What Does Dark Yellow Urine Mean?

When the kidneys conserve water, urine contains less water and appears a deeper yellow. This can happen after sweating, exercise, hot weather, travel, or simply drinking less than usual. Urine may become lighter after you replace lost fluids. A strong smell can occur with concentrated urine, but smell alone does not diagnose an infection. Some vitamin supplements, especially those containing vitamin B, can make urine look vivid yellow. Certain medicines and foods can also alter urine colour. Dark yellow urine is different from urine that looks brown, tea-coloured, red, or cloudy. These changes have several possible causes and should be considered alongside your other symptoms.

Drink fluids regularly, taking small amounts more often if you feel nauseated. Water is suitable for most people, unless a clinician has told you to restrict fluids because of a heart, kidney, or liver condition. Notice whether the colour becomes lighter and whether you are passing urine normally. Think about recent heat exposure, sweating, vomiting, diarrhoea, new supplements, and medicines, and keep a note of when the change began. If fluid loss followed intense heat or exertion and you also feel weak, dizzy, nauseated, or headachy, read about [Heat Exhaustion](/conditions/heat-exhaustion/). Dehydration can also cause darker, more concentrated urine; further information is available on [Dehydration](/conditions/dehydration/).

Arrange medical advice if dark urine does not improve after drinking normally, keeps returning without an obvious reason, or comes with burning when you pass urine, needing to go often, lower abdominal pain, fever, or pain in your side or back. A clinician may ask about your fluid intake and medicines and may test a urine sample. Seek urgent care for very little or no urine, confusion, fainting, severe weakness, inability to keep fluids down, severe pain, or urine that is red or cola-coloured. Yellowing of the eyes or skin, unusually pale stools, marked itching, or pain beneath the right ribs can point to a liver or bile-flow problem. Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B are among the conditions a clinician may consider when dark urine occurs with jaundice; they cannot be diagnosed from urine colour alone.

You could ask: Could my medicines or supplements explain the colour? Do I need a urine test or blood tests? What signs would suggest dehydration, a urinary problem, or a liver problem? How much should I drink with my existing health conditions? If the urine is also brown or tea-coloured, the [Dark Urine](/symptoms/dark-urine/) page may help you describe the change.