Unpleasant urine odor in women - causes, symptoms and treatment

Why does your body smell like urine?

Why in some cases does the smell appear from different parts of the body?
The exact cause can only be determined through medical diagnostics and detection of serious diseases. This phenomenon interferes with the normal life of a woman at any age and brings discomfort, so there is no point in delaying seeking help. Common causes of urine odor from a woman's body are:

1. Hyperhidrosis of the third and fourth stages. Often, a severe form of this disease is accompanied by pathologies of the endocrine system and kidneys. They can provoke not just increased sweat production, but also the presence of urine odor in it.
2. Lack of proper hygiene. Some women's living conditions do not allow them to take a shower every day, while others simply neglect the simple rules of regularly changing clothes and bed linen. As a result, bacteria settle on the body, and due to their activity, an unpleasant odor appears.
3. Vaginal microflora disorders. There are many reasons for a malfunction: gynecological diseases, complications after childbirth, diseases of the genitourinary system (often due to age).

The smell of urine emanating from the whole body can appear for the same reasons as from the genitourinary organs. This is the frequent consumption of certain foods, alcohol, and the use of certain medications.

Diabetes

The appearance of an acetone odor in the urine indicates the presence of ketone bodies in it, which may be a symptom of diabetes mellitus. Usually this disease is accompanied by other symptoms, such as excruciating thirst, dry skin, weight loss, spasms of the calf muscles, and polyuria. Such signs may also appear in pregnant women, which may indicate the development of gestational diabetes mellitus.

The appearance of the smell of ketone bodies in urine can be associated not only with diabetes, but also with dehydration, starvation or severe infectious diseases.

Analyzes

Tests and a comprehensive study will help determine the cause of the unpleasant odor in the urine.

• With deviations, urine usually changes its composition. White blood cells increase, and in severe inflammatory processes protein is detected.
• If kidney problems are serious or have prolonged inflammation, red blood cells are found in the urine. The red blood cells decompose, causing an intense foul odor.
• To detect problems and make a further diagnosis, it is enough to pass a general, biochemical and bacterial urine test. Based on the tests obtained, the doctor prescribes more in-depth studies.

How can you identify a problem by smell?

• A sharp, repulsive smell of a rotten egg appears in the urine during infectious inflammatory processes localized in the kidneys and with excessive consumption of alcohol, salt and spicy seasonings;
• The smell of fish is characteristic of the state of trimethylaminuria. This is a rather rare disease of a bacterial nature, in which microorganisms synthesize a substance in the urine that smells like rotten fish;
• Strong acetone odor in pathologies accompanied by impaired glucose metabolism. The reason for this may be diabetes mellitus, damage by pathogenic microorganisms or a low-calorie diet;
• An increase in urine concentration due to dehydration, increased sweating, diarrhea and vomiting leads to the release of urine with a persistent odor of ammonia;
• If your urine smells like maple syrup, you may have problems with amino acid metabolism. This is a rather rare pathology, apparently having a genetic predisposition, since it mainly manifests itself in early childhood.

Types of unpleasant odor

Normally, human urine does not have an amber; as it comes into contact with oxygen, urea oxidizes and an ammonia aroma appears.

There are different types of sharp unpleasant odor of urine in women:

• acetone;
• fecal;
• putrefactive;
• sweetish;
• sour;
• medicinal.

Very often, people feel that their urine smells after they have finished urinating. This indicates a problem with the enzymatic process.

Each of the above aromas is caused by certain disorders in the body. The stench of acetone indicates a metabolic disorder, ketonuria or diabetes mellitus (in this case, a sweetish aroma is also felt).

The unpleasant smell of acetone in urine during pregnancy is a very common occurrence; this is due to the restructuring of hormones and metabolic processes.

Fecal stench indicates the proliferation of pathogenic microflora, which spreads from the anus. The stench of rotting is a clear sign of inflammation of the bladder or the presence of pus in it (in this case, the urine has a viscous consistency and contains foreign secretions).

There are several types of odor that may be characteristic of women's urine:

• acetone;
• ammonia;
• sourish;
• fish;
• sweetish;
• mouse;
• smell of rotten eggs.

Urine removes metabolites of bacteria and viruses from the body. Own metabolic products also enter urine, which flows from the kidneys into the bladder, so sometimes you can suspect an illness just by sniffing the patient’s urine.

The causes of stench are varied. For example, when an adult’s urine smells like acetone, this is a clear sign of diabetes. Other possible causes of this condition include pregnancy, dehydration, or infections.

Treatment with antibacterial drugs can cause a side effect - a change in the smell of urine. Urine smells like medicine after Augmentin, Penicillin, Ampicillin and Ceftriaxone. A similar phenomenon is possible in those who take vitamins (B1, B6, B12).

Periods of hormonal fluctuations in adolescence, as well as in premenstrual days during menopause in women, can also be accompanied by a change in the smell of urine. At this time, due to the high (or, conversely, too low) content of biologically active substances in the blood, the liquid filtered by the kidneys acquires a sharp “aroma”.

