Pungent odor of urine. Causes of unpleasant odor of urine in women. It is necessary to exclude diseases such as.

Causes of fishy smell

Basically, the aroma of rotten fish is inherent in vaginal discharge. They enter the urine when the bladder empties. Impregnated with fishy spirit, the unpleasant odor of urine is characteristic of:

• Trichomoniasis,
• Vaginal dysbiosis due to the proliferation of Gardnerella bacteria,
• Trimethylaminuria (impaired production of the liver enzyme trimethylamine).

In the first cases, prevention of the cause of urine odor in women is to use barrier contraception, in the latter - by following a low-protein diet and using adsorbents.

Features of trimethylaminuria

An explanation for why urine smells like fish in women is sometimes a disease such as trimethylaminuria. This is a rather problematic pathological condition, since almost all human biological fluid has an unpleasant rancid odor, except urine. This also applies to sweat, due to which the stench spreads throughout the body. It is worth noting that this physiological condition is not life-threatening. However, people suffering from trimethylaminuria find themselves in a delicate and difficult situation, since the stench emanating from them is not felt by them, unlike those who are nearby. This factor significantly reduces the patient’s social activity and also brings psychological and moral discomfort.

Diabetes: A metabolic condition characterized by high blood sugar and insufficient or insufficient use of insulin. Diabetes causes the release of glucose in the urine, which results in sweet, fishy-smelling urine. Proper diabetes treatment will most likely resolve this symptom.

Phenylketonuria: A metabolic disorder characterized by the body's inability to break down the amino acid phenylalanine. This condition will cause sufferers to produce strong, foul-smelling urine that often has a muscular, fishy, ​​or musty odor. Those diagnosed with phenylketonuria are advised to avoid foods high in phenylalanine, which are typically foods that contain protein.

What explains the unpleasant odor associated with trimethylaminuria? It's all about a genetic pathology, which is characterized by the lack of excretion of trimethylamine. occurs in the intestines during the digestion of foods with a significant content of proteins and choline - for this it is enough to eat a dish of seafood, beans or eggs. The intestines of a healthy person contain bacteria that promote the process of digestion and the synthesis of trimethylamine.

Certain foods: Breaking down certain foods can cause your urine to take on its own unique odor. This is commonly seen in those who consume asparagus as it tends to release a sulfur byproduct that is released in the urine. Sulfur can make your urine smell fishy or rancid.

Trimethylaminuria: A genetic disorder characterized by body odor and fishy urine odor. Those with hormonal imbalances, kidney or liver problems, and certain diets may also suffer from trimethylaminuria without the genetic defect. Treatment often includes lifestyle and diet changes or the use of certain medications.

In addition, a healthy liver synthesizes flamin, an enzyme based on monooxygenase 3. It stimulates the transformation of trimethylamine into an odorless substance - it leaves the body naturally, with urine. This process is quite complex; it is controlled by the FMO3 gene. If it is missing or poorly functioning, trimethylamine accumulates. This leads to urine with an unpleasant odor, stench of the skin and breath.

Preventing and Treating Urine That Smells Fishy

Having fishy smelly urine can be very unpleasant as it is a definite sign that something is not normal. However, in most cases, fishy-smelling urine is caused by something that can be treated or is a side effect of your diet or medications.

Causes of unpleasant odor

Following these tips, you will be able to get rid of the smell of your urine. Mix about half a teaspoon of baking soda in four liters of warm water and drink throughout the day. This helps prevent infection. . If you still have fishy-smelling urine despite your best efforts to eliminate it, it is recommended that you consult a doctor about your condition. Your urine should not smell any more pungent than usual.

If a woman is pregnant, then if she is diagnosed with trimethylaminuria, her urine will smell like rotten fish. This is explained by the increased influence of estrogen and progesterone on the course of the disease.

Sweet smell of maple syrup

When a woman's urine smells like maple syrup, this indicates the presence of the hereditary disease leucinosis. It lies in the fact that the body loses the ability to produce enzymes that ensure the breakdown of individual amino acids. This diagnosis is made in infancy, but the disease can manifest itself later.

Urine smells especially sweet during exacerbations that occur during times of stress, weakened immunity, or overwork. Treatment consists of a lifelong diet and regular medical supervision. Without treatment, death is possible.

What is considered normal

The urine of a healthy woman has a subtle odor of ammonia, which intensifies significantly when the urine comes into contact with oxygen, which is why women’s urine smells particularly strong if it stands even in a closed container.

