Living with a Urinary Catheter - Hydration Guide - Flipbook - Page 6
Recognising dehydration
The urine produced soon after waking is usually darker yellow, otherwise
urine should be coloured 1-3 according to the urine colour chart.
HEALTHY
URINE:
1
2
3
DRINK
MORE:
4
5
6
Urine colour
changes can be
related to food
and drink e.g.
consuming lots
of beetroot or
bright coloured
fizzy drinks.
7
8
Between 800-2000ml of urine per day is considered
normal; however it is important to use this as a guide
and understand what is a normal daily urine volume for
you. Other dietary factors can also change the volume
of our urine e.g. a higher volume due to consuming
lots of caffeine. Using the urine colour chart to
monitor your hydration levels is a more effective way
to measure hydration so that you can increase your
fluid intake accordingly if your urine colour falls within
4-8 of the chart.
It’s important to be able to recognise when you’re
dehydrated, especially when using a urinary catheter to
prevent the symptoms and health problems associated
with urinary tract infections and constipation.
Thirst is not a reliable marker of dehydration,
it’s a symptom that happens after you are
already dehydrated.
Children and older adults can have a weaker thirst
response to dehydration so it’s important to monitor
their hydration. See guidance for carers, page 12.
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