Many people notice that men's urine has a special, more pronounced smell than women's. This is the norm. The phenomenon is associated with high levels of the hormone testosterone in the urine. But often the smell appears after drinking a large amount of alcohol, especially beer.

Don't rush to panic

A bad odor noticed during urination is not always a sign of danger. There are several non-pathological reasons why urine smells different than usual. A changed odor in a normal state of health may appear due to the following circumstances:

• Human diet. Urine sometimes changes aroma under the influence of alcohol, asparagus, spicy and salty foods. The causes of a strong odor caused by food go away on their own. This usually requires 1-2 days from the last time you took such products. But if you continue to regularly abuse beer and eat smoked foods, the situation will not change. If after giving up this diet the aroma becomes normal, then the problem was in the diet.
• Medications. Vitamins, antibiotics and other medications can affect the characteristics of urine. After drug treatment ends, the substances are independently eliminated from the body, and the urine is normalized in all respects. For example, when treated with ampicillin, many people note a strange smell of urine, which goes away after the end of the course of therapy. B vitamins also affect urine characteristics.
• Violation of water balance. Unpleasant urine odor in men and women can occur if a person is on a strict diet or suffers from dehydration. This usually happens to those who exercise or try to lose weight. As a result, a pungent odor of ammonia is sometimes felt when urinating. In order for the situation to normalize, you need to drink a lot and eat a balanced diet, including the required amount of vitamins, minerals and nutrients in your diet.

Changes in the properties of urine during pregnancy

The repulsive smell of urine is very often felt by pregnant women. The basis for such changes is a restructuring of the body and changes in hormonal levels and does not require any treatment, since after childbirth all unpleasant odors disappear on their own.

The repulsive smell of urine is very often felt by pregnant women

In the last months of pregnancy, the unpleasant smell of urine becomes more intense. This is explained by the fact that urine stagnation occurs as a result of compression of the ureter by the uterus.

The period of bearing a child is characterized by enormous changes in the functioning of the female body. It is due to serious hormonal changes that the smell of urine changes during pregnancy. Often, the expectant mother, who is not yet aware of her interesting situation, feels the sweet aroma of urine in the early stages. A slight ammonia odor often appears as a result of the breakdown of nitrogenous products.

In the later stages, when the enlarged uterus puts pressure on the urinary tract and kidneys, a slight stagnation of urine occurs during a few hours of sleep at night. As a result, in the morning when urinating, a pungent aroma is released. Usually after giving birth, the smell of urine returns to normal for some time.

A change in the smell of urine during pregnancy can be observed with insufficient fluid intake. Often, orange-colored urine appears - this is due to the use of various vitamin complexes based on vitamins C and B12, which cause a pharmaceutical aroma.

An unpleasant smell of urine during pregnancy can signal danger if any additional unpleasant symptoms occur (dry mouth, a state of general weakness, a radical change in the color of the discharge, etc.). In such a situation, consultation with a doctor is necessary.

In pregnant women, the appearance of an unpleasant odor in urine is caused by the same factors as in non-pregnant women. The most dangerous is the appearance of a sweetish tint, the smell of rotting apples or acetone.

In the later stages of pregnancy, the likelihood of compression of the ureter by the enlarged uterus increases, which leads to stagnation of urine and the fact that it begins to smell of ammonia.

During pregnancy, inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and bladder develop much more often, which leads to the appearance of a sour or purulent odor in the urine.

As a rule, during pregnancy, a woman’s urine has an unpleasant odor for the same reasons as before.

All of the above factors can affect its aroma, shade and presence of impurities.

The most dangerous ones are the sweetish, acetone and rotting apple smell. This may signal the onset of gestational diabetes.

It is important to note that in the last stages the ureter is most likely to be compressed by the uterus, which leads to stagnation of urine. Consequently, the smell of ammonia becomes more intense.

Possible diseases due to the specific aroma of urine

Human urine should normally have no odor. If it begins to emit foreign aromas, this means that the urinary system has been attacked by some kind of disease.

For example:

• pyelonephritis;
• cystitis;
• urethritis.

Pathogenic bacteria entering urine cause the acrid smell of urine. For example, the cause of cystitis may be drug-related or infectious. Sometimes this disease develops during long-term drug therapy. The cause of the putrid and pungent odor of urine is progressive inflammation, accompanied by the accumulation of pus.

When determining the source of the unpleasant aroma of urine, the gender of the patient also matters. For example, in men, a change in the smell of urine often indicates a malfunction of the prostate gland or the onset of prostatitis (in which urination is difficult and pain occurs in the perineum).

In addition, in males, an increase in the smell of urine is caused by a number of factors:

• progressive spread of genitourinary infections;
• lack of water in the body;
• diabetes;
• acute liver failure;
• long-term intake of B6 vitamins;
• kidney infection.

A bad odor from urine often becomes the only symptom of diseases affecting the genitourinary or excretory system. It appears at an early stage of pathology development and makes it possible to identify it before other signs appear.

