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Did you know that every day, the average person passes over a quart and a half of urine? That’s according to the National Institute on Aging. Bladder tissue constricts as we age, which means that it holds urine less effectively.1 That results in seniors and elderly adults going to the bathroom more often, even though they might not actually produce more urine than they did when they were younger. So if you’re getting up at night to use the bathroom, that’s one of the potential reasons why.
Other factors come into play as well. For instance, perhaps you are on a new medication that increases the frequency of urination. Some physical ailments, like diabetes, can lead to an uptick in urination as well. And for some, simply having an extra cup of coffee can make you feel as though you downed an extra gallon of water!
But beyond going to the bathroom more often or developing other age-related issues with urination, it’s vitally important to pay attention to what your urine looks like. Most people might notice if their urine smells strange, but few bother to pay attention to the way it actually looks. The color of urine can tell you many things about your health. Let’s take a look at what you can discover.
What Color is It?
Sometimes the color of urine can be affected by something you ate or drank.
For instance, drinking a good amount of coffee can make your urine darker, or having a brightly-colored soda can translate into passing a strange color. And there are many instances of those who have gone to the bathroom and panicked because their urine was reddish, and what looked like it might be blood turned out to be the result of eating beets with dinner.
These colors usually pass out of the urine quickly. When that happens, your urine should go back to its usual color.
In the absence of eating or drinking something that makes it look strange, the color of urine is usually determined by a substance called urochrome. As red blood cells break down in the body, urochrome is produced as a byproduct. Urochrome is then filtered through the kidneys. This gives urine a color that is unique to you.
But it’s important to remember that the more hydrated you are, the more diluted the urochrome will be. That’s why drinking plenty of water results in pale or even clear urine, no matter what your age may be. But when you aren’t getting enough fluids, the urochrome can show up strongly, giving your urine a dark color. That is why darker than normal urine may indicate that you are dehydrated.
Here are some potential danger signs to look for in the color of your urine:
· Red or pink. Did you recently eat beets? Then you’re probably fine. But if the color persists, it might indicate blood in your urine. Anytime there is blood where it shouldn’t be is cause for concern. This can be especially true in seniors, who are more prone to irritation of the bladder and kidneys. Among males, blood in the urine can also be caused by an enlarged prostate.
· Dark brown. If your urine looks like tea, odds are you need to drink more water. But if you’re well-hydrated and the problem continues, it could be a sign of liver or kidney problems. Sometimes blood in the urine can make it appear dark brown, especially if you are dehydrated and not producing much urine to begin with.
· Blue or green. This interesting turn of events is almost always due to dyes in foods or certain medications, but is rarely a sign of anything serious. Make note of it, however, and tell your doctor just in case.
· Bright yellow. This can also be caused by dyes in foods, but it’s more likely to happen if you are taking any sort of B vitamin supplements. If you just started taking them and you notice that your urine seems to be rather bright, that’s probably why.
· Light yellow but cloudy. When the urine is cloudy, there could be a problem brewing in your kidneys. This can also happen for a while after you’ve had surgery. Your body is trying to filter out things that it isn’t accustomed to, such as the residual anesthesia, and the kidneys might not be able to handle it well. The result is that the substances pass through the body but aren’t entirely broken down by the kidneys, leading to the cloudy appearance. Cloudy urine can also be the result of a UTI (urinary tract infection).
· Clear. If your urine is clear, that can be a very good thing. That means you are well-hydrated! But it might also mean that you are overhydrated, and that can lead to other problems. If your urine is always clear but you feel fantastic, you’re likely getting just the right amount of water. But to be sure, track your intake for a few days and mention it to your doctor.
If you notice bubbles in your urine, that is often a sign of dehydration. If it happens now and then, simply drinking more fluids can fix it. But if it continues happening no matter what you do, that could indicate a deeper issue that your doctor needs to know about right away.
Any odd color to your urine is cause for concern if it lasts for more than a day or two. In addition to having a medical alert necklace at your fingertips at all times, make an appointment with the doctor if you notice anything odd about your urine.
Does it Smell Different?
Urine often has a mild odor but sometimes there might be no discernible odor at all. Just as with clear urine, this can mean that you are adequately hydrated. But sometimes urine can have a stronger scent, and that can alert you to potential problems. Here’s what to smell for:
· The scent of ammonia is a telltale sign of dehydration. The less fluid you take in, the stronger that smell might become. This happens because dehydration allows the body’s natural chemicals to concentrate in the urine, which results in a stronger scent.
