be caused by an endocrine or
hormonal issue, such as heart failure,"
explains Ramesh.
A daytime symptom of heart failure
is swollen legs. When you lie down at
night, the fluid in the legs moves up
into the upper half of the body. The
heart produces a hormone in reaction
to this, which tells the kidneys to
produce more urine. This is why the
condition can lead to more night-time
trips to the bathroom. Snorers tend to
get up to pee more often, too.

Healthy pee is 90-95% water, with the
rest made up of hormones, protein,
toxins, salts and organic compounds.
You should go between four-to-eight
times per day and the total volume
can be anything between
800-to-2,000ml, depending
TOILET TALK
CL AW S FOR
on what you've eaten
"Ultimately, these things
THOUGHT
are variable and come
and drunk.
Male lobster's
down to what you're
"People assume we
bladders are in
eating, hydration
only pee what we drink,
their head. When
they fight, they
status, medications
but a lot of foods -
squirt each other and certain conditions,"
soup, fruit, vegetables
with urine
concludes Ramesh. "If you
- contain liquid," adds
are unsure about your pee,
Ramesh. "The frequency
book an appointment with your GP."
and amount can also change,
But remember; if you see a purple
depending on the time of the year and
tinge in the loo, there's no need to
conditions. If it's hot, you're going to
panic straight away. It could just
be losing more water through sweating
be last night's beetroot risotto. B
and breathing, therefore weeing less."
Colour is also a clear indicator
of healthy pee. A by-product of
haemoglobin (a protein found in
the body's red blood cells) called
urochrome gives urine its yellow tinge.
When dehydrated, the kidneys try to

June 2018 BA LA N CE

Colour coding
Want to know if you're in wee-ly good
shape? This handy chart reveals all...

Clear
Cause You're fully hydrated
Next steps Keep up the good work!

Cloudy
Cause If combined with a stinging
sensation, it could be a sign of a
urinary tract infection (UTI)
Next steps Consult your GP

Orange
Cause Overdosing on Vitamin C,
or a side-effect of medication
Next steps Knock the carrots and
oranges on the head for a few days
and see if there's a change

Green
Cause Whiffs of rotten cabbage? It's
our old friend asparagus
Next steps If you don't find the
smell and colour too odd, hold out!

Turquoise
Cause Side-effect of medication
Next steps Double-check with your
doctor to make sure it's a known
impact of your prescription

Magenta
Cause Deep purple vegetables,
like beets and rhubarb
Next steps Hold off on eating the
root of the problem

Bright red
Cause Could be blood in the urine
Next steps Seek medical advice
straight away, particularly if you
start seeing clotted blood during
your toilet visits

49



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance June 2018

Balance June 2018 - 1
Balance June 2018 - 2
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