How to get rid of pathology

Having determined why the urine began to smell atypical, they move on to eliminating the influencing factors or begin treatment to get rid of the disease accompanied by this unpleasant phenomenon. The main proposals for eliminating the pathological phenomenon include:

• Visit a specialist if you have persistent symptoms that do not disappear even after eliminating all possible influencing factors. The doctor will determine the necessary examination and develop subsequent treatment.
• At home, you can use decoctions of knotweed, cranberry or lingonberry - they are recommended to be consumed instead of tea.
• A review of the diet will be required, eliminating foods that provoke an unpleasant phenomenon.
• It is necessary to adhere to the correct drinking regime, consuming at least two liters of purified liquid during the day.
• Control over intimate hygiene should be tightened, given the proximity of the anus to the vagina. Ideally, washing is carried out after each bowel movement, which avoids the penetration of pathogenic microflora into the urethra.

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Treatment using pharmaceuticals becomes possible only after an accurate determination of the disease causing the phenomenon in question. If the problem is in the kidneys, diuretics are required.

Kidney failure may require hospitalization. In case of infection of the genitourinary system, treatment should be comprehensive with the use of antifungal agents and antibiotics. Most often, therapy is carried out against the background of a diet in which it is necessary to limit the consumption of flour, fatty and sweet foods, focusing on fresh fruits and vegetables.

You should remember that self-medication is inadmissible, which will avoid unnecessary complications.

What kind of urine is considered normal?

When urine smells unusual, it is important to understand what normal urine should be like. Normal urine collected in a container is light yellow or deep straw in color and has adequate clarity. If the material stands for 2-4 hours without a lid, its transparency changes. This is due to the proliferation of bacteria after contact with oxygen.

The appearance of foreign odors is influenced by numerous factors: age, gender, medical history and current illnesses, nutrition.

If an unpleasant or unusual odor persists for more than 2-3 days despite proper nutrition, then this is a reason to contact a therapist or nephrologist, urologist, or gynecologist.

How to treat?

To get rid of the unpleasant smell of urine, you should first find out the cause of this deviation in the female body. To do this, you need to immediately seek advice from a specialist.

After undergoing certain studies, the woman will definitely be given an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment will be prescribed. As practice shows, after getting rid of the cause, the smell of urine returns to normal, as well as its transparency.

To get rid of the annoying smell of urine, you need to find the cause of this phenomenon. The first step is to visit the doctor's office, who will help you find it. Most likely, the cause is some disease, after treatment of which the urine will become normal again.

If your urine has a foul odor, you should consult a urologist or gynecologist. If a disease caused by a metabolic disorder is discovered, the woman will be further treated by an endocrinologist; if hereditary metabolic diseases are identified, consultations with a geneticist and nutritionist are indicated.

If a woman has an acetone odor in her urine, she should avoid sweet and spicy foods. It is recommended to replace sugar and desserts with honey or special tablets, drink plenty of alkaline drinks and avoid fatty foods.

The cause of urine that smells like ammonia or chlorine, especially in the morning, is bacterial inflammation of the genitourinary organs. The treatment regimen for these conditions includes antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and symptomatic treatment.

At home, you can treat yourself with folk remedies: a variety of diuretics, cranberry and lingonberry juice, decoctions of lingonberry leaves, rose hips, horsetail herbs, and knotweed. These herbs and plants have cleansing, diuretic and anti-inflammatory effects.

If there is a putrid odor in the urine, antibacterial drugs are also needed. Additionally, rinsing enemas with a decoction of chamomile flowers are recommended.

A sour odor that occurs due to an imbalance in the vaginal microflora and the addition of a fungal infection. Treatment of this condition is carried out using antifungal vaginal suppositories and systemic tablets.

If there is a murine aroma in urine, characteristic of phenylketonuria, treatment is carried out using a special diet that excludes foods rich in protein and phenylalanine: meat, fish, cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, legumes, etc.

In the treatment of leucinosis, accompanied by the aroma of maple syrup in urine, special mixtures of amino acids and protein hydrolysates freed from the content of leucine, isoleucine and valine are used. Instead of protein, a mixture is used consisting of a mixture of 18 amino acids, the fats in it are represented by corn oil, and the carbohydrates are dextrin-maltose. Additionally, vitamins and minerals are included.

The treatment regimen depends on the type and severity of the disease that causes the change in odor. If there is an inflammatory or infectious process in the body, the doctor will select medications that will help cope with the problem (antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, etc.).

For renal pathologies, diuretics and diuretics are prescribed. Also useful will be decoctions of medicines that help remove excess fluid from the body.

In case of diabetes mellitus, kidney failure or other serious diseases, the patient requires inpatient treatment. Doctors prescribe drugs from the group of antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs.

To avoid dehydration, it is recommended to drink at least 2500 ml of liquid per day (including soups, teas and compotes). Be sure to consume more vitamins and mineral complexes that help strengthen the immune system.

A therapist, urologist or other specialized specialist will tell you how to remove a strong stench. Self-medication increases the chances of developing unwanted complications.

Before starting treatment, a thorough diagnosis and a number of necessary tests are required to exclude or confirm the existing pathology. Afterwards, appropriate therapy is prescribed.

If changes in urine are caused by taking certain medications, you can correct the situation by stopping the pills. In the case of pathological factors that provoked this problem, it is necessary to abandon self-medication.

