If you’ve ever noticed a strong, unpleasant, and uncharacteristic smell in your urine, don’t panic: this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a health problem. However, it’s important to stay alert.
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From information from “Woman and Home,” here are seven reasons why your pee smells bad and what to do about it:
1 – Dehydration
If your pee has acquired a dark yellow color and smells bad, you might be suffering from dehydration. This could be the result of a diet high in sodium, so pay attention to the foods you eat daily and make sure to drink the ideal amount of water for your weight.
2 – Foods
Although asparagus is a delicious vegetable, it has a very noticeable side effect: it makes your urine smell bad. According to a study from the “British Medical Journal,” 40% of the population says they can smell “asparagus pee” after consuming the vegetable.
In addition, sprouts, onions, garlic, curry, and even alcohol can change the odor of your urine. Unfortunately, the only way to combat this specific problem is to stop consuming these foods.
3 – Urinary tract infection
If your urine is cloudy and foul-smelling, you feel pain or burning when urinating, and your vagina
and lower abdomen hurt, it’s likely that you have a urinary tract infection (UTI).
If you think you might have a urine infection, you should seek treatment as soon as possible. Depending on your diagnosis, your doctor may prescribe fluids, pain relievers, or antibiotics.
4 – Pregnancy
Strong smelling urine is also one of the first symptoms of pregnancy. “Pregnancy alters your urine and, at the beginning, you may need to pee more frequently,” explains the co-founder of “Pee Sting,” Maya Mendoza.
“This happens because, during pregnancy, you experience an increase of about 25% in circulating blood, and much of this moves through the kidneys, creating more urine. Often, early on, pee can be a lighter, slightly more fluorescent color. This may be due to the extra filtering by the kidneys and the elimination of B complex vitamins.”
However, these symptoms alone do not indicate pregnancy. Other changes in urine early in pregnancy include the appearance of white particles representing leukorrhea
, a normal and healthy milky vaginal discharge.
Pregnancy also alters your immune system and may make you more prone to developing cystitis and candidiasis. If you think you might be pregnant, take a pregnancy test and talk to your gynecologist for further guidance.
5 – Medications
Some medicines can change the color and odor of your urine. Among them are medicines for diabetes: they inhibit the kidneys from reabsorbing sugar back into the blood, which causes the ingredient to be eliminated in the urine.
B vitamin supplements can also cause urine to smell like fish. This is because the body excretes excess vitamin in pee, which can change its smell and color.
Other medications, such as penicillin and sulfonamide antibiotics, antimalarials, and medications for rheumatoid arthritis also affect the color of urine and cause an odor similar to rotten eggs.
6 – Sexually transmitted infections
Odor in the urine can be a sign of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Among them are chlamydia, which can infect the bladder, cervix, and genital tract, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis.
To ensure an accurate diagnosis, get in touch with your doctor, get tested, and inform yourself of the next steps.
7 – Diabetes
It’s very common for the urine of diabetic people to have a strong, sweet smell. And if the disease is not controlled, the urine can smell like acetone. Moreover, these patients are more prone to developing UTIs.
When to seek medical treatment
Most of the time, urinary odor is harmless. But there are some cases in which it can indicate an underlying problem.
If you have back pain, pain when urinating, and blood in your pee, you might have kidney stones. If your urine is accompanied by jaundice, belly pain, nausea, and vomiting, there’s a chance you might have liver failure. In both cases, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
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