Urine helps remove waste products and toxins that are released during metabolism in the human body. One of them are ketone bodies, in particular acetone or dimethyl ketone. The mechanism of formation of ketone bodies in the body of an adult and a child is similar.
Under normal conditions, urine does not have a particularly unpleasant odor. But situations often arise when urine may smell like acetone. When there is a large amount of it in urine, a condition called acetonuria occurs.
Increasing acetone in adults
The smell of acetone in the urine of an adult appears under the influence of internal and external factors that lead to incomplete dissolution of protein in urine. An unpleasant odor occurs as a result of endocrine diseases, among which the most common are diabetes mellitus and thyroid diseases. In these pathological conditions, normal metabolic processes in the body are disrupted.
Another reason for an unpleasant, pungent odor is poor nutrition, prolonged fasting or a low-carbohydrate diet, and lack of fluids. Excessive love for protein products leads to the fact that the body cannot cope with such volumes and does not break it down completely, which causes an acetone smell. In men, acetonuria is often caused by the desire to build muscle mass, for which they consume a lot of protein and train hard. In addition, poor nutrition leads to intestinal dysfunction and disruption of microflora - one of the reasons for improper absorption of consumed foods.
Also, acetone compounds irritate the lining of the stomach, leading to prolonged vomiting, which can lead to severe dehydration.
Enzyme deficiency, oncology and infectious damage to the gastrointestinal tract, gastritis, ulcers, intoxication and poisoning of the body with harmful compounds can provoke acetonuria.
External factors, such as frequent stress, depression, excessive emotional and mental fatigue, disrupt metabolism and the functioning of the entire body - acetonuria develops. In adults, ketonuria can develop after surgery, with significant blood loss, which leads to a decrease in sugar levels in the body.
Symptoms
If acetone appears in the body, it immediately makes itself felt. Primarily manifested in the following symptoms:
- abdominal pain;
- lack of appetite;
- dizziness.
If the amount of acetone has increased, then more obvious symptoms occur, which, first of all, include lethargy and lack of interest in what is happening.
If this condition persists for several days, then it is necessary to urgently contact a medical facility to avoid coma.
Not only the smell of acetone is a sign of a pathological process, but other fluids secreted by the body also “stink”.
If a person has ketonuria, his liver enlarges and this can be observed by ultrasound diagnostics.
Increasing acetone in children
In recent years, an increase in acetone in the urine of children has been increasingly diagnosed. What is this connected with? The main root cause is the underdevelopment of the pancreas, which means that the child’s body may lack enzymes for the breakdown of proteins and carbohydrates. The pancreas completes its formation when the child reaches the age of 12 years.
Also, the reasons and double blow to the incompletely formed pancreas can be poor nutrition, frequent and sometimes unbearable loads for the child’s body. Therefore, the child needs to eat a balanced diet without overloading the digestive tract. The diet should contain a minimum amount of fatty and fried foods. Completely exclude canned products, sweet carbonated drinks, and flavorings. Portions should not be large, but meals should be frequent, about 5 - 6 times a day.
Why else does a child’s urine smell like acetone? Modern parents often overload their children with sports sections, clubs and additional classes in subjects. This leads to a large expenditure of strength and energy, gradually the glucose level decreases and leads to the appearance of ketonuria. In addition, the urine smells like acetone if the child has undergone a long antibacterial course, the child has worms, dysentery, or hypothermia.
In newborns or infants, the smell of acetone may be accompanied by intestinal dysbiosis, enzyme deficiency, allergic dermatitis, hypoxia, and pathologies of the central nervous system.
Ketonuria in children is caused in most cases by errors in drinking and eating habits, and less often by existing diseases.
Poor nutrition
Losing weight with the Dukan diet has recently become very popular because it makes it possible to lose weight without feeling hungry. But the predominance of protein foods in the diet also has a downside - the body cannot completely process it, and acetone is formed in the blood.
The same thing happens with excessive consumption of fatty foods and insufficient carbohydrates. In this case, no treatment is required - just adjust your diet.
Important to remember! To maintain women's health, proper nutrition is necessary, which involves a ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates of 1:1:4.
Diagnostics
In addition to unpleasant odors and disturbances in a person’s general condition, the level of acetone can be determined by donating urine and blood. To study the indicators, you need to contact a doctor, who will send you to a clinical laboratory to take biological material. Before visiting the clinic, you can determine the level of acetone using special test strips. Use strips for analysis according to the attached instructions.