Treatment with folk remedies is not always effective. Only a specialist can help get rid of the existing pathology. Kidney disease is treated with diuretics to speed up the formation of urine and eliminate infection.

If pregnant women experience an unpleasant aroma of urine during morning urination, it is necessary to pay attention to possible non-pathological causes. If they are excluded, but the problem persists for more than 1-2 days, you must consult your doctor and undergo the prescribed course of treatment.

Professional medical assistance for unpleasant urine odor always depends on its cause. Severe conditions - renal failure, liver failure, diabetic ketoacidosis - require immediate hospitalization. Inpatient treatment is prescribed individually.

Treatment of urinary tract infections is carried out with antibacterial drugs; it is impossible to do without washing the affected organs with antiseptics. To avoid stagnation of urine in the kidneys, experts prescribe diuretics.

To avoid the manifestation of genetic metabolic pathologies that cause an unpleasant odor, it is very important to adhere to a strict diet. For example, there is no specific treatment for trimethylaminuria. Doctors recommend excluding fish, legumes, and meat products from the diet, and taking activated charcoal daily.

Experts advise fans of fashionable diets to diversify their diet so that protein and carbohydrates enter the body in the right quantities. The drinking regime is also important: normally, if there are no problems with the kidneys, you need to drink at least 1.5 liters of clean water per day.

Unpleasant urine odor is not a reason to panic. But if the stench persists for several days, you should consult a doctor. To find out exactly why there is an unusual smell in the urine, cloudiness, pain and weakness, a specialist will prescribe an examination.

If a woman has a strong urine odor, treatment is impossible without a preliminary diagnosis. It is impossible to affect the quality of urine until the internal organs begin to function normally or harmful bacteria are eliminated.

Effective treatment is prescribed after complete laboratory and instrumental diagnostics. After determining the diagnosis, the specialist determines how to treat the unpleasant odor of urine.

If the diagnosis did not reveal any pathologies, the doctor clarifies details about the patient’s lifestyle and diet. After which he may recommend one of the following treatment options:

1. In case of liver failure, hospitalization and intensive care are recommended.
2. Infections of the urinary tract and reproductive system are treated with antiseptics and antibiotics.
3. Tumors are eliminated surgically, and malignant cells are treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
4. In case of metabolic disorders, a lifelong diet and gene therapy are prescribed.
5. The level of acetone in the blood is regulated by drugs (Stimol, Xylate, Betargin, Citrargini).

Treatment differs in each individual case. Prescribing medications without prior diagnosis can harm the body.

Therapy should be started as soon as you notice an unpleasant smell of urine and other symptoms. Some diseases lead to serious pathologies of the excretory, reproductive and nervous systems. A woman needs to be treated comprehensively, eliminating not only the uncharacteristic odor of urine, but also its cause.

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For bacterial and fungal infections of the genitourinary system, oral antibiotics are prescribed to help kill pathogenic microorganisms. For stagnation of fluid in the bladder or edema, the doctor will select diuretics (synthetic drugs or diuretic herbs). They will remove excess fluid from the body.

In addition to drug therapy, the doctor creates a diet that is optimal for a specific disease. For example, if phenylanine metabolism is impaired, it is necessary to minimize the content of animal protein, dairy products, eggs and chocolate in the diet.

To establish the correct diagnosis, you need to undergo laboratory urine tests.

Systemic disturbances in the functioning of organs

Why does human urine smell very strong? As we discussed above, this may be due to a systemic dysfunction of organs. Especially those systems through which urine passes.

The most common causes are the following diseases:

1. Pyelonephritis is an inflammatory process occurring in the kidneys. It can be either a primary form (the disease affects healthy kidneys) or a secondary form (pyelonephritis is a consequence of another kidney disease). A change in the smell of urine will not be the only sign here. The patient will complain of sharp, nagging pain in the lower back. The disease is quite serious - you need to seek help from a doctor as soon as possible!
2. Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder. The disease can be either infectious or non-infectious in nature. The mucous membrane of the muscle sac becomes inflamed, which leads to disruption of its functioning - the patient’s urine will become cloudy and have sediment. An unpleasant ammonia odor will also be felt from freshly collected urine. Sometimes “medicinal” cystitis occurs - the disease is caused by long-term use of large doses of medications that irritate the bladder mucosa. In particular, these are “Urotropin”, “Phenacetin”. The urine will have a sharp “pharmacy” or “hospital” smell.
3. Urethritis is an inflammation of the walls of the urethra (urethra). A disease of bacteriological, viral nature. In addition to the strong smell of urine, the patient will notice noticeable pain when urinating, purulent, bloody spots in the urine. Moreover, the smell of this disease appears as the very first of all symptoms.
4. UTI (urinary tract infection). Due to the anatomical proximity of the organs, diseases of these systems are in some cases interrelated. Vaginosis, chlamydia, gardnerellosis are the causes of the sharp unpleasant odor of urine. The collected urine here will also be cloudy when held up to light.

Non-pathological etiology of changes in urine odor

The stench that urine gives off has various causes. This syndrome occurs more often in female patients than in males. If a child’s urine has a strong odor, this is considered a sign of certain disorders in the child’s body.

