It's usually caused either by a UTI or an imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria naturally found within the body. When caused by bacteria, the bacteria will affect the urine as it sits in or passes through the bladder. This can lead to strong, sulfur-smelling urine.
Pee smells different when there's less water and/or more waste. Certain foods, medications, and dehydration can cause smelly pee. Less commonly, smelly pee might be due to a health condition, like a urinary tract infection or diabetes. Smelly pee is common and rarely a cause for concern.
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.
Some medications or supplements may also be responsible for changing the urine's odor. These include sulfa drugs, which treat diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions, and some supplements, such as B vitamins. Drinking more water may help to dilute the sulfur compounds in the body and reduce the smell.
It's usually caused either by a UTI or an imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria naturally found within the body. When caused by bacteria, the bacteria will affect the urine as it sits in or passes through the bladder. This can lead to strong, sulfur-smelling urine.
When you're dehydrated and your pee gets very concentrated, it can smell strongly of ammonia. If you catch a whiff of something really strong before you flush, it might also be a sign of a UTI, diabetes, a bladder infection, or metabolic diseases.
Urine that smells like feces could mean that there's a connection (called a “fistula”) between the rectum and the bladder or urethra. Some vaginal infections have an odd odor that women tend to notice when they urinate.
Cystitis
It's often caused by a bacterial infection, such as a UTI. The bacteria from the infection can result in a strong fish smell in the urine.
Urinary tract infection: Foul-smelling urine is a symptom of a urinary tract infection. Other symptoms are cloudy urine, an urgent need to urinate, or a burning sensation while urinating. The foul smell may be the only symptom of a urinary tract infection.
In most cases, smelly urine is not typically a sign of disease, but it can sometimes indicate diabetes, liver disease, renal failure, kidney stones, and a UTI.
Changes in the smell of your urine may be the first sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI). Soon after, you may begin to experience pain when you urinate. The smell is caused by bacteria in your urine. The bacteria can grow and spread into other parts of your urinary tract, like your bladder or kidneys.
What Does Diabetic Urine Smell Like? One warning sign of diabetes or high blood sugar is urine that smells sweet or fruity. The sweetness comes from sugar in your urine and is a sign your body is trying to get rid of extra sugar in your blood.
Bladder infections are a type of UTI, but not all urinary tract infections are bladder infections. A UTI is defined as an infection in one or more places in the urinary tract—the ureters, kidneys, urethra, and/or bladder. A bladder infection is a UTI that's only located in the bladder.
Poor oral hygiene can cause your breath to smell like poop. Failing to brush and floss your teeth properly and regularly can make your breath smell because plaque and bacteria accumulate on and between your teeth. Food that's not removed by flossing stays between your teeth, causing your breath to smell unpleasant.
Urine may smell like ammonia when it becomes concentrated with waste products. A variety of conditions can cause waste products to build up in urine, such as bladder stones, dehydration, and urinary tract infections. In most cases, urine that smells like ammonia can be treated with fluids or antibiotic medications.
The pungent odor of stale urine (think of a busy and dirty public restroom) is likely due to the presence of volatile organic compounds, or VOC's, which are present in urine. More than 200 VOC's have been identified in human urine.
Yeast infection.
Dr. Kaaki says it's the vaginal discharge smell that changes, not actually the urine.
Diet: Eating certain foods like asparagus and consuming citrus fruits or vinegar in excess can cause excretion of the excess acid through ammonia. The ammonia creates a sulfur or rotten egg-like smell in urine. Medications: Medications such as antibiotics or supplements like multivitamins can change the odor of urine.
The following conditions can sometimes cause smelly urine, but they are uncommon: urinary stones – these may cause an ammonia-like odour (read about bladder stones and kidney stones)
Kidney disease causes chemicals in urine to become concentrated and to cause a smell resembling ammonia. Kidney dysfunction can also cause high bacteria and protein levels in the urine, which will contribute to a foul ammonia smell.