Can Coffee Smelling Urine Be a Sign of Cancer?
What if your urine smells like coffee but you DON’T drink coffee?
Could this be a sign of cancer?
Drinking a lot of coffee can make your urine smell like coffee.
But it’s a whole new ballgame if you never take in even a drop of coffee, yet are still picking up the smell of coffee once the urine stream starts leaving your body.
Can cancer make urine smell like coffee?
Cancer can change the odor of urine. In fact, there are three cancers that can give urine a distinct smell:
• Bladder
• Prostate
• Lung
Now before you panic, there’s something else you need to know.
These changes in odor are NOT detectable by the human nose!
If dogs and machines — which detect these odors — could talk to us, perhaps we’d know if these cancers could make human urine smell like coffee.
Until then, it’s safe to say that if you smell coffee coming from your urine, it’s a very strong bet that it’s not cancer, but more likely from something you ate.
Asparagus can make your excrement smell like rotting cabbage.
Dehydration can cause a strong odor, sometimes resembling the concentrated stink of a public port-o-potty.
A urinary tract infection can cause a foul odor, but nothing like coffee.
Prostate Cancer and Urine Odor
The Journal of Breath Research describes a gas chromatography system that “smells” prostate cancer in urine.
The system is called Odoreader, developed by Professor Chris Probert from the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Translational Medicine and Professor Normal Ratcliffe at UWE Bristol.
Samples of urine are inserted into the Odoreader. Algorithms then measure it.
“Our aim is to create a test that avoids this procedure at initial diagnosis by detecting cancer in a non-invasive way by smelling the disease in men’s urine,” explains Professor Ratcliffe in the paper.
“A few years ago we did similar work to detect bladder cancer following a discovery that dogs could sniff out cancer,” he continues.
“We have been using the Odoreader, which is like an electronic nose to sense the cancer.”
The British Medical Journal (Willis et al) reports, “Dogs can be trained to distinguish patients with bladder cancer on the basis of urine odour more successfully than would be expected by chance alone.”
To date, there is no evidence that the human nose can detect cancer in urine, let alone that smelling coffee in one’s urine means possible cancer somewhere in the body.
Mice Can Sniff Out Lung Cancer in Urine
“Cancer tumors result in a change in body-related odors that can be detected by trained animal sensors and by sophisticated chemical techniques,” explains biologist Gary K. Beauchamp, PhD, of Monell Chemical Senses Center, in a report appearing in PLoS One.
The paper explains that mice were trained to detect an odor in mouse urine that signified lung cancer.
So relax, set your mind at ease, stay hydrated and consider the possibility that any coffee aroma that seems to coincide with your urine output just might be emanating from the air ducts in your bathroom – that share passageways with your neighbor’s unit if your units are connected!
Every so often in the early morning I smell the enticing aroma of coffee in my home – but nobody’s brewing coffee! It’s from my neighbor, coming through the air duct system.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Michelle Lee Photography
Sources
health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/urine-color-and-odor-changes
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160211082257.htm
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126220319.htm
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC518893/
CPAP and Your Itching Nose: Causes and Solutions
An itching nose is a common complaint among CPAP users, but there are ways to prevent this most annoying situation.
CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure.
Complying to CPAP use is difficult enough for some sleep apnea patients without the hassle of an itching nose to go along with it.
Repeatedly scratching is not the solution.
“To prevent an itchy nose while using your CPAP, be sure your mask and supplies are replaced and cleaned regularly to prevent bacteria buildup,” says Michael Trufant, sleep therapy manager with Aeroflow Industrial Clinic which specializes in providing sleep studies, CPAP treatment options and quality care to sleep apnea patients nationwide.
Trufant adds, “One easy way to keep your mask, hose and reservoir sanitized is to use the SoClean (an automated CPAP cleaner and sanitizer).
“The machine does not require water or any messy chemicals. The SoClean kills 99.9 percent of CPAP bacteria, germs and other pathogens.”
NOTE: SoClean does not make visible deposits of gunk or residue disappear. It is a microbial-cleaning device, not something that scoops up or wipes away clumps of grime.
You will need to do that by hand. Your durable medical equipment provider can show you how.
The SoClean device should be used in addition to the hands-on cleaning protocol that your DME recommends.
But if you don’t regularly clean and sanitize your CPAP device, then it’s more likely to cause an itchy nose.
If despite taking these measures, your nose continues to itch — seemingly being caused by the CPAP mask — you may want to schedule a visit with a dermatologist.
Perhaps a dermatologist could prescribe or recommend some kind of cream or ointment to reduce the propensity of your nose to itch from the CPAP mask.