The specific smell of urine is not always pathological and occurs as a result of such changes in the body:

• During pregnancy, when a woman's hormonal status changes, this leads to the urine acquiring an unpleasant odor. As the fetus grows, the hormonal levels will change, and after the birth of the child it will be possible to get rid of the pungent odor.
• A change in the smell of urine in women occurs during menstruation, and the same hormones are to blame.
• If a person abuses protein, the urine has an unpleasant, pungent odor of acetone. When protein foods predominate in the diet, liver function is disrupted, so it is worth reviewing your diet and diversifying it with other healthy foods.
• If your urine smells bad in the morning, it may be due to overnight dehydration or a delay in emptying your bladder. The latter is fraught with bacterial complications, so if even in the middle of the night there is a desire to visit the restroom, you should not ignore the urge.
• A strong smell of urine can occur if personal hygiene rules are not followed, especially in women. When the genitals are clean, the smell disappears, so it is important to take care of yourself and carry out hygiene procedures on time.

Non-pathological causes

A change in the smell of urine is not always a consequence of pathological processes in the female body. Sometimes the symptom can be caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy. In this case, the expectant mother notes the presence of odor in the second half of pregnancy. The habit of enduring the urge to go to the toilet leads to “infusion” of urine in the bladder. The longer a woman endures, the more pungent the smell she will feel.

Certain foods and dishes can change the smell of urine. Thus, spicy, fatty and salty foods, garlic, soda, asparagus, etc. have a great influence. Taking antibiotics and B vitamins always entails a change in the smell of urine. Drinking alcoholic beverages, especially beer, can cause a foreign odor to appear in the urine.

Self-treatment for unpleasant odor when urinating caused by any disease is impossible. This can only be done by a specialist, after diagnostic measures and clinical studies of biological fluids have been carried out. Each disease requires careful diagnosis and specific treatment tactics. Self-diagnosis and self-medication are unacceptable! If the examination does not show the presence of diseases, you need to adjust your diet, give up alcohol and smoking, and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Causes and symptoms of unpleasant odors in urine

The excretory system ensures detoxification of the body. Together with urine, it removes from the body excess salts, metabolites of carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism (it is especially important to get rid of toxic ammonia in a timely manner), as well as by-products of drugs and alcohol.

An unpleasant smell of urine in women indicates diseases of the genitourinary, digestive or endocrine systems. It also often occurs with an unbalanced diet, use of certain medications, drugs, alcohol, and smoking.

Urine normally has a certain odor; it can be compared to ammonia, which is slightly perceptible. When urine comes into contact with air, the aroma intensifies and becomes more pungent over time. If a symptom is observed during and immediately after urination, then a disturbance has occurred in the body.

Causes of unpleasant odor of urine in women:

• dehydration;
• abuse of alcohol, garlic, asparagus;
• metabolic disease;
• genetic pathologies;
• inflammatory diseases of the reproductive system;
• malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract;
• liver disease;
• venereal diseases;
• taking B vitamins and some antibiotics (in particular, Ceftraxon, Ampicillin, Penicillin, Augmentin).

The quality of urine may change if there is disease in other internal organs. Urine is the end product of metabolism, so any organ that is involved in this process can negatively affect the aroma.

It is important to differentiate where the unpleasant odor comes from, from urine or vaginal discharge.

Active proliferation of bacteria is possible with poor genital hygiene. A specific aroma can appear in a healthy body during the period of hormonal changes in adolescence or menopause.

So, the main reasons for changes in odor in urine include:

1. inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system (cystitis, urethritis, pyelitis, pyelonephritis, combined infections);
2. endocrine abnormalities (diabetes mellitus);
3. disturbance of energy metabolism (unloading with fasting, long-term diets).

Sometimes foul odor from urine is caused by a sexually transmitted disease. This happens when vaginal discharge reaches the genitals and then into the urethral canal. Then in women they find:

• chlamydia;
• trichomoniasis;
• gonorrhea;
• syphilis with the addition of urethritis.

A change in the smell of urine is always associated with a decrease in the amount of drink consumed. Stagnation occurs in the kidneys and microbes begin to multiply. In most cases, the urine becomes dark and contains flakes and sediment.

The reason for the appearance of a strong odor in the urine of pregnant women is hormonal changes. During the period of gestation, the body undergoes dramatic restructuring. The organs work with double load, and the uterus puts pressure on the bladder and kidneys.

The appearance of a pronounced fetid odor of fresh urine in the fair sex occurs for the following reasons:

• dehydration of the body;
• abuse of certain foods: alcohol, asparagus, garlic;
• metabolic disease;
• genetic diseases;
• inflammatory processes of the genitourinary organs;
• disorders of the digestive tract;
• liver diseases;
• cholelithiasis;
• venereal diseases;
• diabetes;
• menopause;
• pregnancy;
• insufficient intake of nutrients from food;
• the use of certain medications: B vitamins, antibiotics: ampicillin, ceftriaxone, penicillin, Augmentin, etc.

Urine is a residual product of metabolism, so its qualitative state and smell can change with various functional disorders of the internal organs taking part in these processes.