To assess the condition and changes in internal organs that occurred as a result of toxic acetone poisoning, instrumental diagnostic methods are used: ultrasound, tomography. The kidneys, liver, pancreas, digestive tract organs and thyroid gland are most often examined.
Test strips and their interpretation
Test strips can be used for home testing to determine acetone in the body. They are quite easy to use, but before performing the test you must carefully study the instructions and follow them.
After the test is carried out, you need to learn how to interpret it. First of all, it should be noted that if the tester turns bright color , this means the presence of acetone in the body.
There is a scale on the strip, by the color of which you can understand the volume of acetone. These divisions start from zero to 16 mmol/liter. If, as a result of testing, the color of the strip does not correspond to the scale, then the urine is checked again, but in a hospital setting.
When taking medications based on phenolphthalein for a long time, some patients may notice the color of the strip in lilac or red. These are manifestations of taking the drug.
If the test shows one plus or 0.5-1.5 mmol per liter , then treatment can be done at home.
With readings of 4 mmol per liter or two pluses means an average condition. This requires drinking plenty of water and consulting a doctor.
If the scale shows three pluses or 10 mmol per liter or higher, this is a serious condition that requires hospitalization.
Treatment
When the urine smells like acetone, the underlying disease that causes the growth of ketone bodies is initially treated. For diabetes mellitus, insulin preparations are used; for enzyme deficiency, the doctor prescribes enzymes. To cleanse the body of toxins and harmful decay products, cleansing enemas and enterosorbents are used: Enterosgel, Polysorb, Activated carbon.
In case of a critical increase in acetone, hospitalization is required. In the hospital, a patient with acetonuria is given intravenous Regidron or Orsal. In case of severe vomiting, Cerucal is administered intramuscularly.
An important place is occupied by a diet in which it is necessary to exclude fatty, fried foods, smoked foods, red fish, mushrooms, fatty broths, canned and pickled foods, sour vegetables and fruits, dairy products, soda, coffee and cocoa-containing products.
Instead of excluded foods, you should eat vegetable soups, salads, fruits, and cereals. Drink more than three liters of pure water, rehydration solutions and alkaline mineral waters. The more fluid enters the body, the faster it is cleansed with urine and the level of acetone decreases. It is also necessary to protect yourself from stressful situations, psycho-emotional and physical stress.
Acetonuria is a reason to contact a qualified specialist who will prescribe appropriate treatment. This pathology affects adults and children. It develops with poor nutrition, pathologies of the digestive tract, diseases of the central nervous and endocrine systems, and with genitourinary diseases when the bladder is affected. For diagnostic purposes, clinical blood tests, urine tests and ultrasound examination are used. It is treated using sorbents and drugs to eliminate the underlying cause of the disease.
What should normal urine look like?
In healthy people, urine does not look repulsive.
Normally, the liquid is almost transparent, has a light yellow color, and a slight odor similar to the smell of sea water. An unpleasant smell of urine indicates pathologies in various organs - not only in the kidneys and bladder, but also in the liver, reproductive system, etc. Without attaching importance to this symptom, you can trigger such a serious illness as cancer, hepatitis, a dangerous sexually transmitted infection, etc. Therefore, if you notice that your urine begins to smell unpleasant or strong, consult a doctor.
Infectious diseases
Acetonuria can be caused by prolonged infections that occur with an increase in body temperature. This could be the flu, scarlet fever, meningitis, various intestinal infections and others.
The reason for the increase in the level of ketone bodies in these cases lies in the massive breakdown of protein and severe dehydration of the body.
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Prevention
To prevent such problems from arising, you should try to lead a more measured lifestyle.
You should avoid overwork and frequent night work, and if this happens, such shifts must be alternated with periods of rest, during which the body can fully recover.
Fatty and monotonous fast food food may look attractive, smell and taste good, but it is precisely this that is the cause of various pathologies, obesity and vitamin deficiency. You need to eat healthy, diversify your diet, eat more fruits and vegetables.
Inflammatory diseases of the urinary system
Kidney diseases are not the cause of the formation of ketone bodies, but can significantly worsen a person’s condition with acetonuria.
When the kidneys are functioning normally, acetone is excreted from the body with fluid , but if the urinary system is not in order, it accumulates. In this case, poisoning of the body is observed even with a slight production of ketone bodies.
