When urine has a strong, unpleasant odor or very dark color, it can be a sign of dehydration, urinary tract infection, diabetes, or even problems with kidney function.
To avoid dehydration, it is important to ensure fluid consumption throughout the day, especially on warmer or more demanding physical days. However, if your urine is very dark or slightly reddish, it may indicate the presence of blood, see what to do in these cases.
However, when fluid intake is sufficient and the symptoms remain, it is important to be able to identify other symptoms that may indicate the presence of a problem, or a more serious illness. So here are some pointers on what can mean the smell of strong and unpleasant or very dark-colored urine:
1. Urinary Tract Infection
Very concentrated urine with a strong and unpleasant smell is one of the symptoms of urinary tract infection, which can be accompanied by pain or burning when urinating and frequent urination. Get to know other symptoms in Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection.
- How the diagnosis is made: The diagnosis of urinary tract infection can be made by a general practitioner, a gynecologist or a urologist, by analyzing the urine using a reagent strip or by performing a blood test.
- How to treat: Treatment is usually done with antibiotics such as Amoxicillin, Ampicillin or Cephalosporin, and it is also recommended to drink plenty of water or fruit juices throughout the recovery time.
2. Renal Insufficiency
A small amount of urine and dark-smelling urine may be symptoms of malfunctioning of the kidneys, which usually accompany hand tremors, tiredness, drowsiness, and swelling in the body, especially especially in the eyes and legs and feet due to fluid retention . Learn how to identify kidney malfunction by clicking here.
- How the diagnosis is made: the diagnosis should be made by a nephrologist, through urine tests and other specific tests;
- How to treat: Treatment can be done by taking medications to lower blood pressure and body swelling, such as Lisinopril or Furosemide, for example. In addition, treatment should be supplemented with a diet low in protein, salt and potassium, to avoid overloading the kidneys, and it is also recommended to drink plenty of water.
3. Uncontrolled diabetes
Urine with a strong, dark-colored odor may also be a symptom of diabetes, with other symptoms such as increased thirst, frequent urination, tiredness, wounds that slowly heal or tingling in the feet and hands. Get to know other symptoms of this disease in Diabetes Symptoms.
- How the diagnosis is made: The diagnosis of diabetes can be done through a blood test that evaluates the rate of blood sugar.
- How to treat: The treatment of diabetes involves the taking of medicines that depend on the type of diabetes diagnosed, and it is also necessary to make dietary adjustments that help in the control of the disease.
4. Phenylketonuria
Strong-smelling urine and mold can be a symptom of Phenylketonuria, a rare and congenital disease that has no cure, caused by the accumulation of phenylketonuria in the body. Other symptoms caused by this disease include difficulty in development, smell of mold on the skin, eczema on the skin or mental deficiency.
- How the diagnosis is made: the diagnosis of this disease is soon in the first years of the child's life, through the test of the foot;
- How to treat: The treatment involves performing a strict diet low in phenylalanine, a natural amino acid that can be found in meat, eggs, oilseeds, processed foods, milk and dairy products.
Excessive consumption of alcohol can also cause changes in the color and odor of urine, which usually disappear after 1 or 2 days.
