Conditions That Cause Foul Smelling Urine

Type 2 Diabetes

 If left untreated, type 2 diabetes can lead to consistently high blood glucose levels. When your blood sugar stays up for a prolonged period, it will start “rotting”. By rotting, I mean the body will start breaking it into ketones. Again, the body does not need high ketone levels. It will use some to break down glucose into energy and eliminate excess ketones and glucose through urine. This can lead to urine with a sweet or fruity smell.

Liver Damage

If your liver is not working properly, the serum ammonia levels in your blood can become dangerously high. When excess ammonia is eliminated through urine, you can experience foul-smelling urine. Excess ammonia in the bloodstream can also lead to dark urine.

Cystitis

Cystitis occurs when bad bacteria accumulate in the bladder, making it inflamed. When there is little or no good bacteria to maintain balance in your bladder, urine colour and odour might change. In most cases, the urine might smell like sulfur.

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Barbara is a freelance writer and a sex and relationships adviser at Dimepiece LA and Peaches and Screams. Barbara is involved in various educational initiatives aimed at making sex advice more accessible to everyone and breaking stigmas around sex across various cultural communities. In her spare time, Barbara enjoys trawling through vintage markets in Brick Lane, exploring new places, painting and reading.

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MS, University of Tartu
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