Urine is produced by your kidneys and has a natural smell. This odor differs from individual to individual. Depending on the condition of your body, this odor may change from time to time. Having smelly urine does not always mean that you have a problem. However, sometimes this smell can raise concern and this is where things get interesting. The condition can be caused by many factors, including dehydration, diabetes, liver disease, caffeine, infections, etc. One thing you should know is that urine usually has a strong ammonia smell, particularly in the morning. This is the same smell experienced when one is dehydrated. This blog will help analyze the causes of smelly urine and tips to help restore the natural smell of urine. The causes are:

Dehydration. This is one of the most common causes of smelly urine. As we know it, our bodies contain 70% water, where some are lost through sweat, feces, vomiting, urine, and breathing. Any amount of water loss must be replaced to keep the body functioning well. When you don't drink enough water, your urine becomes concentrated. Concentrated urine usually contains high amounts of ammonia, salts, and other toxins. If you do not take water to dilute these salts and ammonia, you will end up having smelly urine, especially in the morning. Dehydration should clear up once someone takes adequate water and the smell of urine also improves. Smelly urine, because of dehydration, is usually less in amount and looks darker in appearance. Other symptoms of dehydration are Dry mouth, muscle weakness, headaches, dizziness, and chronic fatigue. Scientists advise people to take water frequently throughout the day instead of waiting for thirst to strike.

Some Types of Foods. Any type of food you eat contributes to the smell of urine, feces, and even sweat. This means that if you eat foods with aromatic smells, your urine will end up having a pungent smell. These foods are broken down to release metabolites. These metabolites are usually excreted through urine and some can make the urine smell. Eating asparagus, for example, can make you have bad-smelling urine. This is because, once asparagus is digested, asparagus acid gets broken down into sulfur-containing byproducts. Sulfur, just like ammonia, smells so bad and this will cause smell urine. However, not everyone experiences this problem with asparagus because of genetic makeup.

Some Types of Medications. Medications are usually prescribed to heal various conditions. You can gain medications either through a prescription or over the counter, depending on the type of medication. One of the most common side effects of medications is the production of smelly urine. This is because some components used to make these medications are sulfur-based, which are then excreted through urine. Examples of medications that cause smelly urine are some antibiotics (sulfonamides), chemotherapeutic drugs, some diabetic medications, drugs used for rheumatoid arthritis, and others. The best way to reduce the smell is to drink lots of water to dilute some of the urine contents.

Urinary Tract Infections. These are infections that affect the urinary system organs such as the urethra, bladder, and kidneys. It happens when the microorganisms multiply within these organs and cause inflammation. Many species of bacteria can invade the urinary system, whereas others cause smelly urine. An example of such bacteria is Aerococcus urinae causes a terrible smell in urine. Also, because these bacteria cause swelling and bleeding of the internal organs, you may find that your urine has a strong pungent smell. UTI normally clears after taking antibiotics as prescribed. Other symptoms of UTI include pain while urinating, fatigue, fever, frequent need to urinate, problems of emptying the bladder, cloudy or sometimes dark urine, presence of blood in the urine(hematuria), and back pain if the infection has reached the kidneys. This back pain because of kidney infection is also known as flank pain.

Phenylketonuria(PKU). This is a genetic condition that is usually present at birth. Any condition that a child is born is known as a congenital condition or disease. People having this condition usually have problems breaking down an amino acid called phenylalanine. Phenylalanine comes from eating protein foods such as fish, beans, meat, and eggs. Having a PKU means your body lacks an enzyme necessary to break down phenylalanine. Failure to break this amino acid down causes its amount to accumulate in the body, making your urine develop a musky smell. How would you know that you have PKU? Consider the following signs: reduced skin pigmentation, delayed milestones, intellectual problems, etc. If the condition is not detected and treated early, it exposes the sufferers to other conditions, such as brain damage and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).


Liver Disease. The liver is one of the major organs of the body. It performs over 200 functions, where 14 are fundamental. One of these functions is detoxification, where your liver converts toxins into waste products which are excreted either through sweat, urine, or feces. These toxins could be from medications you take, foods, and drinks. One critical thing you should know is that your liver acts as a primary filter for your body. This means that if the liver fails, these toxins remain in the body and are excreted in the urine. Depending on how severely the liver is damaged, you will have bad-smelling urine for as long as the condition exists in your body. Other symptoms of liver damage are chronic fatigue, yellow discoloration on the skin and eyes(jaundice), severe weight loss, bloating, reduced libido, dark-colored urine, and loss of appetite. Untreated liver disease is usually life-threatening and often leads to death. Would you like to know more about the bad-smelling urine? Kindly check these links:
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19931057/causes-of-smelly-urine/
https://www.healthline.com/health/urine-odor#pregnancy


The Bottom Line

Excreting urine is one way in which the body uses it to get rid of toxins. Anything you eat or drink is usually digested and some of its by-products are excreted as toxins. When these products reach the kidneys, they can make your urine smell bad. Other causes of smelly urine are dehydration, kidney and liver damage, UTIs, eating foods with potent smells, etc. Regardless of the cause, it is something that can be treated successfully. Drinking an adequate amount of water is one major way of eliminating smelly urine, especially if the cause is dehydration. Other causes, such as liver and kidney diseases, can only be treated medically after a proper examination and diagnosis.

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