Why does my urine smell like ammonia

Here are some of the main causes why your urine can smell like ammonia:

• Dehydration : this is the main reason why urine has an ammonia smell, it is common that when not ingesting enough water, the urine changes color, actually turning an orange tone. This ammonia odor is caused by chemicals in the urine that become concentrated from lack of fluid intake. In addition, this can be intensified in case of intense exercise where sufficient amount of water is lost through sweat.
• Urinary infections : it is common for bacteria in the bladder and urinary tract to generate ammonia odor when urinating in addition to presenting pain when urinating (dysuria) is common in women more than in men due to their anatomy. All urinary infections must be treated in time before the infectious process ascends to the kidney level.
• Foods : Most foods high in B-6 such as salmon, chicken, potatoes, meat or eggs can cause a bad odor when urinating as they add nitrogen compounds to the urine.
• High consumption of beverages : such as soft drinks, the volume of urine per day can increase, bringing with it dehydration and in turn ammonia smell when urinating.
• Genetic diseases : some inherited diseases have the ability to cause changes in the smell of urine. An example of this is phenylketonuria, a disease in which it is impossible to break down an amino acid which in turn causes this characteristic odor, or ketoaciduria in which the body does not break down some amino acids and manifests itself in unpleasant-smelling urine.

Other reasons why your urine may smell like ammonia, although less common than the above, are the following:

• Poor urination : both in number and volume, a decrease in urination can cause chemicals in the urine to accumulate and generate the ammonia odor in the urine.
• Kidney stones : these mineral deposits, in addition to causing a lot of pain when moving, generate ammonia odor in the urine. At first because they obstruct the urinary ducts (ureters and urethra) leading in turn to urinary infections.
• Pregnancy : urine infections in pregnancy are relatively common, and if we take into account that this can be a cause of the smell of ammonia, it is something that we should take into account.
• Liver problems : the liver is responsible for eliminating toxins from the body in addition to metabolizing medications, any injury to the organ will result in an increase in the amount of ammonia in urine, if it does not work properly it will manifest itself in the urinary system.
• Medications : some drugs or supplements can change the smell of urine.

There are ways to improve this condition initially:

• Improve hydration or fluid intake (2 liters a day) especially if you are doing intense exercise where there is an increase in the volume of fluid that is lost from the body, it is recommended to increase the intake according to the needs, with this avoid dehydration.
• Improve diet by modifying the foods that may be the cause of changes in urine color.
• Do not inhibit urination , this increases the collection of bacteria in the urinary system and the first symptom to manifest is urine with an ammonia odor.
• Finally, the hygienic habit of both the bathroom and the genital area should be taken as an important measure .

It is also important to see a doctor once this symptom (ammoniacal urine) has been presented together with right or left lumbar pain, sudden onset fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, this would represent a medical emergency.

The medical visit should not be excluded before this symptomatology, self-medication is not recommended under any circumstances, however, only some natural remedies can be taken into account :

• Sodium bicarbonate : neutralizes urinary acidity and improves inflammation, it is prepared with 1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate in 1 glass of water, it is mixed and swallowed quickly, this therapy is carried out 1 time a day until the urine returns to normal. .
• Parsley : natural diuretic that logically increases the volume of urine excreted thus increasing the elimination of bacteria, it is recommended to consume its juice at least 2 times a day.
• Ginger : it is a powerful natural anti-inflammatory, in fact it improves the inflammatory symptoms of the bladder, its use is recommended in tea, prepared with 1 teaspoon of ginger , 2 teaspoons of honey and 1 cup of hot water. Its recommended intake is 1 – 2 cups a day.

There is a lot of information on this topic, however, FastlyHealrecommends that you go to the doctor when some of the symptoms become evident to properly treat the underlying pathology.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

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