What Smelly Urine Might Mean
Smelly urine can at times be a cause for concern, or in any event is something that may not be particularly pleasant to deal with. The saying "you are what you eat " can hold true to some degree, as very often how our urine smells is a function of what we've recently eaten. The most well known of the food-based causes of smelly urine is asparagus, which can cause urine to have a rather foul odor.
Food, Vitamins, And Dehydration - Asparagus can also cause urine to take on a dark yellow color, as can other foods which are excellent sources of B complex vitamins. There are a number of things which can cause the urine to be dark yellow, though not necessarily smelly. Dehydration is one of the more common reasons behind dark yellow urine, and when dehydration is the cause the urine is also apt to have a definite ammonia smell, sometimes quite pronounced. In such cases, dark yellow, smelly urine can simply serve as a wake-up telling a person he or she is not drinking enough water.
Disease is another potential cause of smelly urine though not usually a common cause. Those suffering from a liver disorder may find that their urine has a rather musty smell, while sufferers of diabetes sometimes notice their urine has a distinctively sweet smell due to high levels of blood sugar, and sugar finding its way into the urinary tract. Sweet smelling urine is certainly not foul smelling but could still be classified as smelly when strong enough. Kidney problems, especially those in which kidney stones are present, will sometimes result the urine having quite a strong odor.
Urinary Tract Infections - Another cause of smelly urine, particularly in women, is a urinary tract infection. Urinary tract infections (UTI) are quite common in women. Nearly half of all women experience UTI at one time or another. Males can have this problem as well, although their percentages are much lower. The odor in this case is due to the presence of the bacteria involved. In the case of women, UTI and the resulting smelly urine is rather common during pregnancy. Just one more thing the pregnant woman has to deal with.
UTI is generally treated with prescribed medications, plus the patient is also advised to drink plenty of water. Drinking more water than one might usually do will probably be helpful in many instances of smelly urine, if for no other reason than it tends to dilute whatever is causing the smell, and certainly is helpful if dehydration is the culprit.
Not Just The Smell, But The Color - Dehydration does not always cause the urine to turn dark yellow and smelly. In some instances it can make the urine bright yellow and not necessarily smelly. The message here is, if you urine seems to be changing color and stays that way, there is a reason and it may pay to try and find out what that reason is. In other words, in some cases a visit to the doctor or a urologist may be in order.
It was mentioned earlier that dehydration can cause smelly urine, in this case the odor being that of ammonia. There are other things as well which can cause an ammonia smell. Asparagus can, and many high protein food items, especially eggs, can also give the urine an ammonia scent.
Summary - In the normal course of events our urine doesn't small particularly strong. It just smells like pee and is fairly clear. Sometimes its color is a little different and sometimes the smell is a little stronger, but not necessarily unpleasant. If the coloring changes radically or the urine is really becoming quite smelly, it would be best to consult with your physician to see if the underlying cause is something requiring treatment. It could be due to dehydration, eating too many eggs, or eggs and asparagus, or due to a systemic disease or even a medication you may be taking. It's best to find out.