What the colour of your urine says about your health - is yellow something to worry about?

Do you check the colour of your urine after spending a penny? If you don't, you probably should - because it could hold vital clues about the state of your health and wellbeing.

According to The Cleveland Clinic, the shade of your urine can tell a lot about a person's health, and they've produced a helpful chart to aid people when checking.

It's designed to help people establish whether they've been drinking enough water and can indicate a urinary tract infection or early warning of a health issue.

The colour also shows up traces of certain foods and prescribed medications.

A clinic spokesman said: "Human urine has been a useful tool of diagnosis since the earliest days of medicine.

"The color, density, and smell of urine can reveal much about the state of our health."

Have a look at this basic guide as a starting point:

No colour

No colour: over-hydrated.

If your urine is clear, like water, then it is likely to be a sign that you're over-hydrated.

It could also indicate you've ingested a diuretic, a substance - found in caffeinated drinks like coffee - which forces the body to get rid of water.

Yellow to Dark yellow

The lighter the shade of yellow, the more well-hydrated a person is.

As the colour darkens, it is recommended the person drink more water.

Amber or honey

If your urine is a deep, golden yellow then your body isn't getting enough fluid.

Syrup or brown

You're probably dehydrated

This colour could be a sign of liver or kidney problems. Having said that, it could just mean you've been gorging on rhubarb, aloe or fava beans. Some drugs have also been known to turn wee brown, including laxatives.

If drinking more water doesn't change the brown colour, visit your GP.

Pink to reddish

You should visit a doctor immediately if your urine is pink. It could be traces of blood, which could mean kidney disease, prostate problems, urinary tract infections, kidney or bladder stones - or even cancer.

But, less worrying, the colour could also indicate that you've been eating beetroot, rhubarb or blackberries. Medicines containing senna can also give a red tint.

Orange

Sign of dehydration

More often than not, orange is a sign of dehydration.

But it could also be caused by medications including laxatives and chemotherapy drugs, as well as warfarin, a common blood thinner.

Food dyes, carrots or too much vitamin C can also cause an orange tint, but the colour can also indicate a problem with the bile duct or liver.

Blue or green

Nothing to worry about

This colour is usually nothing to worry about. It could be caused by brightly coloured food dyes, eating asparagus or medications such as amitriptyline, indomethacin and cimetidine. But it could also indicate a rare medical condition.

Green urine sometimes accompanies certain urinary tract infections.

Other urinary changes

If your urine has a strong smell, there's a chance you could have an infection.

But it could also be the result of eating certain foods or taking certain medicine. Asparagus, for instance, may lead to a very distinctive smell.

If the urine foams or fizzes, it could either be a sign or kidney problems or too much protein in the diet.

The bottom line is: if you're unsure, visit a doctor.