what causes ammonia breath
Some serious illnesses can cause your breath to have a strange chemical odor. The smell is different from halitosis, or bad breath caused by poor oral hygiene. The breath of someone with uncontrolled diabetes, for example, may have a sweet or fruity odor. It's a sign of a life-threatening condition called ketoacidosis. Liver disease may cause breath with a musty, ammonia-like smell. An intestinal blockage may cause the breath to smell like feces. Breath that has a fishy or urine smell could mean kidney failure. Other possible causes of unusual breath odors include sinusitis, lung abscess, and esophageal cancer.