When your cells are deprived of energy from glucose, they begin to burn fat instead. This fat burning process creates a byproduct called ketones, which is a type of acid produced by the liver. Ketones tend to produce an odor that's similar to acetone. This type of bad breath isn't unique to people with diabetes.
Some people with diabetes compare the smell of insulin to the scent of Band-Aids, printer ink, Lysol, or new plastic shower curtain liners (4).
If you have diabetes, a change in body odor could be a sign of diabetes-related ketoacidosis. High ketone levels cause your blood to become acidic and your body odor to be fruity. In the case of liver or kidney disease, your odor may give off a bleach-like smell due to toxin buildup in your body.
If your breath smells like acetone -- the same fruity scent as nail polish remover -- it may be a sign of high levels of ketones (acids your liver makes) in your blood. It's a problem mainly of type 1 diabetes but also can happen with type 2 if you get a serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
BODY ODOR: FRUITY BREATH IS A SYMPTOM OF DIABETES
Here's what's happening: Your body can't create the energy it needs to function properly, so it begins to break down fatty acids for fuel. This creates a build up of acidic chemicals called ketones in your blood.
a smell of ketones on your breath, which can smell like pear drops or nail varnish remover. confusion. drowsiness or loss of consciousness (coma)
Symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes include extreme fatigue, frequent urination, excessive thirst or hunger, unintended weight loss, and blurred vision.
People who have diabetes often have poor sleep habits, including difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Some people with diabetes get too much sleep, while others have problems getting enough sleep.
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.
Diabetes can result in nerve damage so that for some people, the nerves that control sweat glands are always “switched on.” This can result in excessive sweating, known as hyperhidrosis.
If you have diabetes insipidus, you'll continue to pee large amounts of watery (dilute), light-colored urine when normally you'd only pee a small amount of concentrated, dark yellow urine.
A fruity odor to the breath is a sign of ketoacidosis, which may occur in diabetes. It is a potentially life-threatening condition.
Diabetes: Strong sweet-smelling urine is a sign of advanced diabetes, which can be diagnosed with urinalysis. With advanced diabetes, sugar and ketones, which are normally absent, can accumulate in the urine and create a strong odor.
Left untreated, diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, nerve and kidney damage, vision loss and more. Even if you have mild blood sugar elevations, you can damage your organs. Diabetes is a common condition.
Extreme hunger, unintended weight loss, fatigue and weakness, blurred vision, irritability, and other mood changes. If you or your child are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor.
Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because the early symptoms tend to be general, or there are no symptoms at all.
You have many symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis. These include excessive thirst, frequent urination, nausea and vomiting, stomach pain, weakness or fatigue, shortness of breath, fruity-scented breath, and confusion.
The process of breaking down fat for energy releases byproducts called ketones. Acetone is a type of ketone, and it is the same fruity-smelling substance found in some nail polish removers. If the breath of a person with diabetes smells of acetone, this suggests that there are high levels of ketones in their blood.
One Reddit user described the smell similar to that of bacon while another user has said that their new stench "kind of smells like fat is soaking into my sweat." Despite how common this side effect seems to be (people affectionately refer to it as "keto breath").
It's most common smelled in either places where mold spores can colonize undisturbed like basements and closets, or in places where there is plenty of moisture like bathrooms. If your home or clothing smells musty, chances are you have mold or mildew hiding out.
Transparent and lacking in color
Transparent, colorless urine could also be a sign of some other health disorders, including diabetes and kidney disease, or from taking diuretic medication.
Trimethylaminuria is a disorder in which the body is unable to break down trimethylamine, a chemical compound that has a pungent odor. Trimethylamine has been described as smelling like rotten or decaying fish.