HEALTH AND FITNESS Bad odor is the unpleasant smell produced by bacteria on the skin that breakdown the acids in your sweat. The medical term is bromhydrosis.
Anyone who has reached puberty can produce bad odor, as that is when the aprocrine sweat glands develop, which produce the sweat that bacteria can quickly breakdown.
It is said that men are more likely to produce odor because they tend to sweat more than women. IS THIS TRUE?
Types of Body/ Mouth Odor
There are several types of body/mouth odor, but I will only list few.
Sweet Smelling Sweat: Sweat does not normally smell sweat, but if it does, it is probably a sign of bacteria infection or a yeast infection. Alternatively, it could represent other disorders such as lactic acidosis that occurs when the level lactic acid in the bloodstream increases at a rate fater than that with which it is being removed. Bacterial infections of the skin also cause the sweat to have a yeasty smell that is sickenly sweet.
Sour Smelly Sweat: For mostly healthy people, sweat usually has a bad smell. This is because the process involves the elimination of toxins from the body. However, when your sweat smells extremely bad or rancid, it might be a sign of a deficiency in magnesium or difficulty digesting fats. This is difficult to notice if you are not informed on the types of food that contain magnesium and the type that deplete the body’s magnesium. In other words, this smell may be the result of bacterial infections of the skin.
Sweet Smelling Breath: when your breath starts to smell sweet or fruity, you should be very concerned. Fruity breath is a common symptom among those suffering from Diabetic Ketoacidosis. This is a life threatening condition that usually affects people suffering from Diabetes. When the body of Diabetic people is unable to use glucose as a fuel source, this condition is likely to occur. This may often be caused by insufficiency or lack of insulin in the body. To substitute the lack of fuel from glucose, the body breaks down fat. This breakdown results in waste known as ketons that accumulate in the body.
Fishy Smelling Breath: This may not be a very common problem, but it may be among the most serious ones. If your breath (or general body odor) tends to smell like fish, it is most likely most likely that you are suffering from fish odor syndrome. This is a generic disease whose symptoms are experienced birth. The main characteristic is the awful smell of rotten fish which is as a result of surplus excretion of trimethylaminuria (TMA) into the sweat and urine.
Interestingly enough, at the start of their menstrual cycle, healthy women may experience the
same symptoms in a short while.
Daily Bad Breath: Bad breath is a very common problem that may be caused by a range of things: from poor oral hygiene to life-threatening conditions such as kidney failure. Persistent bad breath known as Halitosis, is often a sign of bacteria that has built up in the mouth. People also experience bad breath when the acid in their mouth is depleted because of a deficiency. People that often eat food containing garlic and onions find their way into your lungs and cause your breath to be foul.
How to Deal With them:
One of the ways to always keep clean is to bath or shower every day using mild soap and war, water. This will help tremendously. If you are concerned about the way your underarms smell, you can try using deodorants/anti-perspirants. Wearing clean clothes, socks, and under wears each day can also help you to feel clean and prevent odors. If you sweat a lot, you might find that shirts, T-shirts, socks and under wears and made from cotton or other natural materials will absorb sweat more easily.
About Bad Breaths:
Bad breath is caused by odor producing bacteria that grow in the mouth. When you don’t brush or floss regularly, bacteria accumulate in the bits of food left in your mouth and between your teeth. The compounds left by the bacteria make your breath smell. I have talked about garlic and onions, smoking is a another major cause of bad breath. Mouth wash only gets rid of bad breath temporarily. If you do use mouth wash, use one that has an antiseptic component (that will kill the germs that cause bad breath) and a plaque removing property. It will be wise to ask your dentist for recommendations.
References: nhs.uk, webmd.com,
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