If the urine has acquired another strange or bad odor, or a strong odor of ammonia is felt immediately after urination, it is necessary to identify the root cause of this condition.

Factors that provoke changes in the physical parameters of urine, including its aroma, include:

• inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs;
• venereal diseases;
• excessive consumption of certain foods (garlic, alcohol, asparagus, etc.);
• dehydration;
• genetic diseases;
• metabolic disease;
• use of certain groups of drugs (for example, antibiotics);
• diseases of the digestive system, including the liver.

Many common seasonings can also affect both the odor and color of urine.

This is an incomplete list of reasons that cause similar symptoms. This is due to the fact that urine indicators, as the final product of metabolic processes in the body, directly respond to all problems and malfunctions in the functioning of internal organs.

Smell of rotten eggs or rotting

A bad smell of rotten eggs or rot is a serious symptom. The urine becomes cloudy and contains various inclusions. If the unpleasant smell of urine does not go away within a day, you should consult a doctor. Urine smells like spoiled eggs under the following conditions:

• Pyelonephritis,
• Rectal cancer
• Inflammation of the kidneys and bladder.

Eating asparagus can also cause a strong smell of rotten eggs, but then the effect will subside within 5-6 hours.

Pathological causes

If a woman notices an unpleasant odor in her urine, it is necessary to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms. She is able to report the pathology that could trigger the problem. Most often, an unpleasant odor is a consequence of the following diseases:

1. Liver diseases. Pathology leads to an increase in the level of bilirubin in urine. This in turn causes a change in smell
2. Sexually transmitted diseases. This occurs due to the fact that the organs of the genitourinary system are in close proximity to each other. If you encounter an unpleasant odor, you should visit a gynecologist. A woman may be diagnosed with chlamydia. After 2 weeks from the onset of infection, it leads to a change in the smell of urine. Another reason for this phenomenon is mycoplasmosis. It can cause inflammation of the reproductive system and kidneys.
3. Diabetes. The smell of urine from patients with this disease resembles acetone or sour apples. The symptoms cannot be ignored. Complications that arise can lead to diabetic coma.
4. Suppurative or gangrenous processes occur in the rectum.
5. There may be a serious metabolic disorder. Experts include in this group of diseases pathology in which the urine smells like maple syrup, phenylketonuria, which causes the smell of mold, and trimethylaminuria, which leads to the smell of rotten fish.
6. Pathology of the urinary system. It is noteworthy that changes in urine odor begin to occur long before the first symptom appears. Urine may acquire a strong aroma due to urethritis or cystitis. The first pathology is an inflammatory lesion of the urethra. In the second, inflammation is localized in the bladder. The symptom also occurs with pyelonephritis. In this case, damage to the renal tubular system occurs. Less commonly, a strong smell of urine is accompanied by a disease in which the renal pelvis is affected.

The list is not exhaustive. Trichomoniasis has similar symptoms. And during it, inflammation of the cervix and vagina is observed.

Non-specific odors

The causes of urine odor in women in most cases lie in dietary habits. The following products can make urine smell unusual:

• Spices and seasonings (garlic, cardamom, curry),
• Cabbage (intensifies the smell of sulfur),
• Antibiotics and other medications (smell of ampicillin).

Dark urine with a garlicky odor indicates liver dysfunction. Urine with the smell of sweat indicates a disorder of fermentation metabolism and the development of gastritis, pancreatitis and duodenal ulcer.

Causes and symptoms of unpleasant odors in urine

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.

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Smell of acetone

This chemical is continuously excreted from the body by the kidneys. Its sharp presence indicates an increased level of acetone throughout the body.

Strong odor of urine, provoking factors in women:

• tumors in the stomach;
• diabetes;
• dehydration and exhaustion of the body (due to increased physical activity, lack of nutrition, and prolonged vomiting);
• poor nutrition;
• intoxication;
• pathologies of the thyroid gland;
• increase in body temperature.

Each pathology makes itself felt by other symptoms. Seeing a doctor promptly can prevent serious problems.

The accumulation of ketone (acetone) bodies during pregnancy is especially dangerous. This condition mainly appears in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, the diagnosis is called “gestational diabetes mellitus”. While pregnant, doctors carefully monitor the level of acetone; after childbirth, the condition returns to normal.

Acetone increases when following the popular Dukan and Kremlin diets, and during dry fasting. The body begins to consume its own resources, which is fraught with serious disruptions. Toxic substances in large quantities can have a destructive effect on brain structures.

