Your pee naturally has an odor and is normally not smelly. Urine odor refers to the smell of your urine. Urine odor definitely varies. Most of the time, urine does not have a strong smell if you are healthy and you drink plenty of fluids.
A strong smelling urine is usually not a cause for concern. Most changes in urine odor are not a sign of disease and it may go away in time. Some foods and medicines, including vitamins, may affect your urine’s odor. For example, eating asparagus causes a distinct urine odor.
Sometimes, however, a strong or unusual smelling urine is a sign of an underlying medical problem.
Below are common causes that contributes to the unusual smell of your urine:
Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when you do not drink enough fluids. When you are dehydrated, your pee would be dark yellow or orange in color, and sometimes it smells like ammonia.
Liver Disease
A strong musty-smelling urine can also be a sign of liver disease and other metabolic disorders. Other symptoms associate with liver disease include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, yellow skin or eyes, weakness, bloating, and weight loss.
When can we seek medical help?
Call your health care provider if you have signs of a urinary tract infection with abnormal urine odor. These include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Burning pain with urination
- Back pain
Or when you have diabetes and feel you’re not managing it properly. Remember, it is always important to drink adequate amount of fluids a day, since urine are produced by the kidneys.
Image Credits: igancure, stek, softpedia, healthline
