What Causes A Bad Urine Smell
Your food, vitamins, and medications are the most common cause of a bad urine smell.
Foods. Some foods have compounds that naturally have a strong odor and can make your urine smell. These include:
- Asparagus
- Onion
Vitamins. B vitamins are water soluble, which means your body doesnât store them, and whatever you donât need is removed in your urine. B vitamins in your multivitamin are often the culprit of smelly urine.
Medications. Some medicines like antibiotics can make your urine stink. Some antibiotics are made from mold and can make your urine smell yeasty.
Drinking lots of water throughout the day can help with these smells and keep your urine clear.
What Causes The Infection
The E. coli bacteria cause UTIs in 85% of cases, with other bacteria making up the remaining 15%. There are several reasons bacteria enter the urinary system. These include pregnancy, menopause, and sexual intercourse. Urinary catheters invite bacteria into the urethra and bring a high risk of a UTI. Other reasons include bladder stones and urinary tract malformation.
What Else Causes Fruity
Fruity-smelling urine can be a sign of other diseases and complications.
Diabetic ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a dangerous complication of diabetes that happens when ketones build up in your blood. It causes symptoms like fruity breath, sweet-smelling urine, excessive thirst, and tiredness.
Maple syrup urine disease. This rare, life-threatening genetic condition prevents the body from breaking down some amino acids. It affects babies and children.
When these build up in your blood, a compound called a branched-chain alpha-keto acid shows up in your urine and makes it, along with your earwax, smell like maple syrup. The disease can cause other serious symptoms like seizures, sleepiness, irritability, and poor feeding.
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Treatment Options For Utis
Drinking water and cranberry juice are two common recommendations for lower UTIs. However, research has shown the methods to be inconclusive. Extra liquids make urination easier but do not treat the root cause. Speaking with a doctor is the first step. Doctors will then prescribe antibiotics. As bacteria could stay in the cells of the bladder, removing the infection can be difficult. However, when caught early, antibiotics can be effective.
Fever Nausea And Vomiting
A fever is not very common with urinary tract infections involving the ureters, bladder and urethra. However, it is more likely to occur when the infection involves the kidneys. Similarly a kidney infection may present with nausea and vomiting although this is not evident in infections within the lower parts of the urinary tract. These three symptoms â fever, nausea and vomiting â are often confused for a gastrointestinal infection and not a urinary tract infection. It is only when the kidney pain and urinary symptoms arise that a kidney infection is suspected.
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Burning During And After Urination
Burning urine is another characteristic symptom. It can be felt from below the umbilicus , all the way to the genitals. The burning is intense while urinating but can persist even afterwards. Sometimes it continues a while after urinating although it may not be as intense as when you pass urine. Most people feel the burning most intense at the tip of the genitals but this does not mean that the problem is isolated to this area. Burning behind the genitalia is another common complaint in a UTI.
Poop Gets In Your Bladder
A fistula is an extra opening that forms between two organs. If you get one between your bladder and bowels, poop or gas may come out when you pee. You might get this kind of fistula if you have cancer or an inflammatory condition, like Crohn’s disease or diverticulitis. If you’re female, it may happen after you give birth or have a certain kind of operation. Surgery can fix fistulas.
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Burning Or Painful Urination
People with UTI often feel a burning sensation when they urinate. This symptom is one of the key signs that a person may have a urinary tract infection.
Burning urination or painful urination is medically known as dysuria. It can be caused by infectious and noninfectious conditions.
A urinary tract infection makes the lining of the bladder and urethra become red and irritated.
In addition to the burning sensation, there is also an itchy or stinging feeling as the urine comes out. The pain can be felt at the start of urination or after urination.
Pain is often felt in the urethra. These are the tubes that carry urine to the bladder. The pain can also extend to the area around the genitals.
Signs Of Urinary Tract Infections
Posted by Dr. Chris
Urinary tract infections are a common problem. It is more frequently seen among females in childhood, adolescence and adulthood but by the senior years, UTIs affect men and women equally. Most of us think that we would know when we have a UTI, but not necessarily so. Sometimes UTIs are relatively silent meaning that there is almost no symptoms. Those symptoms that may be present are subtle that most people do not even notice it or understand that it is a problem in the urinary tract.
It is important to understand how urinary tract infections arise as it provides some insight to the way the symptoms develop.
Most UTIs are ascending bacterial infections. The bacteria enter through the urethra, travels up it to the bladder which it then infects. A bladder infection is known as cystitis and most UTIs affect the bladder. However, it is possible for the infection to then climb high up into the ureters. It is rare for a person with an infection of the bladder and ureters to be without symptoms. From here the infection can spread to the kidney if UTI treatment does not commence on time or if the infection does not resolve.
