Tag Archives: Bladder

Your urine should be a clear pale yellow colour. The colour comes from a substance known as urobilin and is the result of the normal breakdown of red blood cells.

The yellow colour gets darker when the urine becomes more concentrated. Darker shades of yellow suggest that you may be dehydrated and need water.

Your urine can be other colours, and some of these may signal a medical problem. A red colour can be caused by blood in the urine, and is a reason to see a doctor straight away. But harmless causes of redness in the urine include beetroot or blackberries in the diet.

Many of the changes to urine colour caused by medicines or diet are harmless and temporary. Orange urine can be caused by some laxatives and chemotherapy agents, and by eating carrots, because of the carotene that these vegetables contain.

Medicines that alter the colour of urine to brown include the antibiotic metronidazole, and the anti-epileptic drug phenytoin. Sennoside laxatives (Senokot) have a similar effect. Medicines such as cimetidine, which reduces stomach acid, and the painkiller indomethacin, can turn the urine green.

If you are on prescribed medicines and your urine changes colour, check with one of our pharmacists if this is an expected side effect.

A leaky bladder –or urinary incontinence, to give it the medical name – affects around a third of women. It is more likely to occur with increasing age, and is caused by a number of underlying health problems.

While it is rarely life-threatening, it can awkward and unpleasant. It is also thought that many women are too embarrassed to seek advice, or they do not know what treatments are available.

Urinary incontinence can be brought on by stress (physical or emotional), urgency (a sudden need to urinate) or an overactive bladder. Keeping a ‘bladder diary ’and recording when leakage occurs can help your pharmacist to provide the most appropriate advice and products.

Lifestyle changes are important as they can improve symptoms. As a first step bladder training for a minimum of 6 weeks is now recommended. This should include advice on the amount and types of fluids to drink, and coping strategies to reduce urgency. Pelvic floor exercises may also be included.

Absorbent pads can provide security and comfort and help you continue with normal activities. A variety of such products will be available from your pharmacy, along with practical advice n their use.