What are the reasons for bad smelling urine?
What can cause foul, musty-smelling urine without accompanying pain?
- Diet. But the spindly stalks aren’t the only food responsible for stinky pee. ...
- Dehydration. Urine is a combination of water and chemicals that leaves your body. ...
- Urinary tract infection. ...
- Sexually transmitted infection. ...
- Medications and vitamins. ...
- Bacterial vaginosis. ...
- Ovulation. ...
- Pregnancy. ...
- Diabetes and diabetes medications. ...
- Liver or kidney problems. ...
What does it mean when you keep smelling ammonia?
Smelling ammonia usually happens towards the end of a long or challenging workout and is a strong indicator that you have been burning protein as fuel. The reason you smell ammonia is because the protein breakdown product urea is being produced faster than it can be excreted by your kidneys, and is subsequently leached into your sweat as ammonia.
Why does urine smell like ammonia?
When your body is dehydrated, the waste products in your urine are more concentrated. This can cause your urine to have a strong ammonia smell as well as a darker color. When this urine dries on your skin or underwear, you might notice a lingering ammonia smell.
Why would urine have a musty smell?
The liquid waste often has a distinct odor. Some people describe it as ammonia-like. However, if your urine has a sweet smell — or a foul, fishy, or musty smell — it might be a sign of infection or another health issue. It could also just be the result of something you ate or not drinking enough water.
Should I be concerned if my urine smells like ammonia?
Strong, ammonia-like urine is a sign that you're a little dehydrated. Drinking more water can often help. Sometimes, ammonia is also a sign of: Urinary tract infection.
What does a strong ammonia smell in urine mean?
If you detect a hint of ammonia in your urine, it could be a sign of a urinary tract infection. The odor suggests that bacteria may be swimming around in your urinary system, most likely in your urethra, kidneys or bladder. Urine showing signs of a UTI also may be cloudy or even a bit bloody.
What diseases cause strong smelling urine?
Foul-Smelling Urine: Medical ConditionsYeast infection. Dr. ... Sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Like yeast infections, vaginal discharge in the case of STIs causes a mild smell, not urine itself. ... Kidney stones. ... Uncontrolled Diabetes. ... Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs).
What does diabetic urine smell like?
High blood sugar is a tell-tale sign of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, you may notice your pee smells sweet or fruity. This is because the body is trying to get rid of the excess blood sugar and is disposing of glucose through your urine.
What foods cause ammonia smell in urine?
Certain foods, medications, and vitamins can cause changes in urine smell and color. Asparagus is commonly linked with an ammonia smell, as are large amounts of vitamin B6. Similarly, foods high in protein can increase urine's acidic properties and cause it to have an ammonia smell.
Can smelly urine be serious?
While smelly urine may be alarming, it's likely not a cause for concern. Most changes to pee odor are temporary, even if it happens regularly. Drinking plenty of water can help dilute odor-causing chemicals. However, a sensitive nose may always pick up on them.
How do you get rid of ammonia smell in your urine?
Urine may smell like ammonia when it becomes concentrated with waste products. A variety of conditions can cause waste products to build up in urine, such as bladder stones, dehydration, and urinary tract infections. In most cases, urine that smells like ammonia can be treated with fluids or antibiotic medications.
What causes strong smelling urine in adults?
Some foods and medications, such as asparagus or certain vitamins, can cause a noticeable urine odor, even in low concentrations. Sometimes, unusual urine odor indicates a medical condition or disease, such as: Cystitis (bladder inflammation) Dehydration.
How do you get rid of ammonia smell?
A person can use deodorants to cover up the ammonia smell from sweat. They can also try antiperspirants, which block the sweat glands and stop sweating from happening. This can reduce the amount of sweat on the skin that mixes with bacteria and produces odor.
What do ketones in urine smell like?
As a result, the ketone level in the blood will rise. When these ketones leave the body in the urine, the urine may smell sweet or similar to popcorn.
What causes smelly urine in a woman?
The most common medically concerning reason for smelly pee is a urinary tract infection (UTI), according to Dr. Ross. UTIs tend to be more prevalent in people with vulvas, according to the Office on Women's Health (OWH), because their urethras tend to be shorter, inviting more bacteria to enter the bladder.
What color is diabetic pee?
A water deprivation test involves not drinking any liquid for several hours to see how your body responds. If you have diabetes insipidus, you'll continue to pee large amounts of watery (dilute), light-colored urine when normally you'd only pee a small amount of concentrated, dark yellow urine.
Why does my pee smell so strong all of a sudden?
When you're dehydrated and your pee gets very concentrated, it can smell strongly of ammonia. If you catch a whiff of something really strong before you flush, it might also be a sign of a UTI, diabetes, a bladder infection, or metabolic diseases.
What causes strong smelling urine in adults?
