One warning sign of diabetes or high blood sugar is urine that smells sweet or fruity. The sweetness comes from sugar in your urine and is a sign your body is trying to get rid of extra sugar in your blood.
With advanced diabetes, sugar and ketones, which are normally absent, can accumulate in the urine and create a strong odor.
High levels of sugar (glucose) in the urine can make it smell sweet or like fruity cereal. 1 There are also other signs of high blood sugar, including: Excessive thirst.
Diabetes does not change the color of urine. If you notice sweet or fruity smelling urine, it could be a sign that you have hyperglycemia, or blood sugar levels that are too high. Let a healthcare provider know if you notice changes to either urine color or smell.
One warning sign of diabetes or high blood sugar is urine that smells sweet or fruity. The sweetness comes from sugar in your urine and is a sign your body is trying to get rid of extra sugar in your blood.
Ketones smell like acetone – like pear drops, or like nail-polish remover. DKA usually occurs in people with Type 1 diabetes, and is a medical emergency. "If diabetes remains undiagnosed or poorly controlled, high levels of glucose in the urine may make the urine smell sweet."
A urine glucose test is only a screening test. It cannot diagnose any conditions. If you have too much glucose in your urine, your provider may order blood tests for diabetes to help make a diagnosis.
Excessive thirst and increased urination are common diabetes signs and symptoms. When you have diabetes, excess glucose — a type of sugar — builds up in your blood. Your kidneys are forced to work overtime to filter and absorb the excess glucose.
Some people with diabetes compare the smell of insulin to the scent of Band-Aids, printer ink, Lysol, or new plastic shower curtain liners (4). Apparently, phenols are responsible for the aroma associated with insulin (5).
If you have diabetes, a change in body odor could be a sign of diabetes-related ketoacidosis. High ketone levels cause your blood to become acidic and your body odor to be fruity. In the case of liver or kidney disease, your odor may give off a bleach-like smell due to toxin buildup in your body.
Things that can often make your pee smell stronger include: certain types of food and drink, like asparagus or coffee. not drinking enough fluids (dehydration) some medicines.
What does diabetes itching feel like? If you have diabetes, itching can be intense. It's an irritating feeling that makes it hard not to scratch, but scratching can make the itch worse. You can itch anywhere, but if you have nerve damage (neuropathy) associated with diabetes, your lower legs may itch.
Pee that smells like ammonia
If you detect a hint of ammonia in your urine, it could be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI). The odor suggests that bacteria may be swimming around in your urinary system, most likely in your urethra, kidneys or bladder.
Feeling very thirsty. Feeling very hungry—even though you are eating. Extreme fatigue. Blurry vision.
The symptoms you experience won't exactly match those of another person. However, the most common diabetes symptoms experienced by many people with diabetes are increased thirst, increased urination, feeling tired and losing weight.
Diabetes: People with diabetes often have too much sugar (glucose) in their blood. To get rid of the extra glucose, the body moves it from the blood into the urine. So, when someone has undiagnosed or untreated diabetes, they tend to pee more often. And their urine appears clear.
Urinating more than 7-10 times a day could be a sign of either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. According to the UK's National Health Services (NHS), the amount of urine can range from 3 litres in mild cases to up to 20 litres per day in severe cases of diabetes.
Different brands of strips may differ in their exact color-coding, but generally a dark purple color is used to indicate the highest level of ketones.
Dehydration occurs when someone doesn't 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. In addition to an ammonia-like odor, another telltale sign of dehydration is bubbles in a person's urine.
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
The odor is due to the parasites, fungi, or bacteria in your urine. The urinary tract includes your kidneys, bladder and urethra, and any of these organs can become infected and make your urine to smell like eggs.