Remember, it’s not an issue directly with your nose; it’s an issue with the skin.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: Shutterstock/Mr.Nikon
Can CPAP Therapy Pressure or Noise Cause Hearing Loss?
It’s understandable if a CPAP user is concerned about the machine’s noise or pressure causing hearing loss. (more…)
Can GERD Cause an Elevated Resting Heart Rate?
You have GERD and you’ve been experiencing an elevated heart rate without exertion.
Could there be a connection?
The elevated heart rate may occur while you’re at your computer, watching TV, texting or while lying in bed at night or in the morning.
It would be nice to know that the GERD is causing the elevated heart rate rather than a problem with your heart such as a rhythm disorder. (more…)
Can Garlic Make IBS Worse?
It’s bad news for garlic fans who’ve been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. (more…)
Can Gallbladder Problems Cause Leg Pain?
Some people with gallbladder disease wonder if their new-onset leg pain may be connected to the gallbladder issue.
Other issues that involve the abdominal area, such as irritable bowel syndrome and ovarian cancer, can cause leg pain. But can ailments with the gallbladder? (more…)
Can Acid Reflux Cause a Tickling Feeling in the Chest?
Do you sometimes feel a tickling feeling in your chest and hope that this is from acid reflux rather than a heart problem?
Does this odd sensation make you imagine a feather is waving around under your breastbone somewhere? (more…)
How Long Do Normal Moles Take to Develop?
To anyone with “molechondria,” the question of how long it takes for a normal mole to develop is often on their mind.
One-third of melanoma cases arise from pre-existing moles. Of course, any new mole can trigger anxiety, especially in people over 40. (more…)
New Raised Mole Among Flat Moles: Red Flag for Melanoma ?
A red flag for melanoma is if you have a new mole that doesn’t look like your other moles, and if it’s a raised mole and all of your other moles are flat, this isn’t as worrisome as you may think.
“Melanoma can be raised or flat, so just the fact that a mole is raised doesn’t necessarily mean it is dangerous,” begins Caroline A. Chang, MD, a board certified dermatologist and founder of the Rhode Island Dermatology Institute.
But that can still be scary: one raised mole and all the others are flat.
Depending on its location, a raised mole will be subject to frequent irritation from clothes, and this can sometimes make it bleed.
But the frequent rubbing upon it by clothing and the resultant irritation (which can make a brown mole appear somewhat reddish) have nothing to do with melanoma.
New Mole on the Block
“The newness of a mole is more significant than the specific quality,” says Dr. Chang.
“A new mole that is changing over the course of three to six months is concerning.”
This means see a dermatologist, even if you’re young.
However, a new mole in people over 50 needs to be examined, even if it isn’t changing.
Dr. Chang practices general and cosmetic dermatology, and has particular expertise in melanoma and the use of dermoscopy for mole monitoring.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Africa Studio
Cause of Dark Mole Appearing Overnight During Pregnancy
If you’re pregnant and notice a dark mole seemingly appear overnight, this could be a melanoma, but it could also be one of several types of benign tumors.
“Pregnancy is a state of immune suppression; therefore, pregnant women are slightly more susceptible to developing melanoma,” says Caroline A. Chang, MD, a board certified dermatologist and founder of the Rhode Island Dermatology Institute.
Vigilant Skin Exams Are Crucial During Pregnancy
During pregnancy you should examine your skin from head to toe once a month, and have someone inspect difficult-to-view areas.
“If a dark mole appears overnight during pregnancy then it warrants a visit to the dermatologist,” says Dr. Chang.
“Other causes of spots that mimic melanoma appearing on the skin overnight would be seborrheic keratoses, blood blister, angioma.”
“Make sure to see a dermatologist to properly diagnose and treat the new spot,” advises Dr. Chang.
Also keep in mind that the dark “mole” may have been there all along and you just had never noticed it before.
If a dark spot that resembles a mole appears overnight, it can also be what dermatologists call a hemorrhage.
This is a glorified term for a tiny scab. You may have no memory of the little trauma that caused the focal bleeding.
These tiny brown spots (dried blood) can appear anywhere, and they stick good to the skin until they’re ready to fall off (when the skin beneath is healed).
If one of these dark spots is located on your back, it will be impossible to view it close enough to tell that it’s a scab.
Rubbing it with a fingertip will not necessarily cause it to fall off if it’s not ready to fall off naturally.
So don’t let its stubbornness make you think it might be a melanoma.
DO NOT PICK AT ANY NEW DARK SPOT ON YOUR SKIN.
Dr. Chang practices general and cosmetic dermatology, and has particular expertise in melanoma and the use of dermoscopy for mole monitoring.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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