An important point is to determine the source of the foul odor: urine or vaginal discharge.

Rapid proliferation of microorganisms occurs with insufficient hygiene of the genital organs or its absence. The appearance of a specific odor is also observed in healthy women during hormonal changes in adolescence or menopause.

The basic rule that must be followed, regardless of the pathological or non-pathological cause, is to contact a specialist if there is a prolonged presence of an altered odor, since timely diagnosis followed by therapeutic intervention in many cases helps to avoid dangerous complications. Often the causes of a strong smell of urine in women are diseases of the urinary system.

Important. As practice shows, the property in question in urine can change long before the initial clinical signs of a disease in this group appear, which is why it is often possible to identify the problem at the very beginning of its development.

In women, the occurrence of a strong odor of urine is a frequent accompaniment of other unpleasant phenomena:

• Changes in the properties of urine are observed against the background of intoxication of organs by parasites - their influence is diagnosed in seven out of ten people in accordance with statistical data.
• If the liquid has an unpleasant aroma combined with a dark color, you can suspect an increase in the amount of bilirubin, which indicates problems with the liver.
• When dehydrated, the state of urine also changes. The reason sometimes lies in an incorrectly selected or constantly disrupted drinking regime, the use of certain pharmaceuticals, increased blood loss, diarrhea and other factors. Excessive dieting can have a similar effect.
• Changes are also possible with diabetes; an unnatural aroma of urine indicates hyperglycemia; the next stage may be the development of a diabetic coma. An accompanying symptom is drying out of the oral mucosa, a feeling of thirst, and weight changes.
• Failures in metabolic processes can also change the state of urine.

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However, a change in the characteristics of the contents of the bladder does not always indicate the presence of pathologies; sometimes the symptom in question develops against the background of hormonal changes due to bearing a baby. Moreover, the problem usually occurs in the 2nd half of pregnancy.

Nutrition can also change the contents of the bladder for the worse; spicy, excessively fatty foods, pickles, garlic and carbonated drinks, asparagus can negatively affect the fluid. Antimicrobial drugs and B-group vitamins can also have a negative effect.

Quite often, changes in the properties of urine do not occur as a result of the development of diseases. For example, the liquid may smell like garlic, sulfur, or ampicillin due to the consumption of certain foods or the use of antimicrobials.

Regular cabbage, due to the sulfur compounds it contains, can enhance or worsen already unpleasant aromas. Seasonings, especially garlic and curry, cardamom or cumin, can also change the properties of the contents of the bladder.

Changes also appear when a woman is carrying a child. However, the reasons may be factors that existed before pregnancy. During this period, it is very important to carefully monitor any unusual nuances.

For example, it is considered most dangerous for pregnant women when the liquid has a sweet aroma, a hint of rotting apple or acetone. Such symptoms may indicate the development of diabetes mellitus in pregnant women, the occurrence of eclampsia or nephropathy.

What can the color of urine indicate?

Cloudy or brown urine

If your urine turns brown or cloudy, this may indicate the development of a urinary tract infection, as well as the appearance of kidney stones. If it is still an infection, in addition to the characteristic color, the urine will have a strong ammonia smell, or even a slight sweetish smell. All these odors indicate the activity of pathogenic bacteria in the body.

In addition, a urinary tract infection will be indicated by a frequent urge to urinate, pain and cramping in the lower abdomen, as well as a small amount of urine released. In any of these cases, it is worth visiting a urologist and getting tested for the presence of infectious agents.

If it turns out that there is an infection in your body, follow your doctor's advice and start taking antibiotics. Self-medication and attempts to eliminate bacteria with folk remedies, as a rule, do not lead to anything good and only delay the start of treatment. Remember, folk remedies can complement the main treatment, but only under the supervision of a specialist.

Some people notice cloudy urine, but they are not in a hurry to tell the doctor about it, because they consider this problem to be trivial. In fact, this is an alarming symptom that indicates an excess of certain minerals, in particular, an increased content of calcium or phosphorus in the body. And this is a dangerous condition that leads to bone fragility.

Moreover, if during urination, in addition to a cloudy color, you notice increased foaming of the urine, this may indicate a high protein content in the body or problems with the kidneys. If the problem does not disappear within several days, rush to report it to your doctor.

Red urine

Very often a person gets scared when he notices the red or pink color of urine while urinating. This symptom does not always indicate problems with the body. For example, a pink-red color may appear several hours after eating blackberries, rhubarb, or beets. True, after just a day the color of this biological fluid should return to normal.

If this does not happen, everything is much more serious. Redness may appear due to blood particles getting into the urine, and this situation hints at an infectious disease or the appearance of kidney stones. In some cases, red urine is the first sign of a tumor developing in the kidneys or bladder. In men, red urine may appear due to problems with the prostate gland.

Among other reasons for this change in the color of urine, doctors identify mercury poisoning. By the way, medications used to treat tuberculosis can turn urine red. In any case, it is better to consult a doctor with such a symptom and find out everything before unpleasant consequences occur.