High temperature also exhausts the body. The body’s own fluid runs out, and to synthesize energy, the body uses up reserves of proteins and fats.

On a note! Diabetics can hear notes of acetone when they miss an insulin injection, during stress, or when an infection enters the body.

Ammonia smell

Ammonia and its derivatives are present in a certain amount in the urine of a healthy person. If at the moment of urination you notice the smell of ammonia, then you need to think about your lifestyle, diet and physiological state.

Ammonia smell of urine, provoking factors:

• dehydration, violation of drinking regime;
• stagnation of urine (prolonged abstinence from going to the toilet, kidney stones, pregnancy);
• predominantly protein foods in the diet;
• liver pathologies;
• rarely chronic inflammation of the kidneys or bladder;
• cancer of the urinary organs;
• long-term use of medications containing iron or calcium;
• renal failure, tuberculosis.

Ammonia notes are rarely the cause of complex illness. More often he talks about an increased concentration of the substance in urine. Once the lifestyle is adjusted and the cause is eliminated, the symptom will disappear within 3 days.

Rotten smell

Normally, urine does not give off a fishy stench; in any case, such a symptom indicates the presence of a disease. Urine smells unpleasant when vaginal discharge gets into the urine. Only a doctor can determine the cause of the pathology after instrumental diagnosis. This usually results in the formation of a fistula.

The liquid smells like rotten eggs or fish when the internal genital organs and urine are infected with bacteria of the genus Trichomonas. Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease; in addition, a woman may notice a yellow discharge that also has a foul odor.

Other symptoms of trichomoniasis:

• swollen mucous membranes of the vagina and urethra;
• redness of the external genitalia;
• yellow or brown discharge;
• discomfort during urination.

The rotten odor can come from gardnerella bacteria, which create an opportunistic environment in the vagina or urethra. The patient complains of green discharge and problems with urination.

The genetic disease trimethylaminuria causes all fluids to smell like rotting fish. This is due to disruption of the liver and the incomplete production of a certain enzyme, which is responsible for the conversion of trimethylamine. The disease makes itself felt from early childhood.

Notes of hydrogen sulfide appear in liver failure. Yellowing of the skin and the white of the eye is observed, the woman suffers from heavy menstruation, and the skin smells unpleasant.

Putrid smell

This aroma has been compared to the stench of rotten eggs. In women, the symptom appears due to inflammatory diseases of the genital organs or urinary system. The main pathogen is Escherichia coli. The putrid stench of urine accompanies pyelonephritis and tumors in the rectum.

Symptoms must be present:

• cloudy urine;
• uncharacteristic discharge;
• pus in the urine.

The nature of your urine can also be affected by your diet, for example, eating a lot of asparagus.

The smell of maple syrup

Urine has a sweet aroma. Its main cause is leucinosis, a hereditary disease that prevents the production of enzymes necessary to break down certain amino acids. The latter are toxic to the body and destroy the tissues of internal organs. The disease is detected in infancy, and in isolated cases later.

The acute stage of the pathology is expressed by other symptoms:

• nausea and vomiting;
• convulsions;
• lack of coordination.

If the diagnosis is not detected in a timely manner and there is no treatment, the prognosis is unfavorable.

Mouse smell

Notes of mold or mice appear with congenital pathology, when the liver cannot cope with the production of enzymes responsible for the breakdown of phenylalanine. The substance accumulates in tissues, which gives a stench not only to urine, but also to sweat and saliva.

A person who has a moldy odor in urine suffers from the following symptoms:

• delayed mental and physical development;
• convulsions;
• general weakness.

If treatment is not started in time, the disease progresses and the central nervous system and brain suffer.

Sour smell

This aroma is associated with sour milk or sauerkraut. The main provoking factor is damage to the genitourinary system by a fungus. This may be candidiasis of the vagina or urethra.

Additionally, a woman may complain of the following symptoms:

• white cheesy discharge;
• white plaque on the external genitalia;
• itching and burning in the vagina;
• in women, cloudy urine with an odor.

Vaginal dysbiosis appears for various reasons. This could be hypothermia, decreased immunity, taking large amounts of sweets and baked goods, or antibiotics. Urine returns to normal after the disease is eliminated.

A sour odor may be present when there is a malfunction in the gastrointestinal tract, namely with increased stomach acidity or intestinal dysbiosis.

Other smells

Other non-specific notes appear due to an unhealthy lifestyle or abuse of certain products. Urine may smell like medicine, sulfur, garlic, or aspicillin.

