Green urine can be caused by several factors, including consuming foods or drinks with blue or green food dyes, certain medications, personal care products, infections, or underlying medical conditions.
Common Causes
- Food dyes : Blue and green dyes in cereals, drinks, candies, and frozen dairy products can mix with normally yellow urine to produce green urine.
- Medications : Some medicines such as methylene blue, indomethacin, amitriptyline, propofol, and others can color urine green.
- Personal care products : Swallowing products like mouthwash containing dyes can lead to green urine.
Medical Causes
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) : Particularly infections caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which produces blue-green pigments, turning urine green.
- Liver disease : Green urine may occur if bilirubin (a breakdown product of red blood cells handled by the liver) is present in urine, which can signal liver problems.
When to Seek Medical Advice
- If green urine persists, or you have symptoms like pain, burning during urination, fever, abdominal pain, or other signs of infection or illness, it is important to see a healthcare provider to identify and treat any possible underlying conditions.
In most cases, green urine from food dyes or medications is harmless and temporary. However, persistent or symptomatic green urine should be evaluated by a doctor.