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Urine That Has A Strong Odor
Urine contains water and a small concentration of waste products. It typically has a subtle odor of its own. While urine odor may vary, it does not have a strong smell.
When there is an infection in the urinary tract, the urine may take on a foul-smelling odor. The main cause of the smell is bacterial overgrowth. Pus and/or blood from the infection may also contribute to the strong smell.
Bacteria can contaminate urine. This will result in a fishy and unpleasant odor. In some women, urine can come with a strong ammonia smell, or foul.
In addition, slightly sweet-smelling urine is often the first indication that UTI may be present.
Less Common Causes Of Smelly Pee
The following conditions can sometimes cause smelly urine, but they are uncommon:
- urinary stones these may cause an ammonia-like odour
- a bladder fistula this is an abnormal connection between your intestines and bladder
- maple syrup urine disease this rare genetic disease means you have difficulty breaking down certain amino acids
- liver failure
- diabetic ketoacidosis this dangerous complication of diabetes happens when the body is unable to use blood glucose because there isn’t enough insulin, so it breaks down fat as an alternative source of fuel, causing a build-up of a by-product called ketones
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Treatment From A Gp For Utis That Keep Coming Back
If your UTI comes back after treatment, you may have a urine test and be prescribed different antibiotics.
Your doctor or nurse will also offer advice on how to prevent UTIs.
If you keep getting UTIs and regularly need treatment, a GP may give you a repeat prescription for antibiotics.
If you have been through the menopause, you may be offered a vaginal cream containing oestrogen.
Cloudy And Discolored Urine
Urine is normally pale yellow to clear in color. Sometimes it is a darker yellow when our water intake is not sufficient but here as well it is not a sign of any problem. Irrespective of the color, urine is always translucent meaning that you can could see through it. However, in UTIs the urine appears cloudy. There may also be other causes of cloudy urine that is not related to UTIs. Often it is discolored, varying from a pink or red color to a darker mustard yellow and even murky brown. The main reasons for these changes in color and clarity is due to pus and bleeding from the urinary tract.
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Urgent Advice: Call 111 Or Ask For An Urgent Gp Appointment If:
you have smelly pee and:
- there’s blood in your pee
- you have lower tummy pain
- you have pain in your back, under the ribs
- you feel tired and unwell
- you feel confused or agitated
- you have a very high temperature, or you feel hot and shivery
- your temperature is very low
If you have any of these symptoms, you may have a urinary tract infection .
What Color Is Your Pee
If everything is normal and healthy, the color should be a pale yellow to gold. That hue comes from a pigment your body makes called urochrome.
The shade, light or dark, also changes. If it has no color at all, that may be because youâve been drinking a lot of water or taking a drug called a diuretic, which helps your body get rid of fluid. Very dark honey- or brown-colored urine could be a sign that youâre dehydrated and need to get more fluids. It may also be a warning sign of liver problems, so see your doctor if it doesnât get better after a day or so.
Other unusual colors that may show up:
Pink or red: Some foods like carrots, blackberries, beets, and rhubarb can turn your pee a pinkish-red color. This can also be a side effect of medications like the antibiotic rifampin or a drug for urinary tract infections called phenazopyridine.
Always check with your doctor if your pee is pink or red. You might have blood in your urine. It doesnât always mean thereâs a problem, but it can be a sign of kidney disease, a UTI, prostate problems, or a tumor.
Orange: When your pee is the color of a citrus-flavored soft drink, itâs probably because of meds like high-dose vitamin B2, the UTI drug phenazopyridine, or the antibiotic isoniazid. Depending on the color, it could also be a sign that youâre dehydrated or that thereâs a problem with your liver or bile duct. You should ask your doctor about it.
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Check If It’s A Urinary Tract Infection
Symptoms of a UTI may include:
- pain or a burning sensation when peeing
- needing to pee more often than usual during the night
- pee that looks cloudy
- needing to pee suddenly or more urgently than usual
- needing to pee more often than usual
- lower tummy pain or pain in your back, just under the ribs
- a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- a very low temperature below 36C
Maple Syrup Urine Disease
People born with this condition can’t break down certain amino acids. When these amino acids build up, their pee or earwax starts to smell sweet. If your baby has the disease, you may notice this syrupy odor a day or two after they’re born. They’ll need to follow a special diet. Your doctor can help you figure out ways to manage your child’s condition.
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Bladder Infection Symptoms To Look Out For
The percentage of women who experience a bladder infection is around 50% to 60%.
In fact, women are much more likely to experience a bladder infection than men.
But regardless of who is more likely to get it, its important to know when you have a bladder infection that can lead to delirium and other medical issues. Its important to notice infection symptoms stemming from a UTI.
Here are 5 bladder infection symptoms to look out for that can help you figure out how to treat it quickly.
