What causes body odor?
Body odor happens when bacteria on your skin come in contact with sweat. Our skin is naturally covered with bacteria. When we sweat, the water, salt and fat mix with this bacteria and can cause odor. The odor can be bad, good or have no smell at all. Factors like the foods you eat, hormones or medications can affect body odor. A condition called hyperhidrosis makes a person sweat excessively. People with this condition may be more susceptible to body odor because they sweat so much, but it’s often the eccrine sweat glands that cause the most discomfort with sweaty palms and feet.
Every time you sweat, there’s a chance you’ll produce an unpleasant body odor. Some people are more susceptible to foul body odor than other people.
Other factors that can affect body odor are:
Why does my sweat smell bad?
There can be several reasons your sweat smells bad. For example, certain medications, supplements or foods can make your sweat smell bad. Remember, the sweat itself isn’t what smells; it’s the bacteria on your skin combined with the sweat.
Several medical conditions and diseases are associated with changes in a person’s usual body scent:
If you have diabetes, a change in body odor could be a sign of diabetes-related ketoacidosis. High ketone levels cause your blood to become acidic and your body odor to be fruity. In the case of liver or kidney disease, your odor may give off a bleach-like smell due to toxin buildup in your body.
Do hormonal changes cause body odor to smell?
Yes, changes in hormones can cause your body odor to smell. Hot flashes, night sweats and hormonal fluctuations experienced during menopause cause excessive sweating, which leads to changes in body odor. Some people believe their body odor changes when they’re pregnant or menstruating. Research suggests a person’s body odor changes during ovulation (the time in a person’s menstrual cycle when they can become pregnant) to attract a mate.
Can certain foods cause body odor?
The saying, “you are what you eat,” may apply to body odor. If you eat food rich in sulfur, you may develop body odor. Sulfur smells like rotten eggs. When your body secretes it in your sweat, it can put off an unpleasant smell. Examples of sulfur-rich foods are:
- Onions.
- Garlic.
- Cabbage.
- Broccoli.
- Cauliflower.
- Red meat.
Certain foods can make you sweat more. This extra sweat can give you a stronger body odor. The foods don’t directly trigger body odor, but they can be a factor in how you smell because they affect how much you sweat. These include:
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG).
- Caffeine.
- Spices like curry powder or cumin.
- Hot sauce or other spicy food.
- Alcohol.
Eliminating or reducing these triggers may help improve your body odor.
FAQs
Body odor is caused by a mix of bacteria and sweat on your skin. Your body odor can change due to hormones, the food you eat, infection, medications or underlying conditions like diabetes. Prescription-strength antiperspirants or medications may help.
Does change in body odor indicate illness? ›
Unusual changes in sweating — either too much (hyperhidrosis) or too little (anhidrosis) — can be cause for concern. Changes in body odor also may signal a health problem. Otherwise, lifestyle and home treatments can usually help with normal sweating and body odor.
Why does my body odor smell different all of a sudden? ›
Changes in body odor are often the result of lifestyle changes, such as an altered diet or exercise regimen. However, in some cases, a sudden change in body odor may be a sign of an underlying health condition.
What infectious diseases cause body odor? ›
Some types of skin infections or conditions that might cause a smell include:
- trichomycosis axillaris, a bacterial infection of underarm hair follicles.
- erythrasma, a superficial bacterial skin infection.
If you have severe body odour and sweating, a GP may suggest:
- stronger, prescription antiperspirants.
- injections in your armpits to reduce the amount of sweat.
- surgery to remove the sweat glands.
A person with kidney failure may have breath that smells like ammonia or urine. Serious liver disease can make breath smell musty or like garlic and rotten eggs. Compounds that are transported through the blood can also be released through your sweat glands. That can make your armpits and skin smell bad.
Can a vitamin deficiency cause body odor? ›
Nutrient Deficiencies:
Mineral deficiencies, particularly Zinc, cause body odour. A zinc deficiency may occur due to underactive thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) that produces few thyroid hormones and affect the detoxification process, resulting in body odour.
What does kidney disease body odor smell like? ›
Liver or Kidney Problems - The kidneys and liver help remove toxins from our bodies. When they cannot function properly, toxins can build up in the blood and digestive tract, creating odor. Kidney disease can cause build of urea and make your sweat and urine smell like ammonia.
What medications cause body odor? ›
Several groups of drugs are known in the literature that can cause BO through excessive sweating such as antidepressant medications (bupropion hydrochloride, venlafaxine hydrochloride ect.), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ketoprofen and naproxen), analgesic (codeine), omega-3-acid ethyl esters, leuprolide ...
What does bromhidrosis smell like? ›
Bromhidrosis is known as foul-smelling perspiration with or without hyperhidrosis. Apocrine bromhidrosis is the result of apocrine sweat being degraded by cutaneous bacteria, leading to ammonia and short-chain fatty acids. The odor from apocrine bromhidrosis will resemble typical body odor.
Trimethylaminuria is a rare disorder in which the body is not able to metabolize the chemical trimethylamine, and this causes body odor. Trimethylamine is the chemical that gives rotten fish a bad smell.
What disease changes your smell? ›
However, other conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and tumors can be associated with smell loss. In some cases, the loss of smell is complete (anosmia), while in other cases there is only a partial loss (hyposmia). In many instances where smell loss occurs, remaining smells are distorted.
Can Hashimoto's cause body odor? ›
While thyroid disorders don't directly cause sour-smelling sweat at night, a change in thyroid hormone production can impact the rate of sweating. In turn, more sweat can result in body odor.
Can bad body odor be treated? ›
Some products combine an antiperspirant and a deodorant. If over-the-counter products don't control sweating and body odor, your doctor can prescribe a stronger prescription-strength antiperspirant/deodorant. Wear clothing made from breathable fabrics such as cotton, silk, or wool and wash clothes after each wear.
Can thyroid cause body odor? ›
Finally, an overactive thyroid can cause the body to smell due to the increase in sweat due to the hyperfunction of the thyroid gland. Thyroid dysfunction has many long-term and immediate-term health implications. If you are sweating too much, take it seriously.
Why do I smell down there even after I shower? ›
vagin*l odor usually occurs as a result of a pH imbalance. This may be due to infection, aging, sexual activity, or vagin*l douching. The typical vagin*l pH is somewhere between 3.8 – 5.0 , which is moderately acidic. A higher pH can allow unhealthy bacteria to grow, causing infection and possibly an odor.
What does stress body odor smell like? ›
But your apocrine glands, usually only found in your armpit area, are activated when you're under psychological stress, explains Preti. This sweat produces a strong, sometimes even sulfurous odor when you're anxious or scared.
Does a woman's body odor change with age? ›
Body odor tends to evolve gradually, but changes can happen more rapidly as women approach and enter menopause.
Does body odor mean you have toxins? ›
NOT THE WHOLE STORY. Although poor personal hygiene typically is the primary contributor to body odor, there can be other causes as well, including a nutrient deficiency, gastrointestinal problems, medical conditions, and the presence of certain toxins in the body.
Why does my sweat smell sour all of a sudden? ›
Sweat can smell like vinegar because of diseases such as diabetes, trichomycosis, and kidney disease, or because of hormone changes, certain foods, or skin infections. Sweat is released by sweat glands that are found throughout the body. These are the eccrine, apocrine, and apoeccrine glands.
