Our body excretes its liquid waste products via the filtration done in kidney and passes out through the urethra in the form of urine. Urine contains the waste products which are water soluble, mainly the nitrogenous waste products produced during the metabolic process in the body. If you are a normal healthy individual your urine is odorless.
Causes of Urine Odor
There are many reasons for urine odor, and one of the simple reasons for it is when you drink very less amount of water, or if you are dehydrated. When there is less amount of water in your body, urine is concentrated with the waste products and it gives a peculiar smell of ammonia when passed. The condition is corrected as soon as you drink enough water and the urine is passed in sufficient quantity. If the urine odor still persists than there may be some other underlying causes such as:
- Urinary tract infection. It is frequent cause for strong urine odor. It may smell like ammonia.
- Bacterial infection and yeast infection.
- In diabetic ketoacidosis the urine odor is sweet and fruity.
- Uncontrolled diabetes.
- Medications, vitamins especially vitamin B complex, consuming foods such as asparagus, gives typical foul odor to the urine.
- Liver failure.
Most of the time the change in the urine odor is temporary, but if it persists for a longer time or it is associated with other symptoms you may need to talk to your physician.
Home Remedies for Urine Odor
- Drink plenty of water if you are dehydrated, the water will flush out the concentration of the waste products and gradually your urine will become odorless.
- Cranberry juice is also an effective home remedy for foul urine odor. It is more beneficial to prepare a fresh cranberry juice instead of drinking a canned one.
- Eat yogurt, it acts as a probiotic and neutralizes bacterial vaginosis which give a fishy odor while you pass urine. It also helps to fight the yeast infection as it is full of acidophilus bacteria.
- You can also apply diluted tea tree oil to fight bacterial vaginosis. Tea tree oil has properties to fight against bacteria.
- Lemon juice and barley water also help to relieve you of foul smelling urine.
If you have a cat as your pet or small children at home, urine odor is very common in this household. You can try to clean your carpets with following remedy, before resorting to other measures.
First find the stain on the carpet or from the area where the odor is very strong. Now clean that area with vinegar mixed in water. The smell that is intact is due to the protein after the urine gets dried up. Vinegar is high in acids which act on the protein that has settled on your carpet. Dab the area with the solution till you find the place odorless.