The urinary system removes water and body waste in the form of urine. The urine produced in human beings contains excess amount of water, urea, and many other toxic waste materials that form in the body. Kidney is the primary organ that manufactures urine. It is then passed down into the bladder through tube like structures attached to the kidney called the ureters. Urine is than stored into the bladder and voided out from time to time through the urethra.
Normal color of urine is white. However, under certain circumstances the color of urine may get changed.
What Causes Green Colored Urine?
Green color of urine is not as common as dark yellow or brownish red colored urine. Although green color of urine may be alarming, most of the underlying causes are not harmful. In majority of cases the color is not absolutely green but it may have greenish tinge.
The color of urine may also change to greenish due to certain medicines, especially anti nausea and stomach ulcer medicines. Many other medicines that are used for cancer treatment can also cause change in color of urine to greenish brown. Dyes used during x-ray and CT scan can cause green or dark brown color of urine. If you are eating too much of fava beans or taking too much of products containing aloe, your urine may appear green.
The color of urine may also change in certain medical conditions, especially if it is related to the urinary tract. In certain urinary tract infections where the pus is greenish in color may have greenish tinged urine. Bacterial infection in the bladder, urethra can give a shade of green to the urine.
Infection and inflammation of prostate or infection in the kidney can also change the color of urine, but it is rarely absolute green. It may be greenish brown. A rare hereditary disorder called familial hypercalcemia can cause green urine.
Associated Symptoms With Green Colored Urine
Green urine may be accompanied with other symptoms, usually those related to the urinary tract. The symptoms are those of an underlying factor or a disease. For example if it is green tinged urine occurs after eating asparagus, than probably it will smell foul when you go to the bathroom. The smell is sometimes described as that similar to rotten cabbage or rotten egg. Even though the smell of urine after eating asparagus is very bad, it does not have any lasting effect or any other problem to the urinary system.
If there is an underlying medical condition, there may be associated symptom of that condition accompanied with green urine. There may be burning pain in the penis while passing urine. The urine may appear cloudy and foul smelling.
Pain in pelvic region or in the loins is suggestive of infection in kidney and bladder. Fever, chills, weakness, headache, thirst, dryness of mouth, increased frequency of urine are some of the prominent symptoms.