Orange urine

If your urine has a slightly orange tint, there is generally nothing to worry about. As a rule, this indicates moderate dehydration. Just start drinking more fluids and the symptom will disappear immediately. Other non-dangerous causes of this condition include eating carrots, pumpkin and parsley, that is, foods containing orange pigments - carotenoids. Some dietary supplements that contain these pigments can also change the color of your urine to a yellow-orange color.

However, if you have deep orange urine and it is not related to your diet or medications, it makes sense to consult a doctor. This symptom may indicate problems with the liver or bile ducts. For example, increased bilirubin due to inflammation of the liver or blockage of the bile ducts, in the first stages, announce themselves precisely by a change in the color of urine.

In fact, orange urine is one of the symptoms of jaundice, which means it indicates problems with the liver. Therefore, if you notice a change in the color of your urine against the background of pale stool, as well as yellowing of the sclera of the eyes and skin, visit a doctor as soon as possible.

4. Brown urine

Dark brown urine is a fairly common occurrence and does not always indicate health problems. Often this symptom appears as a result of eating legumes, aloe vera or rhubarb. Changes in the color of urine and the use of certain medications, in particular muscle relaxants, laxatives and antimalarials.

Some diseases are also characterized by urine discoloration to brown. In particular, a similar color may hint at certain liver or kidney diseases, infectious diseases of the genitourinary system, as well as acute hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, or even oncology of this organ. If such symptoms are caused by a disease, then in most cases it is triggered by the release of large amounts of bilirubin into the urine.

Sometimes, brown urine is the first sign of porphyria, a rare genetic disease associated with a high content of porphyrins in the body and their increased excretion in the urine. Finally, this symptom can occur in people with a rare disease called rhabdomyliosis. In this category of people, the urine turns brown due to the rapid destruction of muscle tissue cells.

Green urine

Normal urine is yellow, and most often tends to change color from clear to dark yellow. And if your urine suddenly has a greenish tint, there is a reason to take a closer look at your own body. True, you shouldn’t panic right away. Sometimes, a large amount of consumed asparagus, green beer or other products that contain green food coloring turn urine this color. Some medications can also turn urine green. And even diarrhea, sometimes, manifests itself in this way.

According to doctors, in rare cases, green urine appears due to an intestinal infection, for example, when the body is affected by Proteus. Some bacterial lesions of the urinary system can also cause the appearance of green urine, which means you should not put off going to the doctor with this symptom.

Neon yellow urine

Sometimes completely inexplicable things happen to the body. After visiting the toilet, a person suddenly notices the bright, neon yellow color of his urine. In fact, everything is explained quite simply. This unusual color may indicate consumption of B vitamins, especially cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12). Don't worry about it. As soon as you stop taking the vitamin complex, the color of your urine will quickly return to normal.

Prevention

There are no specific preventive measures; doctors recommend the following:

• regularly observe the rules of intimate hygiene;
• avoid hypothermia;
• minimize nervous tension;
• promptly treat existing diseases;
• undergo regular examinations with doctors;
• to refuse from bad habits;
• Healthy food.

By observing these simple conditions, you can reduce the risk of developing pathologies that cause this symptom.

Development of complications

It is worth considering that diseases, the symptom of which is an unpleasant body odor, develop and progress quite quickly. Without proper treatment, such sweating can lead to the following diseases:

• inflammation of the pelvic organs;
• inflammatory processes in the lower abdomen;
• renal failure.

The most dangerous complication is kidney failure, which cannot be cured in its advanced form.

Symptoms

As medical practice shows, smelly urine in women is the first signal that a pathological process is developing in the body. If this sign is left unattended, the disease will rapidly progress and manifest itself with additional symptoms, and will also lead to serious complications.

Basically, the smell in the urine in women is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• the appearance of pain in the lower abdomen;
• the occurrence of pain during urination;
• the appearance of blood impurities in urine;
• pain during intimacy, as well as the appearance of an unpleasant odor after sexual intercourse.

When such signs occur, the situation requires immediate contact with a doctor, since otherwise there is a possibility of developing an extensive inflammatory process.

If a process such as cystitis or urethritis develops in a woman’s body, then in addition to the strong smell of urine, symptoms such as severe pain in the lumbar region, itching and burning during urination, unbearable pain in the bladder area, and cloudy urine appear.

To accurately answer the question of why women’s urine smells strong and unpleasant, you need to undergo a series of medical studies.

Changes in the color and odor of urine are often accompanied by pain when urinating.

If the urine has become smelly and has acquired a cloudy or dark tint, it means that not everything is in order with the body, and the following manifestations may bother you:

1. the patient begins to go to the toilet; when urinating, he experiences burning attacks;
2. severely pulls the lower back;
3. symptoms of intoxication develop - nausea, weakness, headaches;
4. In women, the composition of the vaginal microflora changes, the discharge smells strange and foul, and a burning sensation on the external genital organs is very disturbing.

