Pink urine has various origins and meanings. In some cases, this symptom is explained by changes associated with the abundant intake of certain foods (beets, rhubarb) or the intake of certain medications (laxatives based on cascara , phenacetin, fentoin , ibuprofen, methyldopa, rifampicin).
Urine may be pigmented due to the presence of bile salts, porphyrins , or urates . Finally, during menstruation, the visible presence of blood in the urine may be associated with contamination by vaginal bleeding or endometriosis . For all these reasons, if hematuria is suspected, it is very important to conduct a urine test in a timely manner in order to obtain confirmation of the actual presence of blood in them.
The appearance of pink urine is single or periodic. Pigmentation may appear only at the beginning of urination or in its final phase. Initial hematuria (i.e., present in the initial phase of micturition) suggests a prostatic or urethral origin for the bleeding. Many of the causes are benign in nature, while others herald a serious disease affecting vital organs (such as tumors or kidney disease). Therefore, this pink urine should not be left without due attention, and in order to determine the causes of the condition, you can consult a urologist at Bogolyuby Medical Center for a consultation .
Hematuria and different shades of urine
The macroscopic presence of blood in the urine usually causes the fluid to take on various shades of red. However, in some cases, traces of blood can give the urine a different color. For example, when the pH of the urine is particularly acidic, the renal excretion product takes on a shade close to dark brown . Even with a long stay of urine in the urinary tract, the oxidation of hemoglobin present in traces of blood makes them darker. In acute trauma, accompanied by rapid urination, the urine becomes dark red.
Pathological causes of hematuria
The pathologies most commonly associated with pink urine are the presence of stones, neoplasms, or inflammation in the kidneys, bladder, or urinary tract.
Urological causes of pink urine include: cystitis (inflammation of the bladder wall); urinary tract infections; prostatitis; benign prostatic hyperplasia, especially in men over 40; prostate cancer; stones in the kidneys, ureters or bladder; kidney disease (such as pyelonephritis , polycystic kidney disease, glomerulonephritis , and chronic nephritis); trauma to the kidneys and / or urinary tract; rupture of the cyst (more often with polycystic kidney disease).
Other causes of pink urine include: prolonged and repetitive physical activity (eg, marathon, horseback riding, and cycling); violation of platelet aggregation and coagulation, acquired or congenital; endocarditis; malaria; schistosomiasis ; severe burns.
What tests to take? The diagnostic tests that need to be done vary by case, but a urinalysis with culture is usually done to evaluate for any signs of kidney disease or urinary tract infection; Ultrasound of the urinary tract to determine the degree of traumatic injury, the presence of stones or malformations of the urinary tract.
What to do? Only a doctor can adequately assess the situation and choose the best therapeutic approach to the problem. If pink urine is associated with an infection, therapy is based on antibiotics. In the presence of kidney stones, various methods of crushing using shock waves and lasers are used. In any case, the goal of therapy is the problem that led to the appearance of hematuria.
