Dark color of urine in early and late pregnancy

Carrying a child is a very important period in a woman's life, because she must give birth to a healthy baby and at the same time maintain her health. That is why pregnant women are registered and their physical condition is monitored throughout the pregnancy. Laboratory tests are an integral part of this monitoring. Urine test results are very informative for diagnosing various abnormalities, including its color and transparency. A healthy person's urine is transparent and yellow due to the special coloring pigment urochrome found in the body. A pregnant woman is no exception. Dark urine during pregnancy gives reason to be wary, focus on possible causes, or even consult a doctor.

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Epidemiology

Statistics show that iron deficiency anemia is the leading morbidity among pregnant women, accounting for 20% to 80% in different countries. Moreover, it does not depend on the standard of living or social status. Chronic pyelonephritis affects about 10% of pregnant women. Hepatitis C is detected in an average of every 30th woman. Hepatitis A is even more common among this category of women. Gestosis develops in an average of 15% of expectant mothers, including 40% of women with anemia.

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Causes dark urine in pregnancy

The reasons for dark urine during pregnancy can be rooted in completely natural things that have nothing to do with health problems, as well as in pathologies of certain organs:

• consumption of certain foods (beets, green grapes, rhubarb) containing dyes;
• medicinal products and vitamin complexes;
• dehydration due to diarrhea, vomiting and severe toxicosis;
• cystitis, which is also accompanied by pain and colic in the lower abdomen;
• nephritis, with accompanying dizziness, nausea, headache, swelling;
• anemia;
• gestosis;
• hepatitis, its presence is also indicated by light-colored stool.

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Risk factors

Risk factors for dark urine include unhealthy diet - fried and fatty foods, insufficient fluid intake, hereditary diseases associated with hematopoiesis and metabolism.

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Pathogenesis

Metabolic products are excreted from the body with urine. Its color is influenced by pigments such as urobilin, urochrome, uroroserine, etc. They give it a yellow color of varying intensity. The pathogenesis of dark urine lies in the influence of various factors (volume drunk, consumption of coloring products, metabolic disorders) on the concentration of these pigments, and therefore on fluctuations in the color range.

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Symptoms dark urine in pregnancy

If a pregnant woman's home is equipped with a toilet, she may not notice a change in urine color. But, thanks to the protocol of frequent monitoring of general urine analysis parameters in laboratory conditions, the first signs of color changes are often detected when they are submitted. The woman suddenly notices that her urine has become darker. Symptoms of dark urine during pregnancy are usually alarming and disturbing, but do not yet mean anything. It is necessary to remember what foods or dyes that can change the color of urine were present in the diet. Different medications and vitamins affect color differently.

And yet, urine color is an important diagnostic sign. Thus, dark yellow urine during pregnancy may indicate cardiac pathology, and also accompanies diarrhea and vomiting. Very dark urine is a sign of melanoma, acute hemolytic anemia, von Willebrand disease, in which blood clotting is impaired, or hepatitis, dark orange - dehydration.

It is necessary to monitor whether the urine is very dark in the morning or all day long. In the morning, its concentration is higher, so it is thicker and darker. During the day, a woman visits the toilet more often, drinks more liquid, the urine becomes lighter. If it is not only dark, but also cloudy, then this clearly indicates the presence of a pathology of the urinary system (cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis).

Dark urine during early pregnancy often accompanies toxicosis with bouts of vomiting, as a result of which the body loses a lot of fluid. This is a signal to drink more and replenish its deficiency. The cause of dark urine during late pregnancy is gestosis - various disorders of organs and systems in the 3rd trimester.

In any case, pathological conditions will manifest themselves with some other symptoms: high temperature, pain, colic, frequent urination, etc.

Complications and consequences

If dark urine during pregnancy is a consequence of pathological processes, then the consequences and complications depend on the diagnosis and the promptness of the treatment. Any of the possible diagnoses is fraught with dangerous development, and sometimes even a fatal outcome for both the woman and the fetus. Observation by a gynecologist and timely testing will prevent adverse consequences.

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Diagnostics dark urine in pregnancy

Diagnosis of dark urine during pregnancy is necessary to determine possible pathologies, since bearing a child is a great burden on the kidneys, heart, liver and other organs of a woman. First of all, it consists of the doctor finding out the pregnant woman's food products and the use of medications or vitamins that can affect the color of urine, conducting laboratory general urine and blood tests. If there are deviations from the norm, they resort to instrumental diagnostics and more in-depth studies.

