the kidneys are not functioning correctly. If you can’t identify the cause of a fishy smell you should contact your doctor.
Bleach Odor
CKD can sometimes cause your breath to have a bleach-like or metallic taste. Sometimes called “ammonia breath”. People also report that it smells like urine.
That smell and the taste of bleach or ammonia on your breath is caused by a build-up in your body of a waste product called urea. It is your body’s way of releasing the urea when your kidneys are not functioning properly enough to do so.
Ammonia breath could be caused by factors other than kidney disease. This could include a temporary decrease in kidney function but it could also be unrelated to kidney function altogether. Some causes of ammonia breath are fairly minor or temporary, while others may indicate serious health issues.
Causes of ammonia breath include:
- Heavy alcohol use
- Eating too much protein
- Urinary tract infections (UTls)
- Urinary blockages
- Dehydration
- Sinus infections
- H. pylori bacterial infections
An ammonia smell may also enter your urine as a result of kidney disease. It causes chemicals in urine to become concentrated creating a smell resembling ammonia. Although it is not a dangerous symptom, if you have ammonia breath, along with staying on top of your oral hygiene you should consult with your doctor.
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Vinegar Odor
Sweat that smells like vinegar is another result of urea build-up that isn’t being released from the body properly. When you have CKD, your kidneys cannot process urea effectively. However, vinegar-like sweat won’t be your first indication of kidney disease and it could have other causes.
If you have this symptom, you may want to see your doctor. To ensure that you don’t reek of vinegar due to excessive sweating and other conditions, try adding vitamins to your diet and staying on top of your daily hygiene.
Don’t Sweat Your Body Odor
No matter how uncomfortable you may feel because of BO, everyone has experienced it. Of course, we all want to look, feel, and smell fresh at all times, but life is not a Dove commercial. Since we’re all just humans with hectic, fast-paced lives, you should feel good in knowing that BO is manageable and doesn’t have to be permanent, whether due to an underlying condition or not.