Some foods and medications, such as asparagus or certain vitamins, can cause a noticeable urine odor, even in low concentrations. Sometimes, unusual urine odor indicates a medical condition or disease, such as: Cystitis (bladder inflammation) Dehydration.
What does a UTI smell like?
A UTI can cause bacteria from the infection to contaminate the urine, resulting in a distinct fishy smell. UTIs are more common in women than men. Other symptoms include: urine that is cloudy or bloody.
Why does urine smell like ammonia?
Dehydration from not drinking enough water can cause urine to smell like ammonia. Dehydration can cause an ammonia smell. Dehydration occurs when someone fails to drink enough fluids or has a significant fluid loss, due to vomiting or diarrhea. Ammonia odor happens when chemicals in urine are concentrated due to a lack of water.
Why does my ammonia smell?
A further possibility is diet changes during menopause, which can cause an ammonia odor.
How to get rid of ammonia smell in urine?
Most of the time, staying hydrated, decreasing intakes of trigger foods, vitamins, and medications, passing urine often, and practicing good hygiene can manage ammonia odor in urine. It is important ammonia-smelling urine is not ignored, especially if it continues after making attempts to resolve it.
What causes a urine smell?
Liver disease. The liver, similarly to the kidneys, is responsible for removing toxins from the body and helping it to digest food. Infections and diseases of the liver can produce high levels of ammonia in the urine and the accompanying pungent odor.
Why does ammonia increase in urine?
Ammonia levels in blood and urine will increase when the liver is not working the way it should . Any continued ammonia odor in urine should be checked by a doctor.
How to reduce urine odor?
Reducing intake of offending vitamins and medications can also reduce urine odor.
What are the symptoms of a swollen bladder?
other symptoms, including blood in urine, back pain, fever, pain with urination, and urgency. A doctor will likely do a physical exam and request urine samples and blood work. Urine is examined for blood, bacteria, and kidney or bladder stone pieces.
Why does ammonia rise in urine?
Dr. Gregory Thompson on WebMD says that ammonia levels will rise in the blood and urine if the liver isn’t working properly. To check for this, doctors will perform a blood test to check for levels of ammonia. 11
What to do if you smell ammonia in your urine?
If this happens, there will be a notable smell of ammonia from the urine. 12. Managing your diabetes can help to reduce the ammonia smell in your urine. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may have to take insulin or other medication, however, in some cases, doctors recommend controlling diabetes by diet.
Why does my urine smell so bad?
However, serious medical conditions like a urinary tract infection, liver infection, or kidney disease can cause your urine to emit a foul smell. Along with the strong-smelling urine, an infection may cause other changes in your urine.
How to get rid of nitrates in urine?
The research found that taking 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda in water 3 to 4 times a day was an effective remedy for urinary stones. 15. Baking soda can also help to relieve the symptoms of a urinary tract infection and get rid of nitrates in urine.
What color should your urine be?
Normal urine should be a pale yellow to gold color. If you are dehydrated, your urine becomes very concentrated, might have sediment, and can give off a strong ammonia smell. A lack of water will also turn your pee a dark honey or brown color. 1.
How is ammonia produced?
PubMed Health explains that ammonia is produced as the liver breaks down carbohydrates and fats. The liver then converts ammonia into urea which eventually passes out through the urine. However, if the liver is damaged, it can’t convert ammonia properly and your urine will give off an ammonia odor. 10.
How to get rid of urine smell?
You can drink raw unprocessed apple cider vinegar (ACV) to help get rid of the ammonia-like smell from urine. Apple cider vinegar is a great home remedy to get rid of kidney stones naturally and help prevent urinary tract infections. In fact, research has shown that human kidney stones dissolve in acetic acid – the main component of apple cider vinegar. 14
Why does urine smell like water?
Urine that contains a lot of water and few waste products has little to no odor. If urine becomes highly concentrated — a high level of waste products with little water — your urine may have a strong ammonia odor.
What is the scent of disease?
Shirasu M, et al. The scent of disease: Volatile organic compounds of the human body related to disease and disorder. The Journal of Biochemistry. 2011;150:257.
Why does my urine smell like ammonia?
A case of dehydration may be why your pee smells like ammonia. The lack of water in the body can cause your urine to become concentrated, meaning there is an increased amount of proteins, sugars, and salts, known as solutes. These chemicals produce the ammonia-smelling odor in the urine.
Why does ammonia smell?
Our body produces urea nitrogen as it breaks down the protein in our food. A buildup of nitrogen is seen with excess proteins, and causes the ammonia odor in the urine.
What is the smell of urine?
Urine’s natural by-product urea is a mixture of ammonia and other elements such as carbon and hydrogen found within the body. Hence, the ammonia odor with urine output. It is when the odor is apparent that an issue may be at hand.
How to get urine to turn yellow?
When there is an ammonia odor to the urine and any discoloration, drinking lots of water may help to alleviate these issues. Water will promote the removal of toxins and dilute the urine to return to the normal yellow coloring of straw. Drink eight glasses of eight ounces of water each day.
