Rhiannon Ingle
Look, no one particularly enjoys chatting about what they find in the toilet bowl after doing their business, but it can be very important to have a good inspection every now and then to ensure you're in tip-top health.
Now, in terms of number twos, we've already discussed what colour of poo is a 'red flag sign' of cancer, as well as what you need to do if you find your stools sticking to the side of the loo, but your wee can be just as telling.
Urine is far from pleasant-smelling, even if it's from the most hydrated of individuals, but there are some wee smells that you'll probably want to look into if it's out of the ordinary for you. And the same goes for colours too.
Advert
The NHS explains that pee is usually clear or pale yellow, with a mild smell. Things that can often make your pee smell stronger include: certain types of food and drink, like asparagus or coffee, not drinking enough fluids (dehydration), some medicines and vitamin B6 supplements.
Now, many of us are already familiar with the 'asparagus wee' smell that happens when, you guessed it, you've eaten a lot of asparagus.
But it's not just this popular vegetable, as medical research has shown that some foods alter urine odour as they’re metabolised - asparagus is just one of them.
A more ammonia smell, however, can be your body’s way of saying it’s dehydrated. If the odour persists or feels out of place, health professionals urge you to get it checked out with your GP, as it may be down to an infection or kidney health.
And, thirdly, a sweet or 'fruity' scent could be down to extra sugar in the bloodstream, with experts associating it with uncontrolled diabetes and rare metabolic disorders.
Due to this, it's best to get the symptoms checked out ASAP so you can get to the bottom of it.
Medical News Today explains that diabetic ketoacidosis can result in urine that smells sweet or fruity, adding: "A person with uncontrolled diabetes may have high blood glucose levels. The body tries to get rid of the extra glucose through urine, which can cause it to have a sweet smell, similar to honey."
Those with sweet-smelling urine due to diabetes may notice other symptoms, including:
Along with sweet-smelling urine, a person may have the following symptoms:
"Diabetic ketoacidosis is a medical emergency as it can be life-threatening without treatment," the experts warn.
There are some things you can do to help keep your pee clear and smelling mild.
The NHS advises you 'drink plenty of fluids, particularly water, so that you pee regularly during the day and do not feel thirsty', as well as drinking 'more in hot weather and when exercising'.
Additionally, it warns against knocking back a lot of sugary fizzy drinks, coffee or alcohol, eating a lot of garlic or asparagus, as they contain strong-smelling chemicals that can pass into your pee, and taking more than 10mg of vitamin B6 a day.
If you have other symptoms, such as pain when peeing, peeing more often than usual and pee that looks cloudy, you may have a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Less often, smelly pee can be caused by other conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or kidney stones.