If the urine smells like beer, then there is a suspicion of malabsorption, when beneficial substances from food are not absorbed by the intestines.

The smell of beer

The unpleasant smell of urine with a beer spirit is inherent in a rather rare disease called malabsorption (impaired absorption of food in the intestines). In addition to the fact that the urine begins to smell like beer, the patient suddenly loses weight. He develops severe diarrhea. Feces are highly oily and can be difficult to wash out of the toilet.

The smell of beer in the urine also accompanies hypermethioninemia (exceeding the amount of the amino acid methionine). The disease is genetic in nature and is diagnosed in childhood. The strong smell of beer can also be characteristic of manifestations of liver failure.

Why does urine smell like fish?

Most often, a woman’s urine smells like fish due to various gynecological and venereological diseases. The smell of fish means the growth of staphylococci, streptococci, E. coli and other microorganisms. It may also indicate the presence of a sexually transmitted infection (gonococcus, chlamydia, trichomonas, ureaplasma) or a violation of the vaginal microflora. An unpleasant odor is one of the symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases such as gardnerellosis and candidiasis. The fishy odor of a man’s urine occurs when there is a significant content of anaerobic bacteria (atopobium, gardnerella). The child's urine smells like fish due to sexually transmitted infections transmitted through household contact or from a sick mother.

What causes vaginitis in the first place helps determine the most effective treatment. If you have smelly urine along with severe pain in your lower back and groin area, it may be due to kidney stones. You develop kidney stones due to increased levels of calcium and oxalate in your urine. You can first develop crystals that turn into kidney stones over time. You usually experience pain when these stones or crystals get stuck in your ureters. Drinking plenty of water can help relieve symptoms, but surgery may be required in severe cases.

In addition, this symptom accompanies inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system. Urine smells like rotten fish when there is an increased level of leukocytes in the urine, which is observed after severe infections. An unpleasant odor can be caused by: a long course of antibiotics, disturbances in the balance of microflora, weakened immunity.

Several liver diseases can lead to liver dysfunction and cause fishy-smelling urine. When your liver is healthy, it only releases small amounts of bilirubin in your urine. Certain liver abnormalities can cause the amount of bilirubin in your urine to increase, which changes the smell of your urine. If your dirty, smelly urine is caused by liver problems, you will also notice that your urine turns a dark amber color. The only way to resolve urine color and odor problems in this case is to treat the underlying liver disease first.

Urine with stool odor

The causes of urine odor in women are not limited to all of the above. In some circumstances, urine takes on the smell of feces. This may happen:

• In the absence of proper care for the intimate area,
• For problems with urination and defecation due to their pain (development of a fistula).

Whatever the reasons for the smell of urine in women, the main thing is to notice changes in time and contact competent specialists who will prevent the situation from worsening and the development of complications.

Diagnostics

When, instead of the usual smells of urine, the stench of rotten fish begins to be felt, you should go to the hospital to determine the cause of this manifestation. In such cases, the following laboratory tests are performed:

1. Clinical tests of urine and blood are performed.
2. Swabs are taken from the urethral and vaginal areas.
3. Bacteriological culture of urine is performed.
4. Blood is taken for biochemistry.
5. The causative agents of infectious diseases are detected using polymerase chain-type changes.
6. If necessary, other types of tests may be prescribed.

When the urine has the “aroma” of fish, then in determining the correct diagnosis, the doctor will need to collect information from the patient about existing diseases of the organs of the ureteric and reproductive systems, manifested in acute or chronic forms. Hereditary forms of pathologies are taken into account, patients are examined by a gynecologist and undergo instrumental examinations, which may include:

• Ultrasound of organs located in the pelvis, ureteric canal, kidneys, urinary tract, pelvis;
• cystographic examination;
• X-ray of various organs.

Associated symptoms

A woman should consult a specialist as soon as possible if, in addition to the specific smell of urine, she is bothered by the following disorders:

• feeling of a full bladder even after emptying it;
• frequent urination;
• the appearance of impurities of pus, blood and white flakes in urine;
• cloudiness and change in urine color;
• the appearance of signs of dehydration;
• changes in the nature of menstruation and vaginal discharge;
• the formation of an unpleasant odor 7-14 days after unprotected sexual intercourse.

Smell of acetone

In small amounts, acetone compounds are constantly excreted from the body by the kidneys along with urine. But if after urination a specific smell of acetone is detected, then its indicators have exceeded the permissible threshold.

