Is clear urine always healthy? A doctor reveals health warning signs for kidney disease

Many people believe that the more water they drink and the more transparent their urine color, the healthier they are. However, a doctor has pointed out that frequently overly transparent urine may not be a sign of health; instead, it could be one of 4 major health warnings from the kidneys, and might even be a precursor to kidney disease. He also stated that only when urine appears in 2 specific colors does it truly indicate that kidney function is operating normally.

Transparent Urine Possibly Triggers 7 Major Health Issues

Urologist Dr. Wong Si-gong stated in a post on his personal Facebook page that most people generally believe that drinking more water, resulting in transparent urine, is a health indicator. However, in reality, this concept is only partially correct.

Wong explained that urine color is actually an important signal of the body's metabolic function and kidney operation status. When urine color is dark, it usually reflects insufficient water intake, triggering the body's concentration mechanism. But if it remains completely transparent long-term, it might instead be a warning sign of excessive water intake and the kidneys being overloaded.

When water intake far exceeds physiological needs, the kidneys must continuously work faster to expel the excess water. Long-term, this leads to excessive energy consumption by the kidneys and may trigger the following health problems:

• Electrolyte imbalance
• Low sodium ion concentration in the blood, i.e., hyponatremia.
• In severe cases, symptoms like dizziness, muscle weakness, and nausea may even appear, and in extreme cases, it might even lead to convulsions and confusion.

4 Common Causes of Transparent Urine: Possibly Related to Kidney Disease

Wong pointed out that if transparent urine, frequent urination, or noticeably increased nocturia (more than 2 times per night) persist long-term, it may reflect a dysfunction in the body's water regulation mechanism or an increased load on kidney function. Common causes include: 

• Water intoxication due to reasons like excessive water drinking, placing a burden on the kidneys.
• Use of diuretics, or consumption of stimulating beverages containing caffeine or alcohol.
• Diabetes: High blood sugar increases urine osmotic pressure, causing polyuria.
• Early-stage chronic kidney disease: The kidney's concentration ability declines.

He stated that when the body's water metabolism system shows abnormalities, the following improvement measures are recommended to accurately understand whether the kidneys maintain normal filtration and metabolic functions, thereby achieving the goal of early detection of abnormalities and timely intervention for effective kidney health maintenance:

• Undergo kidney function tests, such as detecting serum creatinine and urine protein.
• Coupled with blood electrolyte tests, including sodium, potassium, chlorine, etc.

Urine Showing 2 Colors Indicates Normal Kidney Function

Wong stated that the ideal urine color should be one of the following 2 hues, which represents a balanced state of body hydration and metabolic function, and normal kidney concentration and waste excretion:

• Pale yellow
• Light straw color

He specifically reminded that drinking more water does not equal drinking healthily. The real key lies in maintaining the body's stable metabolic function, not pursuing completely colorless urine. By replenishing water appropriately and regularly observing changes in urine color, one can monitor kidney health in the simplest and most effective way.

10 Major Early Symptoms of Kidney Disease/Kidney Failure

According to information from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, when kidney function is severely damaged long-term due to certain reasons, its function of excreting the body's metabolic waste is impaired. Waste products will accumulate in the body, triggering various problems with bodily functions and leading to chronic kidney failure. When reaching the end-stage renal failure phase, patients require dialysis or kidney transplantation to sustain life. The early symptoms of kidney disease and chronic kidney failure are not very obvious. Common symptoms are as follows:

1. Blood in urine / tea-colored urine (hematuria)
2. Foamy urine (proteinuria)
3. Cloudy urine (urinary tract infection)
4. Painful urination, frequent urination
5. Difficulty urinating, not smooth
6. Passing small stones in urine
7. Polyuria, reduced urine output, nocturia
8. Waist or abdominal pain
9. Swelling of ankles or eyelids
10. High blood pressure

4 Types of People at High Risk of Kidney Failure, Severe Cases May Require Dialysis

According to information from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, when kidney function is severely damaged long-term due to certain reasons, its function of excreting the body's metabolic waste is impaired. Waste products will accumulate in the body, triggering various problems with bodily functions and leading to chronic kidney failure.

When reaching the end-stage renal failure phase, patients require dialysis or kidney transplantation to sustain life. Among them, patients with the following diseases have a higher risk of developing chronic kidney failure:

• Diabetes
• Glomerulonephritis, including lupus nephritis
• High blood pressure
• Congenital kidney disease and family history of kidney disease