Liver disease Always see your doctor if you notice your urine has an unusual, ammonia-like odor. Other symptoms that may indicate your liver needs attention include dark brown or orange-hued urine.
Foetor hepaticus is a feature of severe liver disease; a sweet and musty smell both on the breath and in urine. It is caused by the excretion of dimethyl disulphide and methyl mercaptan (CH3SH)2, arising from an excess of methionine.
Infections and diseases of the liver can produce high ammonia levels in the urine and the accompanying pungent odor. Ammonia levels in blood and urine will increase when the liver is not working as it should. Any continued ammonia odor in urine should be checked by a doctor.
Pee that smells like ammonia
The odor suggests that bacteria may be swimming around in your urinary system, most likely in your urethra, kidneys or bladder. Urine showing signs of a UTI also may be cloudy or even a bit bloody.
Liver disease and certain metabolic disorders may cause musty-smelling urine.
A person with uncontrolled diabetes may have blood glucose levels that are dangerously high. The body tries to get rid of the extra glucose in the urine, and this can cause a sweet smell. People with sweet-smelling urine due to diabetes may notice other symptoms, including: exhaustion.
See a GP if: You have smelly pee and: you need to pee suddenly, more often than usual, or during the night. you have pain or a burning sensation when peeing.
Common causes of smelly pee include: Diet: Some foods, like asparagus, may affect the smell of urine. Brussel sprouts, coffee, garlic, curry, and alcohol can cause smelly pee, too. Dehydration: When you're dehydrated, your body holds on to the water you've got instead of peeing it out.
01/5Common sign of fatty liver that you can smell
In most cases, this condition does not lead to any prominent symptoms in its early stage, but it is associated with a commonly prevalent sign which is the smell of the breath.
Urine is usually dark because of the bilirubin excreted through the kidneys. High levels of bilirubin may be attributed to inflammation, or other abnormalities of the liver cells, or blockage of the bile ducts.
A urobilinogen in urine test measures the amount of urobilinogen in your urine (pee). Normal urine contains some urobilinogen. Too much urobilinogen in urine may be a sign of a liver disease, such as hepatitis or cirrhosis, or certain types of anemia.
Some genetic conditions are also associated with an abnormal urine smell. In maple syrup urine disease, affected patients' urine typically smells sweet. Patients with kidney disease or dehydration may have concentrated urine that contains an abnormally high level of waste products and smells like ammonia.
You have a urinary tract infection.
In fact, pee that has a strong ammonia smell, or foul or slightly sweet-smelling urine is often the first indication that you have a UTI. Basically, the strange urine odor is the bacteria's fault (because bacteria is what causes UTIs in the first place).
A fishy smell in pee can result from dietary factors, an infection, and other health issues. It can also be a sign of trimethylaminuria (“fish odor syndrome”) which often has a genetic cause. 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.
A popcorn smell or sweet-smelling urine is often an early indicator of untreated or undiagnosed diabetes. Diabetes affects your blood sugar levels and causes high ketone levels. The excess sugar and ketones make their way into your urine, resulting in that tell-tale popcorn smell.
This life threatening metabolic state is called ketoacidosis, and it requires immediate medical attention. For some people, it is the first sign that they have diabetes. In most cases, people with ketoacidosis have sweet, strong-smelling urine.
Urine that contains a lot of water and few waste products has little to no odor. If urine becomes highly concentrated — a high level of waste products with little water — your urine may have a strong ammonia odor.
When the excess urea in your body reacts with saliva, it forms ammonia–which you then exhale through your breath. If you have CKD, this is what gives your breath that ammonia scent. The medical name for this is “uremic fetor”.
Still, it's worth pointing out that 82% of people with cirrhosis report pain. So what does liver pain feel like? It manifests in different ways, but a common form is a dull throbbing. For some people, it occurs as a sharp, stabbing pain.
Stool That Smells Like Ammonia
Your large intestine produces ammonia when it digests protein. Your liver then neutralizes the ammonia and helps the body get rid of it. Ammonia smells from your stool may signal a problem with these organs, such as liver disease.