Strong, acrid, pungent odor easily recognizable in cleaning products like Windex, vinegar, cat urine, chicken manure and, for some people, sweat. Gaseous amines possess a characteristic ammonia smell, liquid amines have a distinctive "fishy" smell.
Human breath may have an ammonia-like odor (also described as urine-like or "fishy") in people with chronic kidney failure, uremia and other stages of renal disease. It occurs due to nitrogen-containing compounds, namely amines dimethylamine (DMA) and trimethylamine (TMA). Disturbances in the metabolism of amines may be also observed in epilepsy (increased 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol in urine), Parkinson's and dementia (deficient turnover of amines in the brain). Ammonia-smelling urine could mean dehydration or bacterial infection.
Human breath may have an ammonia-like odor (also described as urine-like or "fishy") in people with chronic kidney failure, uremia and other stages of renal disease. It occurs due to nitrogen-containing compounds, namely amines dimethylamine (DMA) and trimethylamine (TMA). Disturbances in the metabolism of amines may be also observed in epilepsy (increased 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol in urine), Parkinson's and dementia (deficient turnover of amines in the brain). Ammonia-smelling urine could mean dehydration or bacterial infection.
