Foul Smelling Urine – Causes, Treatment

Urine, medically speaking, is a sterile by-product of the human body that is secreted by the human kidneys through a process called urination and excreted anatomically through the human urethra, which is part of the kidney itself. The urine is composed of waste material and water-soluble chemicals that the body does not need. Furthermore, it is a primary basis for several medical conditions and should not be given less importance. Medically, it can contribute to the understanding of what the human body is experiencing in an internal manner or disposition.

Normally a person’s urine is characterized as having a straw yellow hue and being clear in nature. Moreover, it is not characterized as something that has a strong odor. There are instances when a person experiences foul-smelling urine; it may indicate a benign or serious medical condition that may or may not require medical attention. When a person observes that he or she has foul-smelling urine over a long-term period, he or she should consult a physician and check for the underlying medical condition from which he or she is currently suffering.

What Causes Foul Smelling Urine?

As mentioned earlier, foul-smelling urine has a number of causes or etiological factors. Such causes may be one of the following factors:

• Dehydration

Normally when a person is dehydrated, he or she will produce foul-smelling urine that is rich in ammonia due to the body’s ability to conserve water due to dehydration.

• Intake of supplemental vitamins

Another reason why a person experiences foul-smelling urine is probably due to the side effect from taking  supplemental vitamins and other medications.

• Result of consumed foods

When foods like asparagus, fish, onion, and garlic are consumed, they can lead to  foul-smelling urine. This kind of odor will eventually go away after  these kinds of food have been digested.

• Urinary tract infection

Urinary tract infections like bladder or kidney infection can lead to foul-smelling urine.

• Cystitis

This is known as an inflammation of the bladder which leads to the production of foul-smelling urine.

• Human liver failure

When a person is suffering from liver failure, he or she will manifest foul-smelling urine.

• Prostatitis

This is a medical term to describe an infection or inflammation of the prostate gland in males. When a man has this condition, he will experience foul-smelling urine.

• Rectal fistula

This is a medical condition that describes an abnormal opening between the rectum and other body areas. When this happens to a person, he or she will manifest the symptom of foul-smelling urine.

• Diabetes

People who suffer from diabetes, especially those whose condition is not treated properly, will experience the symptom of foul-smelling urine.

• Maple syrup urine disease

When a person is suffering from maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), a genetic kind of disease condition that cannot breakdown amino acids, he or she will experience the symptom of having a foul-smelling urine episode.

• Diabetic ketoacidosis

This is a medical condition that occurs in diabetic people who experience a high level of ketones (blood acids). When this happens, a person will manifest foul-smelling urine.

How to Treat Foul Smelling Urine?

The type of treatment will depending on the etiological factors or causes that precipitate a person to experience or manifest foul-smelling urine. For instance, if  the cause is due dehydration, then the person should drink around 12 glasses of water daily until the dehydration resolves. Other treatments of foul-smelling urine are as follows:

Medical treatment: antibioticsby

If the cause is due to the presence of bacterial invasion, then antibiotic treatment is started immediately. With proper antibiotic treatment that is determined by a culture and sensitivity laboratory test, the odor experienced in foul-smelling urine will eventually disappear as the person reaches the recuperation stage.

Insulin treatment

For people who suffer from diabetes mellitus, they have the ability to produce sweet foul-smelling urine due to the excessive sugar in the blood which has spilled into the urine. When the people with diabetes lack insulin in the body, they have problems in controlling their blood sugar level. Hence, it is necessary that insulin treatment should not be overlooked.

Cranberry juice consumption

Another effective way to flush out toxins and bacteria as well as to remove foul-smelling urine is to consume cranberry juice. This kind of treatment is proven best in treating foul-smelling urine and works well most of the time.

Proper hygiene maintenance

This is a very important thing to consider for people who suffer from foul-smelling urine and  those who do not. There should be proper hygiene maintenance to eliminate and terminate the experience of foul-smelling urine.

Consumption of salt-free yogurt plus honey mixture

This is another suggestive treatment that is effective to overcome foul-smelling urine.

The symptoms of infections and the etiological factors of foul smelling urine differ from one person to another, depending on the physical state of the human body. One should never overlook the possibility of having foul-smelling urine. There is a need to consult with a respected physician when foul-smelling urine is observed for two or more days. As the old adage goes, prevention is always better than cure.