· A strange, foul smell could indicate an infection of the urinary tract. As the infection gets worse, the odor can become worse as well. This often goes hand-in-hand with cloudy urine.
· Sometimes urine will smell like a food you recently ate. Asparagus is notorious for this. Some types of fish can do it, too. This happens because the compounds in the food aren’t broken down effectively by the body, so more of them are excreted in the urine. This isn’t a problem as long as it is temporary. But if you notice a weird scent like this all the time – for instance, if you are smelling asparagus but you haven’t had asparagus in a week – that could indicate an issue.
· If your urine has a sweet smell, that is often a sign of diabetes. High glucose levels can make your whole body smell sweet, including your urine. Interestingly, diabetes can also make your urine smell exactly like movie theater popcorn! It’s important to take it seriously and talk to your doctor right away.
In some cases, the unusual smell in urine will go away when you drink enough water. But it’s always best to talk to your doctor about what might be causing the issue.
What is Overactive Bladder?
If you are passing water all the time and getting up often at night to go, you might be diagnosed with an overactive bladder. This occurs mostly in women but it can affect men too. When you have an overactive bladder, it usually means that the bladder is constricting and tightening up, which often occurs as a natural part of aging.
The result can be the urge to urinate quite frequently. Those who have overactive bladder often go eight or more times during the day and at least twice overnight; this is usually the threshold where overactive bladder is diagnosed.
According to Yale Medicine, it’s estimated that 30% of men and 40% of women suffer from overactive bladder in their senior years. There are many options to treat it, including medications and pelvic floor exercises.2
In some cases, the need to urinate might come on so suddenly that you can’t get to the bathroom in time. This can lead to urinary incontinence, which can be frustrating, embarrassing, and limit your activities. That, in turn, can lead to a more sedentary lifestyle, which can cause other health problems. Urinary incontinence happens to about one-third of those who are diagnosed with overactive bladder.
Keep in mind that while overactive bladder can be a standalone condition, it can also be a sign of an underlying problem. Sometimes those who are developing diabetes will have an overactive bladder as one of the first signs of worsening glucose levels. That’s why it’s so important to get checked out if you notice any changes with urine output.
If you are dealing with an overactive bladder, it’s a very good idea to wear a button alarm for seniors. If you feel the urge to urinate immediately, you might rush to get to the bathroom, and that rushing can lead to a greater risk of falls.
Avoid this by moving slowly and deliberately. Make a point of emptying your bladder well before you feel the urge to go. Though this might mean you urinate more often, it also means that you are staying ahead of the problem and taking your time in getting to the bathroom rather than being rushed to go. That can help you feel better and reduce your risk of falls.
The Problem with Retaining Urine
No information about urination would be complete without discussing the oddness of UTI symptoms in seniors.
A study in Reviews in Urology found that as women get older, the amount of urine they produce decreases, but they also have trouble with completely emptying the bladder. Though the same thing happens with men, the changes are not as pronounced.3
Having urine left over in the bladder after urination can mean that you feel increased urgency, which makes you go to the bathroom more often. And soon, you’re getting up all night to go to the bathroom, thus compromising your sleep and leading to the potential for other problems, such as a higher risk of falls or a lack of concentration during the day.
Retaining urine also results in a higher risk of bladder infections and similar ailments, such as urinary tract infections, or UTIs. And the symptoms of a UTI can manifest very differently among elderly adults than they do when a person is younger.
The typical signs of a urinary tract infection include fever or chills, burning and pain when urinating, nausea and vomiting, feeling very tired, and suffering from pain in your side. Other signs include very dark urine, blood in the urine, trouble with passing urine, and what appears to be an overactive bladder.
However, some of the more subtle signs of UTIs appear in seniors and might seem to have no relation to the urinary tract at all. These can include confusion, drowsiness and a poor appetite. But a UTI can also lead to what appears to be dementia (or a rapid increase in severity of symptoms for someone who already has dementia).
Increased falls and trouble with balance can also be strong indications of a UTI among seniors. This is one of the many good reasons to look into senior alert systems. If you do suffer a fall or other medical emergency, you can simply press the button to get the help you need – and if you opt for medical alert technology with automatic fall detection, you can be rest assured that help will be there even if you can’t push the emergency help button yourself.
Always make sure to visit the doctor if your urine has a strange look or odor, or if your urinary tract and kidneys just don’t seem to be functioning the same as they used to. Getting treatment right away can lead to a much better quality of life throughout your golden years.
