Ammonia Smelling Urine in Women

Ammonia smelling urine in women can point towards a number of things. The most common reason for ammonia smelling urine in women is, urinary tract infection. Along with it, there are many other reasons as well. Lets read about them.
Ammonia Smelling Urine in Women
Urine can smell ammonia like, sweet, sulfur, pungent, yeast, etc. Ammonia is like an absorber and absorbs water. Ammonia smelling urine in women should most certainly not be neglected. Most urine odors are temporary and do not stay long. In case the urine smells for more than a few days, then it is better that you get it diagnosed.

What Causes Ammonia Smell in Urine?

There are a number of causes of ammonia smelling urine. A number of foods, add up nitrogen compounds in body waste. Foods high in protein like meat, eggs, etc. are the main culprits. There are some food like asparagus, which can give a strong ammonia odor to urine. Urine in itself does not have a strong smell, unless it is concentrated. Dehydration, often causes foul smelling urine. If a woman exercises more, there are chances of ammonia smelling urine, due to dehydration. Hence, it is always good that you consume sufficient amount of water, if your physical activity level is high. Read more on kidney infection symptoms treatment.

Bacterial infection is another common cause of ammonia smell in urine. The bacterial infection can either be kidney infection, urinary tract infection or bladder infection. This is especially true in women, due to their anatomy. As compared to men, the distance between urethral opening and bladder is less in women. Added to it, the urethral opening is close to vagina and rectum. This enables easy bacterial movement. The most common symptom of urinary tract infection is foul smelling urine. Most woman suffer at least one urinary tract infection in their life time. For information on its indications read more on symptoms of urinary tract infection.

It has been noticed, that when women reach menopause, they have ammonia smelling urine. This can be attributed to diet changes, that many women do for weight control. At the same time, water consumption is reduced too. Hence, it is important, that they hydrate themselves well.

Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) also cause ammonia smelling urine. If urine smells of yeast, it can be due to undetected diabetes. Strange but true, metabolic disorders can also cause ammonia smelling urine in women. If you are on some medications, chances are high, that they are the cause of ammonia smelling urine. Read more on STD symptoms in women.

There is another cause of smell of ammonia in urine. If a person does not empty, her bladder well, the remaining urine causes ammonia smelling urine. Some people have the habit of not emptying their bowels on time. They often wait till a number of deposits are made in the bowel, before they actually empty it. Ammonia is caused, due to ammonia stagnating at room temperature.

Many women complain about ammonia smell in urine during pregnancy. In most of the cases, this is due to less consumption of liquids. It's an indicator, that the amount of water consumption needs to be increased. During pregnancy, as the demand for food increases, the demand for water increases as well. Along with the baby, water is also required for embroynic fluid, which surrounds the baby. It is also said, that woman can smell stronger, when they are pregnant.

For more information you can scroll through the below mentioned article: I hope, this article has helped you to find answer to the question, 'what does ammonia smell in urine mean'. It is advisable not to neglect ammonia smelling urine in women which could eventually lead to major side effects. Give your doctor the required and essential details like chills, fever, vaginal discharge, so that he is in a better position to diagnose the exact problem.

By Bhakti Satalkar
Published: 10/30/2009
 
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