Smell of urine from the mouth: reasons why a child’s mouth smells like urine

The appearance in a patient of such a repulsive condition as the smell of urine from the mouth is due to many factors, which include both the use of medications and the development of serious pathological processes in the patient’s body. It is highly not recommended to ignore such a disorder in a person’s condition, since it often becomes a harbinger of changes in the body that can later have an extremely negative impact on a person’s health. First of all, if you smell urine from your mouth, you should consult a doctor, who, if necessary, will prescribe an additional medical examination.

What is acetone syndrome or acetone in a child?

The first thing to remember: acetone in a child is not a disease (not associated with a viral or bacterial infection), but a signal that the body has run out of glucose and there is an excess of ketone bodies in the blood. Ketones are a group of substances formed in the liver, products of incomplete oxidation of fats in the form of acetone and similar compounds.

How does acetone occur?

A child’s body is structured the same as an adult’s, but individual organs are not yet working at full capacity. Carbohydrates obtained from food are processed in the stomach and glucose enters the blood, most of which is used for energy, and some accumulates in the liver in the form of glycogen.

The supply of glucose (glycogen) in both adults and children is actively consumed with increased physical and mental stress, but in children it is much less, so it runs out faster. Fats are used, the breakdown of which also produces a small amount of energy, but at the same time ketones appear. If the child’s body does not receive glucose on time, fats will begin to break down too actively, and a large amount of ketones will be formed.

Quickly spreading through the blood throughout the body, they poison it. Acetone irritates the vomiting center and causes constant (acetonemic) vomiting, the smell of acetone appears on the breath and acetone in the urine, and there is a danger of dehydration.

What contributes to the appearance of acetone in a child’s urine and blood?

unbalanced diet
- predominance of fats and proteins in the child’s food and lack of glucose;
overeating and starvation;
enzymatic deficiency
- carbohydrates are poorly absorbed;
increased glucose consumption
- increased physical and mental stress, stress, injury, infectious diseases, especially accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting.

Causes of bad breath

There is a whole list of factors that can affect the formation of an unpleasant odor in urine. Among the most common reasons are the following:

inflammation localized in the tonsils;
infectious pathologies affecting the respiratory tract;
insufficient hygienic oral care;
development of caries;
inappropriately composed daily menu;
dry mouth.

The development of caries affects the appearance of odor in the mouth

The development of bad odor in the mouth is also affected by taking medications, which include antihistamines, sedatives, decongestants and some other drugs. Such medications inhibit the process of salivation, which causes the throat and mouth to dry out, which causes a stink.

In some cases, the appearance of a bad odor is accompanied by the formation of plaque on the tongue, as well as an unpleasant taste when eating food. In cases where a person consumes food quite rarely, and also violates the drinking regime (the amount of liquid consumed is much lower than necessary), this negatively affects the functioning of the urinary system, which is expressed in the appearance of urine odor from the mouth.

Kidney pathologies

The most disgusting manifestation of diseases of this nature is the smell of urine from the mouth, which most closely resembles the specific aroma of ammonia. If there are abnormalities in the functioning of the kidneys (failure of these organs or diseases of an infectious nature), in addition to the appearance of an unpleasant odor from the mouth, a person begins to feel worse, mental and physical activity decreases, and a general malaise appears, causing constant discomfort. The problem occurs when:

Pyelonephritis. This is the process of inflammation in the kidneys.
Urolithiasis. The formation of oxalates and urates, which interfere with the outflow of fluid from the body.
Kidney failure. The kidneys lose their ability to accumulate and remove fluid, which often leads to a malfunction of all body systems.

Urolithiasis disease

In cases where the progress of the disease is at one of the last stages, the smell of urine from the mouth of a child or adult intensifies and is very pronounced. In kidney diseases, this is primarily due to the fact that the tubules of these organs are damaged, which causes deviations in the process of protein metabolism. In this case, the uremic smell becomes a herald of a metabolic disorder in the human body, due to which waste products leave the body through the respiratory tract. At the same time, despite the pronounced smell of ammonia, there are completely no toxic compounds in the air exhaled by a person. Therefore, if your breath begins to stink and the smell cannot be removed with standard hygiene products, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Infections

In a predominant number of cases, respiratory tract diseases that are caused by bacteria or viruses (these primarily include sore throat, influenza and ARVI), that is, infectious in nature, lead to an increase in the level of ammonia and urea in the patient’s blood, which is caused by metabolic disorders substances. In addition, due to damage to the mucous membranes, which dry out over time, the production of saliva, as well as the bactericidal enzyme lysozyme, decreases, which is why the proliferation of microorganisms that influence the appearance of an unpleasant odor flourishes.

When infectious diseases occur in the oral cavity, due to which the smell of urine appears from the mouth, the characteristic signs of the pathological process are redness, swelling and bleeding of the gums, especially after hygiene procedures using a toothbrush or dental floss. Often this condition is accompanied by the formation of purulent discharge between the teeth, as well as the appearance of an abscess (abscess) in the mouth. The teeth begin to become loose, and in the most advanced cases they even fall out. Ulcerative wounds also appear on the tongue or gums.

