Causes

Urine consists mainly of water. It's the amount and concentration of various waste products excreted by the kidneys that causes urine odor.

Urine that contains a lot of water and few waste products has little to no odor. If urine becomes highly concentrated — a high level of waste products with little water — your urine may have a strong ammonia odor.

Some foods and medications, such as asparagus or certain vitamins, can cause a noticeable urine odor, even in low concentrations. Sometimes, unusual urine odor indicates a medical condition or disease, such as:

• Cystitis (bladder inflammation)
• Dehydration
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Gastrointestinal-bladder fistula (abnormal connection between the intestines and bladder)
• Maple syrup urine disease (rare genetic condition that becomes apparent during infancy)
• Metabolic disorder (a problem with the way your body converts the foods you eat into energy)
• Type 2 diabetes (uncontrolled)
• Urinary tract infection (UTI)