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Cloudy & Strong Urine

Urinating is a normal part of everyone's daily routine. Healthy urine is typically a light shade of yellow and has little to no odor. Every now and then you may notice your urine changes in scent or color. Sometimes this is nothing to worry about and can be a result of dehydration or something that you've eaten. In other cases, cloudy or strong smelling urine can be a sign of a serious illness.

  1. Urinary Tract Infections

    • Urinary tract infections are a common cause of cloudy and foul smelling urine. Urinary tract infections occur when foreign bacteria makes its way into the urinary tract. This can be caused by something as simple as wiping in the wrong direction after a bowel movement. Other symptoms of a urinary tract infection include burning during urination and frequent urination. It's important to remember that a urinary tract infection is not a sexually transmitted disease and is easily curable with antibiotics.

    Sexually Transmitted Diseases

    • Sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, can cause abnormal vaginal discharge, which in turn will cause cloudy urine. If your cloudy urine occurs after having unprotected sex, getting tested for sexually transmitted illnesses is the smart thing to do. Using condoms or practicing abstinence are the best ways to put yourself at ease that your strange looking urine is not a side effect of an STD.

    Food and Drink

    • A change in urine appearance and smell is not always due to infection. The foods you eat and liquids you drink can also have this result. Eating a lot of asparagus can often give urine a strong smelling odor. Being dehydrated can cause your urine to increase in scent and appear a much darker shade than usual. Always drink six to eight glasses of water a day to avoid this.

    Other symptoms that something is wrong

    • Foul smelling and cloudy urine are not the only two symptoms that something is wrong. Blood in urine is often a side effect of a serious issue such as kidney stones or even cancer. Pain while urinating is never normal and should always be taken seriously.

    When to see a doctor

    • If your cloudy or strong smelling urine lasts for more than one to three days or you are experiencing pain or other side effects while urinating it is important to contact your primary care doctor or gynecologist as soon as possible. Many urinary infections can be cured in a week or less with antibiotics, but can spread to the kidneys if left untreated.

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