My Urine Smells Foul — What Could It Mean?

After you eat and drink, your body takes the ingested materials on a journey that reduces them to their base components, sending nutrients and other chemicals where they need to go and removing waste. Urination is part of the waste disposal system. The bladder can hold up to 500 milliliters of urine in women and 700 milliliters in men. Relief occurs once the bladder is emptied — and once the unpleasant smell of urine is flushed away.

Everyone needs to urinate, but a lot of problems can happen on the way to that relatively simple act. If you notice an unusual or foul smell to your urine, it could result from the foods you eat or be an indication of a condition that needs treatment. Let’s examine what it could mean and how it can be treated. 

If you live in the Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, or South Florida area and you're dealing with foul-smelling urine or other problems associated with going to the bathroom, Dr. Craig Herman and Dr. Steven Kester and the staff at the Urology Center of Florida can help.

What smelly urine means

First, let’s look at some of the reasons for bad-smelling urine, which can be caused by: 

• Dehydration: This can lead to a high concentration of ammonia in urine and a strong odor.

• Diet: When the body metabolizes certain foods, like asparagus, foul smells can result.

• Medications: Antibiotics, chemotherapy, diabetes drugs, and high doses of vitamins can cause foul odors. 

Other causes for this odor can come from medical conditions, including:

• Urinary tract infection (UTI): This common problem can cause a strong odor. 

• Diabetes: High blood sugar leads to urine smelling sweet.

• Bladder fistula: A defect or injury can allow bacteria to enter the bladder, causing foul smells.

• Kidney stones: Crystals that form in the kidneys can cause bad odors.

• Liver disease: Severe forms of this disease cause a sweet smell.

Rare conditions like phenylketonuria (a genetic condition) and maple syrup urine disease also cause odd smells in urine. 

Diagnosis and treatment 

Determining the cause of your smelly urine can be done with screenings, including urinalysis, blood work, or imaging scans. Depending on the cause, Dr. Herman or Dr. Kester may recommend hydration via drinking more water or IV treatment. Other treatment options include dietary and medication changes. If a certain food is the reason your urine smells, avoiding that food will eliminate the odor. 

More severe causes of foul-smelling urine are dealt with by managing them — by making sure your diabetes is under control, for example.

If the odor lasts longer than two days and is accompanied by other problems like mental confusion, bloating, nausea, and vomiting, you need to get medical attention as soon as possible.

Odd-smelling urine can mean a lot of different things, and if you’re concerned about the cause, call or message the team at the Urology Center of Florida today for an appointment.