What You Eat Or Drink
Asparagus might be the most common reason for stinky pee. The harmless odor is caused by a breakdown of asparagusic acid. Your genes affect whether you can smell these sulfur byproducts. If you can’t, that’s called asparagus anosmia. Your pee may also have a strong smell after you drink coffee, or eat fish, onions, or garlic.
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How Often Should You Go
Everyone is different, but most people need to empty their bladders up to eight times a day. That can change depending on how much you eat and drink, especially caffeine and alcohol. It could be a side effect of medications, too. Pregnant women and older people usually have to go more often than others.
If you notice you suddenly have to pee more often than usual, though, it could be a sign of a health problem such as a UTI, kidney disease, diabetes, an enlarged prostate in men, vaginitis in women, or a problem with the wall of your bladder called interstitial cystitis.
If you often feel that you suddenly âgotta goâ and sometimes canât get to the bathroom in time, you may have overactive bladder. Itâs a common condition for older men and women, though itâs not a normal part of aging. Your doctor can tell you how to treat it with lifestyle changes and medications.
Causes Of Smelly Urineand What To Do About It
Asparagus isn’t the only thing that can change the smell of your pee. Here are 9 causes of smelly urine.
Have you ever sat down on the toilet to relieve yourself and thought, Yuck, what’s that smell? Maybe you assumed the stench was the faint yet unpleasant odor that lingers in office bathrooms…but then you realized it wasn’t that at all. It was actually your own urine.
Yep, urine can be smellyfor a number of reasons. Many of them are harmless, but in some cases, smelly urine can be a sign that something more serious is going on. We asked a doctor to explain what causes smelly urine and what you can do about it. Hint: The five cups of coffee you had this morning aren’t doing your pee any favors.
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Pet Parents Pawtect Pads Are Washable Pads That Can Serve As Litter Box Beddings And Catch Any Misses Made By Your Furbaby
Its true that cat pee smells like ammonia. Make sure you identify what causes your cat’s urine to smell strong and address it. Nobody wants an unpleasant ammonia smell in the house! Address it and keep your cat and other family members happy and healthy!
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What Does A Urinalysis Look At
If your cat presents to your veterinarian with urinary signs, your veterinarian will first perform a urinalysis. The urinalysis can reveal so much important information about the urine when a UTI is suspected. Your veterinarian will look at the following:
- urine-specific gravity
- pH
- ketones
- glucose
- bilirubin
- blood
- protein
Once these levels are measured, the urine specimen is placed into a centrifuge and spun down to allow cells and other debris to accumulate at the bottom of the sample tube. That debris can then be evaluated under magnification, and this examination can reveal the presence of red blood cells, white blood cells, bacteria, and crystals.
What is seen under the microscopes magnification can lead to the next steps of assessing the dogs urinary tract disease. For example, if there are crystals in the urine, your veterinarian may recommend radiographs or an ultrasound of the abdomen in order to look for bladder stones.
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Why Does My Penis Smell Like Fish
For a lot of the same reasons a vagina might smell like fish, actually
People with vaginas are always the ones subject to jokes about their nether regions smelling like fish. I wouldnt care, if it werent dictated almost entirely by misogyny. Because guess what losers? Dicks can smell like fish, too! More than that, they can smell like fish for the exact same reasons a vagina might.
The penis and scrotum contain apocrine or sweat glands that can secrete fluid and cause odor, explains Michael Ingber, a urologist at Garden State Urology and medical director for COR Medspa in New Jersey. Often this natural odor is normal, and we just recommend proper hygiene.
Basically, dicks can smell like fish because theyre attached to a human body, and human bodies sweat. Notably, sweat is one of the common reasons for similar vaginal odors. However, among penises, its more typical for those who are uncircumcised. Regardless of your genitalia , if sweating is the cause, a shower with mild soap ought to do the trick.
As with most situations in which your penis is doing something it doesnt ordinarily do, you should see a doctor if your dick smells like fish all the time. But if its a rare occasion, beyond showering and practicing safe sex, Ingber recommends keeping the region dry to avoid fungal buildup. Wearing cotton underwear instead of silk can also help, he adds, in case, of course, youve been maintaining a daily silk undie routine.
What Is Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection, or UTI for short, is any infection along the urinary tract, which includes the urethra, bladder, ureters , and kidneys.
Cystitis, an inflammation and infection of the bladder, is most common, but UTIs can spread to other portions of the urinary tract when this is left untreated. When the infection reaches the kidneys, it is also called pyelonephritis.
These infections are not directly transmitted during sexual intercourse, but the chance of developing a UTI increases dramatically if you are sexually active. This increased risk of developing urinary tract infections happens because of the transfer of bacteria during sex between the vagina, rectum, and urethra.
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