Why Does Urine Smell Like Ammonia?

Why Does Urine Smell Like Ammonia?

There are several causes of urine that smells like urine; some are more serious than others. As ammonia is made of nitrogen, the most common cause of the smell is thus eating various food that have high concentrations of nitrogen: proteins, meats, eggs, and the like, as well as a few vegetables like asparagus. Eating lots of these will definitely bring a strong smell of ammonia to your urine.

Of course, urine itself does not have a smell; it is the concentration of various chemicals in it. And when you are dehydrated, there is less water in your urine, making both a darker yellow color and a stronger odor from all the concentrated chemicals. Sufficient amounts of water should be consumed each day to prevent highly concentrated urine.

Another cause of ammonia smelling urine can be from a bacterial infection, in the kidneys the urinary tract, or infection in the bladder, and is most commonly found in women, simply because of the positioning of anatomical features. The urethra, vagina, and rectum are all in very close proximity, making infection very easy for bacteria. Urinary tract infections lead to even more strongly smelling urine than concentrated ammonia, and it smells much more foul, though there is a distinct ammonia odor.

Women also tend to get ammonia-smelling urine after they go through menopause. This could occur because of diet changes for weight control, and water drinking is often very minimized at this time, so it is important to drink lots of water at this point in time.

Other issues could be serious liver or kidney damages or diseases, so it is very important to talk to your doctor if there are any other accompanying symptoms, which could include burning sensations, itching, redness or rash, fever, chills or vaginal discharge, and the odorous urine lasts for more than a few days.