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:
- Exercise.
- Stress or anxiety.
- Hot weather.
- Having overweight/obesity.
- Genetics.
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? ›
Sometimes, a change in odor might be the result of an underlying health problem. Diabetes and kidney disease, for example, can both lead to a change in body odor. Anyone who suspects that they may have such a condition should speak to a doctor as soon as possible.
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.
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 ...
How do you get rid of chronic body odor? ›
Self care
- Bathe daily. Regular bathing, especially with an antibacterial soap, reduces the growth of bacteria on your skin.
- Choose clothing to suit your activity. For daily wear, choose natural fabrics, such as cotton, wool and silk. ...
- Try relaxation techniques. ...
- Change your diet.
Disease Overview
Trimethylaminuria is a rare disorder in which the body is not able to metabolize the chemical trimethylamine, and this causes body odor.
Are there medical conditions that make you smell bad? ›
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.
What disease changes your smell? ›
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) is an uncommon condition that causes an unpleasant, fishy smell. It's also called "fish odour syndrome". Sometimes it's caused by faulty genes that a person inherits from their parents, but this isn't always the case. There's currently no cure, but there are things that can help.
What does kidney disease body odor smell like? ›
Kidney disease can cause build of urea and make your sweat and urine smell like ammonia. Thyroid Issues - Thyroid glands regulate many bodily functions, including our sweat response.
Can a vitamin deficiency cause body odor? ›
Underlying Health Conditions
Some temporary health conditions that result in an unwanted body odor are: Athlete's foot. Infections (yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, trichom*oniasis, ear infections, skin infections, pneumonia, tuberculosis and urinary tract infections) Vitamin deficiencies.
Body odor is caused by bacteria breaking down the sweat from the apocrine glands in your armpits, groin, and pubic area. You may be more prone to body odor if you are overweight, eat certain foods, have certain health conditions, or are under stress. Genetics may also play a role.
What hormone controls body odor? ›
Different hormones, different aromas
Estrogen and progesterone levels fall relative to your testosterone, while cortisol tends to increase. Higher levels of both testosterone and cortisol have been linked to stronger body odor.
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.
Can someone with really bad body odor be cured? ›
Thoroughly washing, using antiperspirants, and shaving may all assist a person in managing unwanted body odor. If symptoms persist, a doctor may recommend prescription treatments and, in some cases, surgery. Body odor and excessive sweating may also be indicators of an underlying health condition.
Why do I have body odor even with good hygiene? ›
Certain foods and drinks you've consumed, as well as certain kinds of medication, can also cause eccrine sweat to give off an odor. Apocrine glands work primarily under stress, secreting an odorless fluid. This fluid begins to develop an odor when it comes into contact with bacteria on your skin.
Can gut bacteria cause body odor? ›
Origins of Body Odor Associated with Bacterial Metabolites
The major odorants are small, volatile compounds that may either be produced in situ (skin, oral cavity) or be carried by blood from the gut, which is a major site of bacterial metabolism.
Why does my body odor smell different all of a sudden? ›
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.
Why does my body smell different when I'm sick? ›
Specifically, circulating B-cells from our immune system are capable of producing chemical odors that appear after viral infection.
What does stress body odor smell like? ›
One of the few odor-active components similar to the tension-stress odor had a more intense sulfurous and alliaceous scent than the others.
What disease changes your sense of smell? ›
Dysosmia refers to a change in your ability to smell. There are two types of smell changes associated with dysosmia: Parosmia: The smell of a familiar object has changed, or something that usually smells pleasant now has an unpleasant scent.
