Kidney & Urinary Health

Nov 10, 2026

Most green urine comes from a dye in food or a medicine, or from a medicine that is excreted in a green form. Less often, green urine comes from a urinary tract infection caused by Pseudomonas bacteria or from a bile pigment when bile flow is blocked. Learn which cause maps to which urinalysis line or blood test, how bright yellow vitamin urine differs from true green, and when to get prompt care.

Nov 9, 2026

Most smelly urine comes from concentrated urine, something you ate or a supplement or medicine. A foul smell with burning or urgency can mean a urinary tract infection, and a sweet or fruity smell can point to high blood sugar or ketones. Learn which smell maps to which urinalysis line or blood test, what an all-normal urinalysis means, and when to get prompt care.

Nov 3, 2026

Peeing more than usual is most often fluids, caffeine or alcohol. When it is new and does not go away, the common medical causes are a urinary infection, high blood sugar, an overactive bladder or an enlarged prostate. Learn what counts as frequent, how a urinalysis tells the causes apart, which blood tests come next, and when to get prompt care.

Nov 2, 2026

Cloudy urine is often harmless, from phosphate crystals in alkaline urine or a sample that stood too long, but it can also be a sign of a urinary tract infection. Learn the common causes in women and men, how to read "Appearance: cloudy" next to the other lines on a urinalysis, and what to do next.

Nov 2, 2026

A few crystals on a urinalysis are usually normal, and many form after the sample leaves the body. Learn how to read the crystal type, the amount and the urine pH together, which crystals always deserve follow-up, how crystals relate to kidney stones, and what to do next.

Nov 2, 2026

Dark yellow or amber urine is usually concentrated urine from too little fluid. Brown, tea or cola-colored urine is different: it can come from bilirubin, blood or muscle protein. Learn how to tell them apart, which urinalysis lines and blood tests separate the causes, and when to get prompt care.

Oct 28, 2026

A small or moderate amount of mucus in urine is usually normal. A large amount, or mucus next to signs of infection on the same report, is what needs follow-up. Learn what urine mucus is, how it differs from casts, why samples from women can show more, and what to do next.

Oct 27, 2026

Nitrites in urine usually point to bacteria in the urinary tract, but the result only makes sense next to leukocyte esterase, white blood cells, bacteria and epithelial cells on the same report. Learn what a positive or negative nitrite means, when it is not a UTI, and what happens next.

Oct 23, 2026

A urine test that shows blood, trace blood, occult blood or red blood cells is common and often has a temporary cause. Learn how to read the two blood lines on a urinalysis, what counts as a high RBC result, and what happens next.