What Does The Smell Of Your Urine Says About Your Health

Normal urine is clear and has a straw-yellow colour. While the odour of urine can vary somewhat, in most cases, it does not have a strong smell. With dehydration, the urine is more concentrated and may have a stronger ammonia scent than normal. Consumption of certain foods, such as asparagus (which can impart a characteristic odour to urine), and taking some medications may be causes for changes in the odour of urine. The presence of bacteria in the urine, such as with a urinary tract infection (UTI), can affect the appearance and smell of urine. When there is an infection in the urinary tract, the urine may take on a foul-smelling odour as well as appear cloudy or bloody. A burning sensation during urination may be a symptom of a UTI. The urine may also have an abnormally sweet odour in uncontrolled diabetes, and some rare genetic conditions can also cause the urine to have an abnormal or strange odour.

Strong or Unusual Smelling Urine

Urine naturally has an odour, but it is usually not very strong smelling. Strong smelling urine is usually not a cause for concern. Sometimes, however, strong or unusual smelling urine is a sign of an underlying medical problem.

Strong Smelling Urine

Diet and Urine Odour

Certain foods may make your urine smell strong.

One food that many people say makes their urine smell strong is the sataw bean (stinky bean or rather call Petai) and asparagus. Some, however, say that asparagus does not change the way their urine smells. John H. McDonald, MS, PhD, of the University of Delaware says that it is possible that your genetics determine if asparagus makes your urine smell strong. McDonald says another possibility is that everyone’s urine smells strong after eating asparagus, but only some people with certain genetic make-ups can detect the change in odour.

Sataw Bean

Other foods that may change the odour of your urine include onions, garlic, and coffee.

If you suspect food is to blame, eliminating the food source should allow your urine to return to a normal smell in less than 12 hours. If you eliminate the food and the odour remains, there is likely another cause.

Underlying Medical Causes of Urine Odour

Several conditions can cause strong or unusual urine odour. The most common causes include:

Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when you do not drink enough fluids. If you are dehydrated, you may notice that your urine is a dark yellow or orange colour and smells like ammonia. Most people only experience minor dehydration and do not require medical treatment. Drinking more fluids, especially water, will generally cause urine odour to return to normal. If you are experiencing mental confusion, weakness, extreme fatigue, or other unusual symptoms, you may have severe dehydration and should get medical treatment right away.

Stay Hydrated

Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections—often called UTIs—commonly cause urine to have a strong or foul smells. A strong urge to urinate and a burning sensation upon urination are the most common symptoms of a UTI. Bacteria in your urine cause urinary tract infections. If your doctor determines you have a UTI, he or she will give you antibiotics to kill the bacteria.

Diabetes

A common symptom of diabetes is sweet-smelling urine. People with untreated diabetes have high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels cause the sweet urine odour. See your doctor as soon as possible if your urine frequently smells sweet. Untreated diabetes is dangerous and can be life threatening.

Diabetes gives the sweet odour of urine

Other less common causes of urine odour include:

Bladder Fistula

A bladder fistula occurs when you have an injury or defect that allows bacteria from your intestines to enter your bladder. Bladder fistulas can occur due to surgical injuries or bowel diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease.

Bladder Fistula

Liver Disease

A strong urine odour can be a sign of liver disease. Other symptoms of liver disease include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, yellow skin or eyes, weakness, bloating, and weight loss. See your doctor right away if you have symptoms of liver disease. Untreated liver disease can be life threatening.

Do a blood Screening Test too

Rare causes of abnormal urine odour include:

Phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria is an incurable genetic disease that is present at birth. The disease makes you unable to break down an amino acid called phenylalanine. Other symptoms include:

• Decreased skin pigmentation
• A large head
• Mental defects
• Slow-developing social skills

Phenylketonuria

If this disease is not treated early, it can lead to ADHD and severe mental handicaps.

Maple Sugar Urine Disease

Maple sugar urine disease is a rare and incurable genetic disease that causes urine to smell like maple syrup. People with the disease cannot break down the amino acids eucine, isoleucine, and valine. Lack of treatment can lead to neurological (brain) damage and death.

Maple sugar urine disease (M.S.U.D)

When to See a Doctor

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have a strong or abnormal urine odour that lasts for more than two days or if you have additional, unusual symptoms. If you have severe symptoms such as sweet-smelling urine, mental confusion, bloating, nausea, or vomiting, see a medical professional right away. These symptoms may be signs of diabetes, severe dehydration, or liver disease.