A general urine analysis provides a lot of information for diagnosing various pathologies. Deviations in such parameters as transparency, color, specific gravity, acidity, protein, glucose, hemoglobin, bilirubin, leukocytes, erythrocytes, salts will indicate certain diseases. A general and biochemical blood test will show erythrocytes, leukocytes, ESR, ALT and AST transaminases, direct and indirect bilirubin, etc. A stool test can reveal the presence of blood in it. In addition, there are other laboratory tests aimed at identifying suspected diagnoses (urine analysis according to Nechiporenko, Zimnitsky, bacteriological urine culture, etc.).

Instrumental diagnostics primarily includes ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity and pelvic organs. Radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging are also used. The kidneys and upper urinary tract are examined using chromocystoscopy. Radioisotope scanning is used to diagnose the liver, and heart function is monitored using electro-, phono-, echocardiography, etc.

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Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnostics of dark urine during pregnancy is carried out with diseases that can affect the color of urine, namely with pathologies:

• urinary system (stones, inflammation, stone formation, etc.);
• liver (cholecystitis, hepatitis, cirrhosis, neoplasms);
• increased bleeding caused by anemia.

Treatment dark urine in pregnancy

Treatment of dark urine during pregnancy depends on the diagnosis and is aimed at a specific pathology. Thus, anemia caused by a deficiency of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 is eliminated with the help of these drugs. If it is a consequence of another disease (hemorrhoids, bleeding ulcer of the digestive tract, trauma, blood diseases), therapy is aimed at it.

Pyelonephritis and other infectious diseases of the urinary system are treated taking into account the gestational age, the severity of the condition and after determining the infectious agent's sensitivity to drugs. In this case, antibacterial drugs, catheterization of the ureters, and detoxification treatment are used. Treatment can be carried out both in hospital and at home, depending on the severity of the condition.

To combat liver diseases in pregnant women, diet, herbal medicine, hepatoprotectors, and, if necessary, drug therapy are used.

Gestoses are expressed in various complications, therefore the treatment is individual and aimed at restoring the functions of the affected organs. Sedatives are also used to maintain the mental state of the woman.

Medicines

Medicines are prescribed according to indications and taking into account the gestational age. Thus, antibiotics and urinary antiseptics are prescribed for the treatment of the urinary system. When choosing antibiotics, there are a number of restrictions due to their adverse effects on the fetus (levomycetin, tetracycline series, streptomycin, sulfonamides, etc.). Preferable drugs include ampicillin, ceporin, netilmecin, erythromycin.

Ampicillin is available in tablets, capsules or white powders with a specific odor for the preparation of suspensions. The powder can be taken orally, simply with water, 2-3 g per day, divided into 4-6 doses. The duration of treatment is from 5 days to 3 weeks. Contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to penicillins. In case of liver failure, therapy is carried out under the control of the organ. A side effect manifested by an allergy is possible.

Effective is the simultaneous administration of antimicrobial drugs (5-NOC), as well as antispasmodics (baralgin, no-shpa), antiallergic agents (diazolin, tavegil, suprastin), sedative tinctures (motherwort, valerian).

5-NOC - orange coated tablets. Taken before or after meals, 0.1-0.2 g 4 times a day. Treatment is carried out in two-week courses, after which a break is taken. Side effects are possible in such manifestations as nausea, vomiting, headache, tachycardia, urticaria. Urine is colored bright yellow. Contraindicated in case of allergies to its components, with liver and kidney disorders. Studies of the effect on pregnant women and the fetus have not been conducted, so the need for the appointment is determined by the doctor.

Hepatitis A requires treatment in case of severe intoxication. When treating it in pregnant women, saline solutions, 5% glucose solution, albumin, povidone, rehydron are used. Therapy for other types of hepatitis is not carried out during pregnancy.

Regidron – restores water-alkaline balance. The drug is prepared by dissolving a bag containing the substance in a liter of boiled water. The hourly dose is 10 ml per kilogram of human weight. If the instructions are followed, there are no side effects. Contraindicated for diabetics, people with renal and hepatic insufficiency, and high blood pressure.

For pregnant women, hepatoprotectors of plant origin (karsil, darsil, silybin, silimar, phosphonciale, hepabene), essential phospholipids (gepaforte, phospholip, enerliv, essentiale), based on amino acids (glutargin, parzhin, heptral), etc. are recommended.

Phospholip - release form - capsules in a blister; take 2 capsules three times a day during meals, with plenty of water and without chewing. Contraindications are intrahepatic cholestasis - a violation of the outflow of bile from the liver, hypersensitivity to the components of the drug. Side effects in the form of digestive disorders, allergic rashes are possible.

Vitamins play an important role during pregnancy, especially in the presence of various pathological processes. Thus, anemia is eliminated with the help of folic acid, vitamins B12, iron preparations. After infectious liver pathologies, multivitamins are prescribed to restore the body. For pyelonephritis and urinary tract infections, vitamins of group B, C, and PP are taken.

