What Does It Mean When Your Urine Is Clear? - GoodRx (2024)

It’s common to take a look in the toilet after you pee. Many people are curious about the color of their urine — and what it means about their health. And some people aim to have colorless or clear pee to know they’re hydrated.

But is clear pee always a good thing? In some cases, it can be a sign of an undiagnosed medical condition. We’re here to help you know when to head to your doctor’s office to be sure it isn’t anything more serious.

Is clear urine always a good thing?

In most cases, clear urine is a sign that you’re well hydrated. And that’s a positive thing because good hydration helps your body work at its best.

But, in some cases, clear pee may mean that you’re drinking too much water and you’re too hydrated. Although this is rare, overhydration can disrupt the level of salts in your body, like sodium. And this can be more serious than you think.

Overhydration can lead to severe fatigue, confusion, and seizures. In rare cases, it can lead to a coma (more on this later).

But clear urine doesn’t always mean you’re well hydrated — or too hydrated. It can also be a sign of an underlying health condition.

What are the most common causes of clear urine?

The most common cause of clear urine is drinking large amounts of water. But a few medical conditions can also lead to clear pee, including:

• Diabetes: People with diabetes often have too much sugar (glucose) in their blood. To get rid of the extra glucose, the body moves it from the blood into the urine. So, when someone has undiagnosed or untreated diabetes, they tend to pee more often. And their urine looks clear.

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• Diuretic medications: Diuretics are sometimes called “water pills” because they help remove extra fluid from the body. People can take them to treat high blood pressure, leg swelling, heart failure, and other medical conditions. Diuretics work by increasing urine volume. This can dilute the urine and make it look clear.

• Kidney issues: The kidneys filter and balance fluid in the body. And some kidney conditions affect the kidney’s ability to make or concentrate the urine. This can change how much you pee, and peeing more (or less) can affect urine color.

• Diabetes insipidus: This is a rare condition that develops when the kidney can’t respond to the hormones that help balance water in the body. This means the kidneys excrete a lot more water than normal.

Can clear urine be a sign of pregnancy?

The body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy. While clear urine isn’t a sign of pregnancy, it can point to a potential pregnancy-related problem. Some people develop gestational diabetes insipidus in the second or third trimesters of pregnancy. Their placenta makes protein that destroys the hormone that helps maintain the body’s water balance. This condition generally resolves after pregnancy.

Keep in mind that the only way to know for sure if you’re pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. If you get a positive urine pregnancy test at home, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with a specialist in women’s health or OB-GYN.

What color should healthy pee be in the morning?

Healthy pee — in the morning or any time of the day — should be light in color but not completely clear. A pale yellow or straw color typically means that the kidneys are working well and that you’re properly hydrated.

When should you see a doctor about clear urine?

If you notice that your pee is clear — and you’re also trying to drink lots of water — this is probably the cause. It may help if you follow the recommended amount of water intake:

• Adult men need about 3.7 liters (125 oz) of water a day.

• Adult women need about 2.7 liters (91 oz) of water a day.

But if you’re drinking a normal amount of water and your pee is completely clear — especially for longer than 2 days — talk with a healthcare professional.

It’s also not normal to experience excessive thirst or to feel an endless urge to drink water. Get medical attention right away if you also experience:

• Fever

• Burning with urination

• Back, abdominal, or side pain

• General muscle aches

• Loss of appetite

• Persistent vomiting or diarrhea

• Weakness or fatigue

• Disorientation or trouble concentrating

• Headaches

• Blurred vision

How do you test clear urine?

A healthcare professional can run an easy test of your urine to help figure out what may be going on. But they may need more than a urine sample to figure it out. They may also want to test your blood sugar and do a blood test to measure your electrolytes.

Although less common, they may also recommend imaging tests, like ultrasounds or CT scans, to get a picture of the kidneys and the urinary tract.

What do other colors of urine say about your health?

Urine color can change based on your level of hydration. But there are a lot of things that can affect the color of urine — like certain foods, medications, or other health conditions. When it comes to health-related matters, certain colors can mean different things:

• Brown: Brown urine may mean that there’s an underlying issue with the kidneys, liver, or even the muscles. Blood in the urine can look brown.

• Red: Blood in the urine can also look red or pink in color. It might mean that you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), kidney stones, or other kidney or bladder problems.

• Orange: Orange urine may signal an underlying condition in the liver or bile duct. Some medications can also cause this, such as phenazopyridine, rifampin, sulfasalazine, and doxorubicin.

• Green: Green urine, similar to orange urine, can mean there’s a problem with the bile ducts. Rare types of UTIs can do this, too.

What does it mean when your urine is cloudy?

Cloudy urine refers to urine that looks hazy, foggy, or even milky. Instead of looking transparent and clear, it may appear thicker than normal. A few different things can make your pee look cloudy:

• UTI

• Sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia or gonorrhea

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• Kidney stones

• Diet high in purine-rich foods (like shellfish, red meat, and organ meats)

If you notice that your urine is cloudy for more than 1 or 2 days, it’s best to visit a healthcare professional. They’ll ask about other symptoms you’re experiencing and likely run some tests, such a urinalysis.