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Urine odor
Urine odor refers to the smell from your urine. Urine odor varies. Most of the time, urine does not have a strong smell if you are healthy and drink plenty of fluids.
Causes
Most changes in urine odor are not a sign of disease and go away in time. Some foods and medicines, including vitamins, may affect your urine's odor. For example, eating asparagus causes a distinct urine odor.
Foul-smelling urine may be due to bacteria. Sweet-smelling urine may be a sign of uncontrolled diabetes or a rare disease of metabolism. Liver disease and certain metabolic disorders may cause musty-smelling urine.
Some conditions that can cause changes in urine odor include:
-
Bladder
fistula
Fistula
A fistula is an abnormal connection between 2 body parts, such as an organ or blood vessel and another structure. Fistulas are usually the result of...
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- Body is low on fluids (concentrated urine can smell like ammonia)
- Poorly controlled diabetes (sweet smelling urine)
- Liver failure
-
Ketonuria
Ketonuria
A ketone urine test measures the amount of ketones in the urine.
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When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call your health care provider if you have signs of a urinary tract infection with abnormal urine odor. These include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Burning pain with urination
- Back pain
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
You may have the following tests:
-
Urinalysis
Urinalysis
Urinalysis is the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine. It involves a number of tests to detect and measure various compounds th...
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Urine culture
Urine culture
A urine culture is a lab test to check for bacteria or other germs in a urine sample. It can be used to check for a urinary tract infection in adults...
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References
Landry DW, Bazari H. Approach to the patient with renal disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine . 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016: chap 114.
Israni AK, Kasiske BL. Laboratory assessment of kidney disease. In: Taal MW, Chertow GM, Marsden PA, et al, eds. Brenner and Rector's The Kidney . 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2012:chap 25.
Review Date: 8/14/2015
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director and Director of Didactic Curriculum, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