Pathological processes of an infectious nature located in the respiratory tract are mainly expressed by redness of the throat, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, increased body temperature, signs of chills, green or yellow nasal discharge, as well as a cough accompanied by sputum.

High sugar levels (diabetes)

Among all diseases of the endocrine system, diabetes mellitus, which is often accompanied by abnormalities in the metabolic process in the body (and we are not just talking about carbohydrates), can cause the appearance of urine odor from a person’s mouth. In most cases, a fruity aroma is detected from the patient’s mouth, but in the most severe cases (for example, with hyperglycemic coma) in people suffering from diabetes, a strong odor of ammonia or acetone is observed in the mouth. In this case, the patient experiences dry mouth, unquenchable thirst, due to which the amount of fluid consumed and excreted increases, and also sometimes loses consciousness.

Elevated sugar levels

This disease is one of the most dangerous, which can be manifested by the appearance of an uncharacteristic odor from the mouth. Due to too few symptoms, the patient’s condition gradually becomes critical, and the smell of urine from the mouth becomes a sign of the development of coma. In this case, the patient experiences an excessive amount of glucose excreted by the organs of the urinary system. General weakness and nausea also become characteristic symptoms in this case. Similar clinical manifestations are also characteristic of other diseases of a systemic nature, including those affecting the liver, kidneys, lungs and other organs.

Poor nutrition

Lack of balance in the daily diet also affects the appearance of bad breath. As is known, urea and ammonia are products of the breakdown of proteins, which is why when using a protein diet, in which there are practically no fats and carbohydrates, an increased amount of such substances enters the blood. That is why most nutritionists recommend creating a menu that maintains the proportions of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In this case, an important role is played by the presence of physical activity, which helps to activate the metabolic process (if there is a lack of it, you should do basic exercises from the school course).

Gastritis or pancreatic diseases

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (in a predominant number of cases this is gastritis, but duodenitis, intestinal dysbiosis and cholecystitis are also noted) also affect the formation of unpleasant odor from a person’s mouth. However, it may not only be the smell of urine. The real stench of hydrogen sulfide, more often used to describe rotten eggs, indicates the processes of rotting proteins in the body. Its cause is deviations in the digestion process, which is why such a aroma becomes persistent. This manifestation most often becomes a sign of the development of gastritis with low acidity or stomach ulcers.

If the patient has a sour smell, which is accompanied by the same taste in the mouth, we are talking about the development of gastritis with high acidity. A similar sign of this disease often appears at one of the early stages of the disease, when it is not accompanied by other signs of the development of the pathological process.

Dehydration

The appearance of urine odor in the mouth is most often observed in children who do not take in enough liquid during the day, which causes dehydration, which is accompanied by the appearance of an unpleasant odor during breathing. In this case, parents should also pay attention to the condition of their child’s teeth and gums, since the development of caries and stomatitis (and other infectious diseases localized in the oral cavity) can cause a change in the aroma of exhaled air.

Diagnosis of acetone syndrome

The first signs appear at the age of two or three, by the age of seven or eight they can become more frequent, and at the age of 12-13 they usually stop.

If a child has acetone for the first time, it is necessary to contact a pediatrician, for example, a medical specialist. Acetone syndrome can only be determined by a doctor, since the smell of acetone in the urine may be a sign of insulin deficiency, and there is a risk of diabetes mellitus. In these cases, an urgent consultation with an endocrinologist, gastroenterologist and psychotherapist is required, which can be obtained here in the center.

primary - the result of poor nutrition and a sign of an unhealthy lifestyle;
secondary - consequences of infectious and endocrine diseases, damage to the central nervous system.

In addition, there is a primary idiopathic acetonomy syndrome, where the main provoking factor is a hereditary predisposition.

How to get rid of a terrible smell

In order to eliminate such a symptom, which does not bring anything pleasant with it, the factor causing bad breath should be eliminated. First of all, restoring a normal state begins with performing basic hygienic procedures aimed at cleansing the oral cavity of bacteria (in this case, regular brushing of teeth is considered the most effective method). It is important to understand that the surface of the teeth should be cleaned not only from the outside, but also from all the rest. In cases where food particles remain in hard-to-reach places, dental floss is used. If the patient has not followed the rules of hygiene for a long time, which is why his teeth are in an unsuitable condition, it is necessary to consult a dentist for advice. In addition, preventive examinations should be carried out at least once a year.

In cases where the strong smell of urine from the mouth is caused by drying out of the mucous membranes, you should not only normalize your drinking regimen, but also make an appointment with a doctor to determine the exact cause of this condition. Often the culprit for the occurrence of such a symptom is the development of pathological processes in the body, the timely detection of which will ensure the appointment of adequate treatment and a speedy recovery. If, after putting the daily diet and drinking regime in order, the smell of urine from the patient’s mouth does not leave the patient, and he is accompanied by a deterioration in his health, he should think about visiting the clinic. First of all, the doctor will direct the patient to undergo tests that will reveal the level of urea and sugar in the blood, which is necessary to continue diagnostic procedures and begin therapeutic measures.