When does your urine turn blue or green? Physician Dr Kunal Sood explains

Blue or green is not the usual colour spectrum of urine, and can only be caused due to a certain type of UTI, explains Dr Kunal Sood.

The colour of healthy urine ranges from light straw to pale yellow, and any other colour usually signals various health issues. But what does it mean when the urine is blue or green in colour, in particular? Taking to Instagram on September 13, Dr Kunal Sood, a Maryland-based physician in anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine, shared his explanation.

What does blue or green urine mean?

According to Dr Sood, the urine turns blue or green in colour when a person suffers from a urinary tract infection (UTI) that is caused by a specific strain of bacteria.

In his words, “If your urine suddenly turns blue or green like this, one possible reason is a UTI caused by a bacterium called Pseudomonas. And that unusual colour can actually come from pigments produced by those bacteria.”

“Pseudomonas can produce blue and yellow green pigments that can sometimes give urine its really unusual appearance. It's not the most common cause of a UTI, but it does matter because this bacterium can be resistant to certain antibiotics,” he continued.

As a result, Dr Sood highlighted that it is important to get a urine culture, which can help physicians identify what can actually treat the condition.

“If you're also having burning when you pee, urgency, pelvic discomfort, fever, or feeling sick, get it checked rather than waiting for it to go away,” he noted.

How to lower the risk of UTI?

UTI is a common health condition, especially in women. There are a number of ways in which one can try to lower the risk of UTI, shared Dr Sood. They include the following:

• Making sure you stay hydrated
• Not holding in your urine for long periods
• Urinating after having sexual intercourse, if that is a common cause of UTI for you

“If you do get recurrent UTI, it's also worth discussing with your doctor because there may be additional prevention options depending on the cause,” highlighted Dr Sood.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

Dr Kunal Sood, MD, is a double board-certified physician in Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Medicine. He did his residency and fellowship in anesthesiology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, followed by a one-year fellowship in interventional pain medicine. He later became the Medical Director of the office in Germantown, Maryland.