Sometimes you can sniff out a UTI. Often, your urine has a foul smell when you have a bacterial infection of the urinary tract. For some women with mild infections, strong smelling urine may be the only symptom.
When an infection occurs anywhere in your urinary tract, bacteria can change the color and smell of your urine, says Dr. Movassaghi. Usually, you'll notice a very strong ammonia odor, or it can be slightly sweet. In the case of UTIs, the urine is often cloudy or bloody as well.
Pee that smells like ammonia
If you detect a hint of ammonia in your urine, it could be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI). The odor suggests that bacteria may be swimming around in your urinary system, most likely in your urethra, kidneys or bladder.
The presence of bacteria in the urine during a UTI can definitely affect the appearance and smell of urine. When there is an infection in the urinary tract, the urine may take on a foul-smelling odor as well as appear cloudy or bloody.
Recurrent UTIs (RUTI) are mainly caused by reinfection by the same pathogen. Having frequent sexual intercourse is one of the greatest risk factors for RUTIs. In a subgroup of individuals with coexisting morbid conditions, complicated RUTIs can lead to upper tract infections or urosepsis.
Strong, persistent urge to urinate (urgency) Burning or tingling sensation during or just after urination (dysuria) Low-grade fever. Cloudy urine with a strong odor.
Men with UTIs may have no signs or symptoms of the infection. However, when symptoms do occur, they can include: pain during urination. frequent urge to urinate.
Not everyone with a UTI has symptoms, but most people have at least one. Symptons may include a frequent urge to urinate and a painful, burning feeling in the area of the bladder or urethra during urination. It is not unusual to feel bad all over—tired, shaky, washed out—and to feel pain even when not urinating.
Many women become concerned that other people can detect the odor around their vulva and vagina. In reality, women are most sensitive to their own odor, and it's very unlikely that others who don't have intimate contact with them can smell it.
If fishy-smelling urine is the only symptom, a person may want to wait for a couple of days to see if it clears up. If other symptoms are present and include pain in the lower back or difficulty urinating, a person should contact their doctor.
Most of the time, UTIs go away pretty quickly—usually, symptoms stop within a couple of days, and the bacteria completely clear out after you've taken antibiotics for three to seven days, per AUA. However, there are some things you can do to help speed up the healing process.
Symptoms of trichomonas
a yellow or green discharge from the vagina or penis, which can sometimes have an unpleasant, 'fishy' smell. genital itching and soreness which can lead to infections of the urethra (the passage that carries pee from the bladder) and infection of the prostate gland.
Bacterial vaginitis (BV) can produce a fishy odor that is also accompanied by increased vaginal discharge, irritation, burning and sometimes itching. It is caused by an overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria that disrupts the balance of healthy bacteria that live within the vagina.
Hair is another place where bacteria like to hide. If you still smell a strong body odor after a shower, consider shaving the hair in your armpits, groin, and chest. The hair's surface is a perfect place for bacteria to call home, and it's harder to eliminate them from the hair than your bare skin.
The best way to keep your private parts smelling OK is to take regular showers or baths, wash the outside of your vulva or penis with warm water and a little soap, and wear clean, dry underwear. Other than that, there's no need to use douches or special washes.
The bacteria that cause a UTI live in the area around the anus, Dr. Yavagal says. Sex can shift bacteria toward the front. From there, it's just a short hop up the urethra into the bladder, where it can multiply and cause a UTI.
Anatomy and/or genetics
Women are more prone to UTIs mostly because of their anatomy. A woman's urethra is shorter than a man's. Plus it is located near the openings of the vagina and anus, meaning there's more opportunity for bacteria from both those areas to spread—or be wiped—into the urethra.
Girls can have vaginal infections for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with sexual contact — such as stress, for example. Even if you're not having intercourse, fingering and oral sex can lead to infection. Ask your boyfriend to wash his hands before touching your genitals.
Humans are able to smell sickness in someone whose immune system is highly active within just a few hours of exposure to a toxin, according to research published in Psychological Science.