When urine is highly concentrated, it contains more ammonia and less water. This can cause it to have a strong smell. Urine tends to be more concentrated when a person is dehydrated. This is often the case first thing in the morning or when a person does not drink enough water throughout the day.
Urine is mostly waste products and water and normally has a mild smell and a light yellow color. If you have more waste than water in your urine, it can smell more strongly. In most cases, a strong smell isn't a sign of disease. It's usually from your diet and medications, or it means you need to drink more water.
Kidney disease causes chemicals in urine to become concentrated and to cause a smell resembling ammonia. Kidney dysfunction can also cause high bacteria and protein levels in the urine, which will contribute to a foul ammonia smell.
Severely ill patients often have characteristic smells. Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis have the fruity smell of ketones, although a substantial number of people are unable to detect this. Foetor hepaticus is a feature of severe liver disease; a sweet and musty smell both on the breath and in urine.
Urinary tract infection: Foul-smelling urine is a symptom of a urinary tract infection. Other symptoms are cloudy urine, an urgent need to urinate, or a burning sensation while urinating. The foul smell may be the only symptom of a urinary tract infection.
This may be due to a UTI or even to dysbiosis, where harmful bacteria increase in number and take over the good bacteria in the body. The excess bacteria may change the smell or look of the urine as it sits in the bladder, which can lead to a sulfuric smell. Cystitis needs prompt medical treatment.
Fish Odor Syndrome
Also called trimethylaminuria, this genetic condition can give your pee a fishy smell. It happens when your body can't break down trimethylamine. You end up getting rid of the compound through your pee, sweat, breath, and other fluids. It doesn't mean you're unhealthy.
Cranberry juice increases the acidity of your urine, which in turn reduces the intensity of its odor.
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) is an uncommon condition that causes an unpleasant, fishy smell. It's also called "fish odour syndrome". Sometimes it's caused by faulty genes that a person inherits from their parents, but this isn't always the case. There's currently no cure, but there are things that can help.
Several vitamins, including vitamin B-6, can cause urine smell to change. Although a strong smell to your urine probably doesn't mean vitamin D toxicity, it may indicate that you are dehydrated, which can in turn be a sign of excess vitamin D. Strong-smelling urine could also indicate a urinary tract infection.
A smelly vagina is a sign of infection
If your vagina has an unusually strong and unpleasant smell, like onions, for long, it may be a sign of an infection like bacterial vaginosis, which is bacterial overgrowth in the vagina.
Some of these can make the urine smell fishy, especially supplements of calcium, vitamin B6, and vitamin D. The odor may be more noticeable when a person is dehydrated. If an individual stops taking these supplements and their urine still smells fishy, they should contact a doctor.
Diabetes does not generally cause strong-smelling urine. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to urine that smells sweet or fruity.
One of the most common changes in urine color associated with diabetes is a darker yellow color. This is because high blood sugar levels can cause your kidneys to work harder to filter out excess glucose, leading to more concentrated urine. In some cases, urine may even appear orange or brown.
Smelling of the breath is common after having certain food or in the morning, but with people suffering from fatty liver conditions, it remains throughout the day. The breath may have a distinct sulfur and musty smell throughout the day. It is an obvious sign of fatty liver disease and should not be ignored.
In the case of liver or kidney disease, your odor may give off a bleach-like smell due to toxin buildup in your body.
Vaginal odor can be caused by diet, sweating, menstruation, or pregnancy. It can sometimes also be caused by infections like bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis.
Urine contains uric acid, which smells like ammonia. The smell may be more pronounced when the urine is more concentrated, as it is in people who are dehydrated. Medical conditions such as a urinary tract infection and eating certain foods can also affect the smell of urine.
Groin sweat contains fatty acids and proteins which feed bacteria. As the bacteria break down the nutrients in groin sweat, foul-smelling acids are left behind.
A person can reduce vaginal sweating by wearing breathable underwear and avoiding tight-fitting clothing. Practicing good vaginal hygiene can help prevent bacterial and yeast infections. Avoiding douches, antiperspirants, and scented pads and panty liners can help maintain a healthy vagina.