What is the purpose of urine?
By producing and excreting urine, the body is able to maintain the proper composition and levels of nutrients in the bloodstream.
How to stop urinating at night?
Drink eight glasses of eight ounces of water each day. To avoid nighttime urination, do not wait and drink the total amount in the afternoon and evening hours. Have a glass every one to two hours throughout the day. This will also help the liver and kidneys to properly filter and promote clean urination.
Why does asparagus smell?
3. Diet. In addition to asparagus, certain foods such as leafy green vegetables, onions, garlic, and coffee may also be the cause of stinky pee.
What causes ammonia in urine?
Common Causes of the Ammonia Smell in Urine 1 Diet - When large amounts of nitrogen-rich foods, such as proteins and leafy greens, are ingested, the excess nitrogen is released in the urine, thus contributing to its ammonia smell. 2 Dehydration - When you fail to take in sufficient amounts of water, chemicals in urine tend to be very concentrated causing a strong smell of ammonia. 3 Liver damage - Liver is responsible for removing and breaking down ammonia. If the liver is unable to break down the ammonia it is excreted in the urine. 4 Other diseases - Other common causes include diabetes, metabolic disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements.
Why does urine smell so strong?
Not cleaning your genitals and groin area may also be the reason behind your strong-smelling urine. Bacteria on your skin break down any remnants of urine, which in turn produces a very strong-smelling ammonia odor.
Why does urine not have a clear odor?
Typically in healthy people urine does not have an odor and it is clear, straw yellow. The lack of odor and pale color are due to the consumption of sufficient amounts of water and the emptying of the bladder at regular intervals.
What does urine smell like?
Commonly, people complain that urine has an odor that smells like ammonia. Herein we will explore the symptoms and causes for the ammonia smell, as well as the treatments for this condition.
How long does it take for ammonia to go away from urine?
Alternatively, if your diet is the cause of the ammonia smell in your urine then dietary changes may be necessary to treat the condition. It may take a few days for changes to your diet to get rid of the ammonia smell in urine.
How to lower uric acid in urine?
Baking soda works to lower uric acid levels in your body. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water and drink thrice a day for relief. The remedy works because baking soda also helps eliminate nitrates from your urine. 4. Extra Tips.
How to get rid of urine in underwear?
Be sure to wash your genitals and groin area properly and ensure that you empty your bladder completely while urinating. 2. Try Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) A great remedy is to drink apple cider vinegar.
Ammonia Smell in Urine: Causes
As mentioned earlier, a very strong ammonia smell in urine may be the indication of some medical problem. Though this smell may be temporary, if it is quite unbearable, then you may have to analyze the cause and take necessary remedial measure. Here are some of the causes for observing ammonia smelling urine in women and men.
Treating Foul-Smelling Urine
Though not always a matter of grave concern, smelly urine can lead to complications if the causative factors are not diagnosed and treated on time. Drinking plenty of water and other fluids will make the urine less concentrated and help get rid of the foul odor.
Why does urine smell?
Dutta explains. "So when you're dehydrated, your urine has less water in relation to waste products, which can make you have smelly urine ," she says.
Why does my urine smell different after taking vitamins?
Dr. Dutta says many people notice their urine smells different after taking vitamins—same way some people detect a different urine odor after eating certain foods. But there's nothing to worry about if you conclude a vitamin is making your pee rank. "Vitamins tend to be a little bit in excess of what your body truly needs, so you'll often end up peeing some of that out," she says.
Why does coffee make you pee?
Coffee is also a diuretic, meaning it makes you have to pee a lot, flushing your body of extra fluid and sodium. Diuretics can cause dehydration, so on top of the smell from those coffee metabolites, your pee may also have a stench because it's more concentrated than usual.
What foods make you pee?
Other foods, like Brussels sprouts, onions, garlic, curry, salmon, and alcohol, can have a similar effect. Dr. Dutta suggests drinking plenty of water when eating foods that you know make your pee; it'll dilute your urine so the stench isn't so noticeable.
Can asparagus make your urine smell?
Asparagus is notorious for making urine smelly. But if this veggie doesn't give your pee a funky odor, that's normal, too.Dr. Dutta says everyone digests food differently, and some can get away with eating asparagus without any change in their urine.
Can STIs cause urine to smell?
"Anything that causes inflammation or irritation can potentially be associated with bacteria or pus or bleeding, which can change the smell of the urine." Chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and gonorrhea are the STIs that most commonly cause urethritis. But even if an STI doesn't cause urethritis, urine could still pick up a smell from irritation in the vagina, she adds.
Can kidney stones cause groin pain?
Other symptoms of kidney stones include back, side, or groin pain; nausea or vomiting; frequent urination; blood in urine; pain with urination; and fever. " Kidney stones are never, ever going to just be smelly urine," she adds. "There will be other symptoms, as well.".
