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What Do Intermittent Brown Colored Urine Indicate?
Question: I have recently been experiencing brown colored urine. It has occurred only a couple of time, separated by a couple of weeks. It has been in the morning and occurs for a couple of urinations, then returns to a normal yellow color.
Brief Answer:
Hematuria- blood in the urine, may not be due to serious cause
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Brown colored urine is most commonly due to blood in the urine. This is called hematuria.
In many cases, hematuria does not mean that there is a serious underlying condition. It can be due to simple causes for some persons. In some older men, it can be due to a benign (not cancerous) enlarged prostate.'
A presence of blood would first need to be confirmed by a urinalysis at your doctor's office.
Urine may also need to be sent to the lab to rule out infection.
Causes of hematuria--
(1)BPH and infection of the urinary tract- both mentioned above
(2)trauma
(3)cancer of some aspect of the urinary
tract- bladder, prostate, kidney etc
(4)side effect of medication such as meds to prevent clotting
(5)bleeding disorder
(6)kidney disease
If blood in confirmed then further testing may be needed unless your is already aware of the cause eg if you have a history of enlarged prostate and had recent testing to rule out cancerous changes, then would be the likely cause.
In addition to the urine to the lab, further testing would include imaging such as an ultrasound.
Hope I have answered your query.
Take care
Regards,
Dr. Michelle Gibson James, General & Family Physician
Hematuria- blood in the urine, may not be due to serious cause
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Brown colored urine is most commonly due to blood in the urine. This is called hematuria.
In many cases, hematuria does not mean that there is a serious underlying condition. It can be due to simple causes for some persons. In some older men, it can be due to a benign (not cancerous) enlarged prostate.'
A presence of blood would first need to be confirmed by a urinalysis at your doctor's office.
Urine may also need to be sent to the lab to rule out infection.
Causes of hematuria--
(1)BPH and infection of the urinary tract- both mentioned above
(2)trauma
(3)cancer of some aspect of the urinary
tract- bladder, prostate, kidney etc
(4)side effect of medication such as meds to prevent clotting
(5)bleeding disorder
(6)kidney disease
If blood in confirmed then further testing may be needed unless your is already aware of the cause eg if you have a history of enlarged prostate and had recent testing to rule out cancerous changes, then would be the likely cause.
In addition to the urine to the lab, further testing would include imaging such as an ultrasound.
Hope I have answered your query.
Take care
Regards,
Dr. Michelle Gibson James, General & Family Physician
Note: Consult a Urologist online for consultation about prostate and bladder problems, sexual dysfunction, kidney stones, prostate enlargement, urinary incontinence, impotence and erectile dysfunction - Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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