Speak to your doctor

You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

For more health info and promotions, please follow us on Facebook- Wellness Lab 

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!

What Does The Colour Of Your Urine Says About Your Health

Everyone went to wash room at least once a day, and I believe that everyone will have a glance at the colour of your urine before you flush. Everyone does it, so it's actually a normal habit,  but not all of us study it afterwards. Here’s how to look at - and listen to - what your urine colour and scent tells you.

What will the colour of your urine tells you?

From the smell to the colour and to the fizziness of the urine, this might not be the enjoyable task but it’s one that could, in some cases, it just save your life – The condition of urine can signal everything from mild dehydration to kidney disease or even cancer.

So what’s right, and what’s wrong, 

when it comes to urine?

These may be the cause

Normal Urine?

Urine, coloured by a pigment called urochrome, should normally range between clear or light yellow, according to Asif Muneer, consultant urologist for Spire Bushey Hospital.

Certain medicines and foods (the notorious asparagus as well as things like beetroot and rhubarb) can alter the colour or your urine, but otherwise, if everything is in working order, it should be that ‘clear’ to ‘light yellow’. 

Normal Urine Colour

Abnormal Urine?

“The colour of urine can indicate systemic disease such as jaundice (a brownish discolouration) or disease in the urinary tract [like cystitis], particularly if you notice blood in the urine,” Muneer explains.

“This is a serious warning sign of possible cancer in the bladder, kidney or ureter and needs an urgent assessment.”

Abnormal Urine

If it’s too dark in colour, he adds, “it’s normally a sign of poor fluid intake”, and you’re probably dehydrated. “But brownish is also associated with obstructive jaundice.”

Colour test

It’s not all about shades of brown, sometimes urine gets a bit more colourful – and then you really need to worry…

You can get this test at any clinic

• Orange urine may indicate a problem with the liver or bile duct or maybe after you took an antibiotic
• Green urine can mean a urinary tract infection
• Blue and purple urine can be caused by rare genetic disorders or maybe after you took an antibiotic

You can get this self test at Pharmacy

What else should you worry about…

Fizzing (bubbles)

“Fizzy urine may indicate gas producing bacteria in the urinary tract,” says Muneer, “but rarely there can be communications between the bladder and the urinary tract.” Another condition is there might be too much protein inside your urine or you are having a high protein diet, go for a urine micro-albumin testing to confirm. Other risk factor may be a diabetic symptoms if the bubbles do not go away even after a long time.

Bubbles in Urine

Pain/ Burning Sensation

“A burning sensation during urination is certainly not right,” explains Zaki Almallah, consultant urologist at BMI Priory Hospital in Birmingham. “It could indicate an infection or several other problems. Get it checked out by your GP.” Burning sensation or painful urination may also be diagnosed with Stds or kidney stone.

Painful Urination

Blood Stain/ Amber looking Urine

“Blood in urine that you can actually see (frank haematuria) is serious and requires full investigations urgently,” says Almallah. “There can be many reasons for this, including urine infection or prostate cancer in man, but bladder cancer is the most serious consequence. Don’t put off visiting your GP.”

Blood stained Urine Sample

Foul Smell

“Smelly urine is usually related to low fluid intake and what you have eaten the day before – asparagus being a well-known cause,” says Almallah. It can sometimes mean an infection or diabetes, so if it persists, get it checked.

Have you smell your urine?

Frequency

Most people take bathroom breaks about six to eight times a day, but you might go more or less depending on how much fluid you drink. If you're constantly feeling the urge to go and it's not because you're drinking extra fluid, it can also be a sign of certain conditions below:

• Urinary tract infection -- most common cause
• Diabetes
• Over-active bladder -- involuntary contractions of the bladder muscle
• Interstitial cystitis -- a condition that causes the bladder wall to become inflamed and irritated
• Benign prostate enlargement -- growth of the prostate that causes it to squeeze the urethra and block the normal flow of urine out of the body
• Rarely, A Neurological diseases, including stroke and Parkinson's disease

Urinate frequently can be inconvenience

Any clinic or health screening laboratories including Wellness Lab are having this test as routine screening. Find yourself a doctor for advise if you found matching any one of above condition. Do not hesitate as early detection can saving your money and life.

For more health and promotions, please follow us on Facebook-Wellness Lab 

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!