Physiotherapy treatment

During pregnancy, only physiotherapy treatment that cannot harm the pregnancy is used. Such gentle procedures include mud and water therapy, electrophoresis, and acupuncture. In combination with other treatments, and in mild cases of illness, on their own, physiotherapy methods can improve the health of the expectant mother without harming the baby.

Folk remedies

Traditional medicine offers its own recipes in case of diseases that lead to dark urine. There are many recommendations on how to increase hemoglobin with the help of food products and preparation of potions. Daily consumption of green peas, cottage cheese, beef liver, beets, eggs, buckwheat, beef will improve blood tests. You can resort to such recipes:

• grate the beetroot on a fine grater, strain, let it stand in the refrigerator for at least an hour to remove harmful volatile substances, drink warm 2 tablespoons several times a day in small sips a quarter of an hour before meals;
• drink 3 glasses of birch sap a day;
• Make compote from unpeeled apples and drink with honey.

Potato juice helps restore liver function, drunk 2-3 times a day before meals. An effective antiviral agent is lemon juice (2 pcs.) and garlic (2 pcs.). After squeezing it and mixing, drink a teaspoon after meals. Infusions and teas from various herbs help solve urological problems.

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Herbal treatment

To treat various urinary tract infections, herbs such as shepherd's purse, bear's ears, pol-pola, field horsetail, blueberry leaves, couch grass rhizomes and others are used. Infusions can be prepared from individual herbs or combined into collections, for example:

1. blueberry, chamomile, shepherd's purse;
2. yarrow, succession;
3. St. John's wort, bearberry.

Milk thistle is very popular for liver treatment, many herbal hepatoprotectors are made on its basis. Corn silk, knotweed, chicory, sandy immortelle, etc. have choleretic properties.

Carrots, viburnum, plantain, chokeberry, rose hips, nettles, and green oat stems increase hemoglobin.

Homeopathy

Homeopathic preparations are most often used in combination therapy with medications, and the appropriateness and safety of their use is determined by the doctor. In the case of dark urine in pregnant women, the following may occur.

Galstena - oral drops from transparent to light yellow. The composition includes milk thistle, dandelion, celandine and other components. It is indicated for acute and chronic diseases of the liver, gall bladder and bile ducts, as well as for liver restoration after antibiotic treatment. Dose - 10 drops directly into the mouth or on a spoon of water, hold in the mouth before swallowing. The maximum effect is achieved half an hour before meals or an hour after. Side effects are possible in the form of allergies, contraindicated for people hypersensitive to the components of the drug.

Gepafil is a combination drug in the form of a syrup containing papaya, celandine, wax, etc. It is prescribed for infectious hepatitis, cirrhosis and other liver pathologies as a hepatoprotector, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic agent. Take 5 mg 4 times a day before meals. No side effects have been identified. Contraindicated in case of extreme sensitivity to the components.

Mercurid - white granules for the treatment of inflammations of various etiologies, including pyelonephritis and the urinary system. Activates the body's defenses, eliminates the effects of antibiotics. It is recommended to keep the granules under the tongue until they are completely dissolved (7 pieces 3 times a day). The drug has one warning for allergy sufferers, no others were found, as well as side effects.

To treat anemia, use arsenic (3rd, 6th dilutions), ferrum muriaticum, phosphorus, cuprum metallicum in 6th, 12th dilutions of each, pulsatilla (D3).

Pulsatilla is the active ingredient from the extract of the herb pasqueflower. There are granules in various dilutions: D3, D6, D12, D30, D200. The required doses are determined by the homeopath individually. The granules are kept under the tongue until they dissolve. Allergies were very rarely observed during treatment. Contraindicated with hypersensitivity to buttercups and pasqueflower. Not prescribed to men.

Surgical treatment

Surgical treatment of pregnant women is resorted to in extreme cases, when there is a real threat to the woman's life. In urology, this may be the need to perform kidney decapsulation, nephrostomy - drainage of urine from the kidney, nephrectomy - removal of the kidney. Gallstones that provoked an attack can also lead to surgical intervention.

Prevention

Preventive measures to prevent such a symptom as dark urine include a healthy lifestyle: proper nutrition, moderate physical activity, plenty of fresh air and vitamins. The presence of pathologies is a reason not to self-medicate, but to trust doctors.

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Forecast

If nothing else bothers the expectant mother except the color of her urine, then the prognosis is favorable. In a more serious case, everything depends on the prompt actions of doctors, treatment methods, the state of the body and compliance with recommendations. To be on the safe side, it is best to be under the supervision of specialists.

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