Sometimes a healthy woman’s urine has an uncharacteristic aroma, but this is not associated with pathologies or nutrition, but is the norm for her. You should pay special attention to the causes of urine odor in a woman when accompanying symptoms appear:

• pain or burning when urinating;
• change in the nature of vaginal discharge;
• foul odor from the vagina;
• indigestion;
• urinary incontinence, insomnia, sleepwalking, seizures and other disorders of the autonomic system;
• impurities of blood and pus in urine;
• pain or discomfort in the bladder, a feeling of fullness, frequent urge to urinate;
• change in the nature of menstruation (delay or shortening of the cycle, pain, excess blood);
• The smell of urine changed 7-12 days after unprotected intercourse.

With these symptoms you need to contact a gynecologist or therapist. They will conduct an examination and, if necessary, refer you to another specialist. The diagnostic complex includes various procedures: biochemical, quantitative blood and urine tests, x-rays and ultrasound of the bladder; if necessary, an MRI is performed.

In addition to the unusual aroma of urine, the patient, depending on the type and severity of the pathology, also has other symptoms:

• increased body temperature;
• discharge;
• pain in the lower abdomen (which intensifies after or during urination);
• pain in the lower back;
• severe thirst and weight loss (with diabetes);
• problems with stool, etc.

To make an accurate diagnosis, a comprehensive diagnosis is required, which includes general and bacteriological urine analysis, ultrasound of the pelvic organs, etc.

The most common sharp and unpleasant smell of urine in women is ammonia. Diseases such as cystitis and urethritis can contribute to its appearance.

The pungent odor of urine is the first symptom of these pathological ailments.

The process of removing urine from the body

Let us also consider in general terms the process of urine excretion in a healthy person.

1. The liquid, in the mass of which waste products are removed from the body, travels a long way - through the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.
2. Urine accumulates in the bladder, a muscle sac whose volume is about 300-600 ml. As it accumulates, it is released by the body.
3. The fluid is discharged through the urethra (urethra).

So why does urine smell strong? The most common reason is that one of the organs that we listed above has some problems in their work. But other things can also provoke an unpleasant odor.

What to pay attention to

It is impossible to make a definitive diagnosis based on odor changes alone. The true cause is determined based on laboratory tests, ultrasound, and cystoscopy. When examining complaints, the doctor will definitely ask about accompanying symptoms and atypical signs.

If your urine smells bad only in the morning

If a change in odor is noted only in the morning, after the first urination, then this indicates the following situations:

• minimum amount of drinking along with plenty of food;
• kidney or urinary stones;
• neoplasms in the organs of the urogenital tract;
• prostatitis, prostate adenoma.

The symptom occurs if the night before a man or woman had anal sex without accompanying perineal hygiene and without a condom. The symptom disappears after normalization of nutrition, drinking and sexual hygiene.

Not only the smell has changed, but also the color

An important criterion for health is not only the smell of urine. The diagnosis also takes into account the shade. With bacterial inflammation of the kidneys, the urine may turn orange. With progressive deficiency, the urine darkens and becomes thicker.

White urine is a sign of kidney failure in the terminal (last) stage.

With hemorrhagic cystitis, the urine turns pink due to the appearance of blood:

• macrohematuria – excessive bleeding from the bladder;
• microhematuria - blood is detected in the laboratory.

Pain and discomfort appeared

Pain when urinating and simply nagging pain above the pubis along with changes in urine tests indicate acute inflammation. A common cause is inflammation of the bladder and urethra.

Pain and discomfort are a reason to take urine tests: general, daily, according to Nechiporenko and others. Based on the data, additional blood tests are performed, smears from the cervical canal in women, urethra in men.

Treatment

After the doctor determines the cause of the foul odor from the body, he prescribes a comprehensive treatment for the pathology. Usually, medications and physical procedures are prescribed to effectively eliminate it. It is worth considering that independent selection of methods for treating smelly sweat is strictly prohibited, since incorrect medication use will only aggravate the situation. To increase the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment, the patient can follow two important principles: rational nutrition and maintaining personal hygiene.

In order to cope with the problem as quickly as possible, the following should be excluded from the daily menu:

• sour foods;
• bitter foods;
• onion;
• garlic;
• asparagus;
• spices;
• marinades.

Instead, the diet includes:

• vegetable salads;
• seasonal fruits;
• cellulose;
• ripe berries;
• jelly based on fruits and oats.

Particular attention should be paid to personal hygiene:

1. Water procedures should be carried out twice a day: morning and evening.
2. The most sweaty areas of the body should be treated with deodorants.
3. It is necessary to take a warm shower to make it easier for the body to regulate thermoregulation.
4. Underwear and bedding should be changed regularly.

Such recommendations, in combination with treatment prescribed by a doctor, will allow you to quickly cope with the problem in which the body smells of urine.

Diagnostics

To identify the cause of the unpleasant smell of urine, the doctor must prescribe laboratory and instrumental tests, as well as carry out various manipulations for diagnostic purposes.

The set of diagnostic measures is as follows:

• Analysis of daily urine volume (Zimnitsky test)
• Finding out the woman’s life history and hereditary factors.
• Visual inspection.
• Careful collection of medical history.
• OAM, UAC, BAK.
• Urine culture.
• Urinalysis according to Nicheporenko.
• X-ray of the abdominal organs.
• Ultrasound of the pelvic organs.
• Tomography.

After the results of diagnostic measures, the specialist will select the most effective treatment.