Although the appearance of green urine is not very common, it is generally not a sign of serious illness, caused by food use, artificial dyes, medications, or the use of contrast in some kidney tests, such as CT.
However, in rarer cases, green urine can also be caused by a pseudomonas urinary tract infection, and therefore if urine remains green for more than 2 days, or is accompanied by fever or other symptoms, the emergency room is recommended to diagnose the disease. start the most appropriate treatment.
See also other common urinary changes and their meaning
The most common causes of green urine are:
The most common cause of green urine is the consumption of certain types of medicines, which are usually remedies that contain dyes in their composition, the most common of which are:
Green urine may also appear after surgery, as one of the components of general anesthesia, known as propofol, can change the color of your urine.
What to do: no treatment is necessary, as the color of the urine does not affect the functioning of the body, however, it is also possible to consult the doctor who prescribed the medicine to adjust the dose or change the medicine, for example.
Foods that make urine green are mostly foods that contain artificial dyes, such as sweets, lollipops, or gum, for example. In addition, some green leafy vegetables with a lot of chlorophyll, such as asparagus or spinach, can also change the color of urine.
The color of urine can vary from light green or lime green to dark green, depending on the amount of dye or food ingested.
What to do: If you have ingested this type of food and urine has changed color, there is no reason to worry, and it is common for urine to return to its yellowish color after 1 day.
Although most urinary tract infections do not cause any change in urine color, there is a specific type that can cause this change, leaving urine green. This infection is caused by a specific bacterium known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and is generally more common in people admitted to the hospital.
In these situations, in addition to the greenish color of urine, it is also common to develop other symptoms typical of urinary tract infection such as pain when urinating, fever or feeling heavi in the bladder. See a more complete list of other signs of urinary tract infection.
What to do: If a urinary tract infection is suspected, it is very important to consult a urologist for a urine test and evaluate the need to start antibiotic treatment.
Some medical tests that use contrast, especially methylene blue, can change the color of urine, turning it green. Depending on the type of contrast used, urine may also have other colors, such as blue, red, or pink, for example.
What to do: Normally no specific treatment is needed, it is only recommended to maintain a good water intake to eliminate contrast more quickly.
If your urine stays green for more than 2 days, it is advisable to go to the emergency room or family doctor to diagnose the problem and start appropriate treatment. During this consultation, it is important for the patient to keep a list of medications he or she is taking, as the color of the urine may also change with the use of certain medications.
Find out what the other colors of your urine can mean in the following video: