Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentComplicationsDiagnosisWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Complications
Diagnosis
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
The kidney and urinary systems produce urine to help the body eliminate liquid waste and balance electrolytes such as potassium and sodium.
Urine is mostly water and typically has little to no odor. However,urine odorcan sometimes vary from sweet to foul depending on the foods and drinks we consume, medicines we take, infections, and other health conditions.
In most circumstances, the urine of healthy people will not have a strong odor. Urine with a pungent smell may mean that it is more concentrated, having higher-than-normal levels of waste.
This article will review urine odor symptoms, causes, treatments, diagnostic testing, and when to see a healthcare provider.
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Urine Odor Symptoms
Depending on symptoms, odorous urine may include various smells, such as:
Causes of Urine Odor
Brief or mild urine odor symptoms may not signify a more significant medical condition. However, there are many types of health conditions that can cause urine odor symptoms. Some urine odor causes are:
What Medications Can Cause Urine Odor?
Some medications and supplements may also cause changes in urine odor, such as:
How to Treat Urine Odor
Treatment for urine odor depends on its cause. For example, urine odor due to severe dehydration typically resolves once a person consumes an adequate amount of fluids. If a medication is causing urine odor symptoms, talk to your provider to ensure that the symptom is expected and not a sign of something more serious.
However, other, more serious health conditions, such as infections, liver disease, kidney disease, or diabetes, will require various treatments to manage the disease causing the odorous urine.
Talk to a healthcare provider if you are experiencing unusual or resistant urine odor symptoms. Diagnostic testing, such as aurinalysis, may be necessary to determine the cause and ensure there are no other unknown underlying medical conditions.
Complications and Risk Factors Associated With Urine Odor
Risk factors associated with urine odor are not due to the scent but the underlying cause of it. For example, chronic liver failure patients have significant medical complications such asportal hypertensionandhepatic encephalopathythat have associated risk factors related to the disease.
However, unless you’re allergic, foods such as asparagus, onions, and garlic are generally healthy and pose no additional health risks other than causing a mild urine smell.
Are There Tests to Diagnose the Cause of Urine Odor?
Your provider may also want to do a urinalysis, a simple urine test examining a small sample of your urine. This test is noninvasive and requires that you provide urine in a clear container for analysis.
A urinalysis typically includes three parts, which are:
Depending on the urinalysis results, your provider may also want to do blood work to check for other possible reasons for the change in urine odor. They may also order diagnostic imaging such as acomputed tomography (CT) scanormagnetic resonance imaging (MRI)to see if there is another medical issue.
Hyaline Casts in Urine: Understanding Ranges on Urinalysis
You should see your healthcare provider if you’re experiencing a strong or persistent urine odor, especially if you have any other usual medical issues occurring. They may order a urinalysis and other diagnostic tests that can help to shed some light on what is causing the problem.
Summary
In most circumstances, the urine of healthy people will not have a strong odor. However, urine odor can vary from sweet to foul depending on various foods, medicines, infections, and other health conditions.
Brief or mild urine odor symptoms can stem from certain foods, medications, vitamins, or dehydration. However, more severe health conditions may cause urine odor symptoms, such as an infection, ketonuria, liver disease or liver failure, and chronic renal (kidney) failure.
Risk factors associated with urine odor are not due to the smell but the underlying cause.
A Word From Verywell
Urine odor may be concerning. But the good news is that visiting your healthcare provider can help undercover the cause. If you or a loved one is experiencing odorous urine, see your healthcare provider to rule out any unknown underlying medication conditions that may be causing your symptoms.
Frequently Asked QuestionsBrief or mild urine odor symptoms may not signify a more significant medical condition. However, there are many types of health conditions that cause urine odor symptoms. Some urine odor causes are foods, medications, vitamins, and dehydration. More concerning causes of urine odor include bacterial infection, ketonuria, liver disease, and chronic renal failure.The smell of your urine may provide insight into a health condition that is causing the smell. For example, high glucose levels due to uncontrolled diabetes can causethe urine to smell sweet. Musty-smelling urine is associated with liver disease or liver failure. Any unusual or prolonged urine odor changes should be discussed with your healthcare provider.A UTI typically presents with cloudy and foul-smelling urine.However, a urinalysis is needed to confirm a UTI diagnosis.
Brief or mild urine odor symptoms may not signify a more significant medical condition. However, there are many types of health conditions that cause urine odor symptoms. Some urine odor causes are foods, medications, vitamins, and dehydration. More concerning causes of urine odor include bacterial infection, ketonuria, liver disease, and chronic renal failure.
The smell of your urine may provide insight into a health condition that is causing the smell. For example, high glucose levels due to uncontrolled diabetes can causethe urine to smell sweet. Musty-smelling urine is associated with liver disease or liver failure. Any unusual or prolonged urine odor changes should be discussed with your healthcare provider.
A UTI typically presents with cloudy and foul-smelling urine.However, a urinalysis is needed to confirm a UTI diagnosis.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.John Hopkins Medicine.Anatomy of the urinary system.The Diabetes Counsel.Your urine and diabetes: what you should know.Unity Point Health.The causes of foul-smelling-urine.Medline Plus.Ammonia levels.Medline Plus.Urinary tract infections - adults.Medline Plus.Maple syrup urine disease.Medline Plus.Urine odor.Epidemiological and clinical aspects of urinary tract infection in community-dwelling elderly women.The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2012;16(5):436-441. doi.org/10.1016/j.bjid.2012.06.025
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.John Hopkins Medicine.Anatomy of the urinary system.The Diabetes Counsel.Your urine and diabetes: what you should know.Unity Point Health.The causes of foul-smelling-urine.Medline Plus.Ammonia levels.Medline Plus.Urinary tract infections - adults.Medline Plus.Maple syrup urine disease.Medline Plus.Urine odor.Epidemiological and clinical aspects of urinary tract infection in community-dwelling elderly women.The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2012;16(5):436-441. doi.org/10.1016/j.bjid.2012.06.025
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
John Hopkins Medicine.Anatomy of the urinary system.The Diabetes Counsel.Your urine and diabetes: what you should know.Unity Point Health.The causes of foul-smelling-urine.Medline Plus.Ammonia levels.Medline Plus.Urinary tract infections - adults.Medline Plus.Maple syrup urine disease.Medline Plus.Urine odor.Epidemiological and clinical aspects of urinary tract infection in community-dwelling elderly women.The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2012;16(5):436-441. doi.org/10.1016/j.bjid.2012.06.025
John Hopkins Medicine.Anatomy of the urinary system.
The Diabetes Counsel.Your urine and diabetes: what you should know.
Unity Point Health.The causes of foul-smelling-urine.
Medline Plus.Ammonia levels.
Medline Plus.Urinary tract infections - adults.
Medline Plus.Maple syrup urine disease.
Medline Plus.Urine odor.
Epidemiological and clinical aspects of urinary tract infection in community-dwelling elderly women.The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2012;16(5):436-441. doi.org/10.1016/j.bjid.2012.06.025
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