This manifestation may be one of the symptoms:

• diabetes mellitus;
• stomach cancer;
• exhaustion of the body (with diets in women, fasting, excessive physical activity, etc.);
• disturbances in the diet (predominance of protein and fat-containing foods);
• prolonged increase in body temperature;
• poisoning, including alcoholic;
• prolonged vomiting (intestinal poisoning, toxicosis of pregnancy, eclampsia);
• thyroid diseases.

In most cases, in addition to the change in urine odor to acetone, additional manifestations of disease are observed.

But even the appearance of such an aroma, as a single symptom, indicates the need to see a doctor. This is due to the fact that the presence of a high number of ketone bodies in urine can lead to a coma or serious health problems (especially during pregnancy).

If there is acetone in the urine, its smell can change not only to a sharp acetone, but also to a soft one with the aroma of rotten or rotting apples

Treatment usually consists of eliminating the cause that caused the change in the physical parameters of urine and adjusting the diet.

Strong ammonia smell

Ammonia compounds and derivatives are always present in urine.

But an increase in odor reminiscent of ammonia may indicate the presence of pathologies and physiological conditions such as:

• excessive use of medications containing calcium and iron;
• abuse of protein foods (ammonia is a breakdown product of amino acids);
• in rare cases, the smell of ammonia appears during inflammatory processes of the urinary system (cystitis, pyelonephritis);
• stagnation of urine (prolonged abstinence from urination, for example, in the morning, compression of the ureter when a stone passes or by the uterus during pregnancy, etc.);
• dehydration (the concentration of all substances in the urine, including ammonia, increases several times);
• liver disease (in this case, free ammonia molecules appear in the urine, giving a strong aroma to urine).

If a change in the smell of urine is caused by physical reasons (dehydration, malnutrition, forced long-term absence of urination), then everything can be brought back to normal simply by eliminating these reasons - by restoring the drinking and emptying of the bladder.

Compliance with the drinking regime is one of the ways to prevent diseases of the urinary system

If such measures are ineffective and the bad smell persists for more than 3 days, then the problem is most likely a malfunction of the internal organs. In this case, additional diagnostic methods are needed to determine treatment tactics.

What affects the smell of urine?

In order to determine in absentia why urine smells in men, you need to know what affects its smell. It's no secret that urine is almost the main material for studying the entire body for the presence of physico-chemical abnormalities and disorders. In a normal person, urine should be pale yellow or amber in color, free of any impurities.

Only water can't do the trick. Urea is a by-product of protein metabolism. Although protein is essential in your diet, you should try to limit your protein intake if you suffer from strong-smelling ammonia urine. Reduce your protein intake slightly from what you usually eat. Meat is obviously a protein-rich dietary source, but so are green soybeans, peanuts, soy extract and whey protein. Try to eat more vegetables if you tend to eat a primarily meat-based diet.

Don't cut protein-rich foods out of your diet entirely. Remember that your body needs protein. Most of us urinate when our bladder gets this full. But sometimes the situation is not ideal for urination, so we tend to hold it. The problem is that retention in urine can change its composition. Urine may become more concentrated over time if it is not removed when it should. This concentrating effect also enhances the natural scent.

For reference!

Urine itself has no odor, but when you urinate and get out, it oxidizes with the air, acquiring an ammonia odor.

A change in odor may be due to the influence of several factors:

• food;
• taking medications;
• taking a complex of vitamins and minerals;
• dehydration;
• vitamin deficiency or nutritional deficiency;
• quality of work of filtration internal organs;
• drinking regime;
• presence of diseases.

Notice the urge to pass urine. You may not even notice it when you are very busy. But don't hold it on purposely, as the urine you end up losing can be very strong-smelling. You can take dietary supplements for health reasons, but supplements may contribute to the odor of your urine. Whatever your body doesn't need is flushed out in urine, so you can waste these supplements by taking very high doses. Instead, reduce your intake of dietary supplements, but only if not prescribed by your doctor.

Ask your doctor about your treatment

If you are using protein supplements for bodybuilding or weight loss, consult a nutritionist and consult with your doctor. You may overdo your protein intake and may be putting your health at risk. Some medications will also change the smell of your urine. But prescription medication should never be stopped or even reduced without first getting your doctor's approval. Do not immediately assume that this is the medicine you are taking. Look at the package or information sheet for side effects.

If urine smells unpleasant in men for quite a long time, you need to consult a doctor, as well as carry out a comprehensive diagnosis in order to identify the causes. As practice has shown, urine usually stinks in people whose internal organ functions are impaired, and the excretory system is an alarming signal to see a doctor.