Presence of smelly urine in women can signify certain health-care conditions that need to be addressed immediately. Although it is a given fact that urine has a certain pungent smell, really bad-smelling urine can mean something that needs to be given medical attention. In other words, while urine naturally has a distinct odor, you should not let any changes pass without telling a physician about what you are currently experiencing. You should also remember when the first time you have noticed the change was, and for long how has it been going on. These pieces of information will properly help the doctor in diagnosing what the possible cause really is.
Smelly Urine in Women
Most doctors will tell you that urine should be clear and straw-yellow in color. However, sometimes urine can have a very bright color depending if you are taking any supplements like vitamin and mineral drugs. Some of the most common causes of smelly urine in women include any of the following:
1. Cystitis – Also known as urinary tract infection or UTI, cystitis is the presence of bacteria in one’s body. If you are infected with this you will find it very difficult to pass urine. Sometimes, you feel that you feel the urge to urinate even if you just urinated a while earlier. If you have UTI, you will also feel that your bladder is never empty. UTI is caused sometimes by too-salty diet, certain drugs, and sometimes feminine care products. There are also certain cases wherein UTI occurred because you do not pass urine whenever you feel it.
2. Dehydration – Another thing that causes smelly urine is dehydration because of a simple reason. If you are dehydrated, your body uses up the stored nutrients and compounds in your body. And this can really smell a lot. Drinking the right amount of water and taking in as much fluid as you can may lessen the smell of your urine.
3. Pregnancy – Pregnancy also causes smelly urine in women since the body of the female goes through various changes in hormone balance, vitamin intake, and food and diet changes. These are just normal events happening since the body is making room for the development of the baby. However, if you think that your urine smells really bad you should have it checked by your obstetrician.
4. Vitamin supplementations – If you are taking vitamins such as vitamin-Bs, they can make your urine smell a bit bad than the usual.
6. Coffee and caffeine – Too much coffee intake can also lead to smelly urine. If you want to counteract this, all you need to do is to drink as much water as you can to flush the caffeine out of your body.
So when is the right time to call your doctor? If you think that your urine smells too bad already and you are beginning to notice changes that should not be there, then do not hesitate to give your physician a call and have yourself checked.