Doctors Say Your Body Odors May Signal Way More Than A Skipped Shower

Each of us has a distinctive body odor. After all, it’s a normal human experience. A bad body odor could be embarrassing; however, don’t just assume that the person has been missing his showers or is forgetting to wear their deodorant. If you are exuding an unpleasant body odor that even a deodorant or a perfume can’t shoo away, then understand that it is a sign of ‘bromhidrosis’ — a sweating disorder wherein your body odor becomes quite displeasing (1).

What Is Body Odor?

It’s a vexatious smell produced after perspiration. The sweat that our body produces is almost odorless; but, when it comes in contact with our skin’s bacteria, it develops an idiosyncratic smell that we refer to as body odor (2). Most of us are not fond of body odors and resort to various ways to make sure we smell good — from wearing antiperspirants and perfumes to trying even DIY remedies (3).

A bad body odor can indicate how healthy a person is or even giveaway diseases that a particular person suffers from. We have curated a list of body odors and what they could actually mean with respect to your health.

1. Smelly Scalp

As much as our hair looks messy on our bad hair days, it also smells evil. But, a few of us have such a smelly scalp that it is best referred to as a stinky diaper or a stink bug’s abode. Specialists call this condition “smelly hair syndrome” (4). And the exact cause behind it is not known. However, bacteria, fungi, and oily hair or even a slight hormonal imbalance could be a reason behind this syndrome.

Body washes that are antibacterial and soaps that contain sulfur should be used to clean your body and scalp. Sulfur controls the oil secretion on the scalp, thereby preventing bacteria from growing, which helps in having a much better smelling scalp (5).

2. The Nervous Stink

It is natural for everyone to perspire and most of the time, it goes unnoticed. The only time it comes into the limelight is when the body odor smells bad. Sweat is produced by two glands:

• Eccrine Glands: These glands are found on the dermis layer of our skin. The sweat that they produce has a high salt content, which doesn’t react with bacteria; hence, the smell produced doesn’t really reek (6).
• Apocrine Glands: These glands are found in certain parts of the body like the armpits, the groin, and pubic areas (7). They produce sweat when your body temperature rises or when you are under stress. The sweat they develop is high in protein, which the bacteria reacts happily with to produce a bad odor.

In order to avoid smelling foul, try to avoid stress and shower every day with antibacterial soaps. Also, keep a watch on your food intake, making sure your body gets the essential nutrients.

3. Having A Bad Breath

We associate bad breath with unhealthy oral hygiene almost instantly. But what if your mouth smells bad even after practicing good dental habits? The reason behind it could be very villainous, like the following ones:

• Foods: Eating certain foods like garlic, onions or spices cause bad breath. You could save yourself from this trauma by combining these foods with vegetables like spinach or lettuce (8). Alternatively, drink some tea. It helps freshen up your mouth.
• Sleep Apnea: When we sleep, the saliva production decreases, which results in a foul-smelling mouth. And sleep apnea is a condition where not just one’s sleep cycle is disturbed, but one ends up waking with a reeky breath as well (9). It’s important to treat this condition as it is directly associated with health ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart diseases.
• Certain Diseases: Critical conditions like cancer or metabolism-related disorders can leave us with a bad oral odor (the result of the chemical imbalances) (10).

4. Athlete’s Foot

Did you know that our feet have the most number of sweat glands? Now you know why our feet are the smelliest of all the other body parts! The sweat glands in the feet secrete sweat 24×7. And the more you sweat, the more food there is for the bacteria to get to their smelly business (11).

If you find yourself with smelly feet that you consider abnormal, then it can be a sign of ‘athlete’s foot’ — a condition where fungus starts to grow on the top layers of the skin on one’s feet (12). Using an anti-fungal cream over the affected areas, keeping the feet clean, and making sure your footwear is neat and clean will help cure this.

5. When It’s Smelly “Down There”

We all worry about the smell of our nether regions. We think it’s common with everybody. But if the stench is accompanied by any discharge, then it should be considered as an alarm. This is because it could be a result of a yeast infection down there or any transmitted sexually disease (STIs) (13). So, try keeping the pubic areas clean. But if the discomfort or bad odor persists, book an appointment with a doctor.

There is no point in shying away from bad odors. If you have them, consider analyzing the cause for it and follow practices that won’t heighten the smell further. Let us know about your embarrassing body odor experiences in the comments below!

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