Dorothy FarrarBody odor
Body odor is usually the name given to unpleasant-smelling vapors from the body. The causes of body odor can be very different. Perspiration is usually the reason for unpleasant body odor, which we can produce in large quantities to our chagrin.
What is sweat
Sweat is produced in sweat glands and excreted through pores in the skin as a saline liquid. It consists of dissolved metabolic end products (waste materials), mineral salts, acids, oily secretions, but mainly water.
Sweat glands constantly release sweat, totaling about a liter per day. It can be up to ten liters a day in hot weather or during intense physical activity.
Sweat is a colorless and odorless liquid that consists of water except for small amounts of mineral salts and acids. When it evaporates, residues of acids remain, which together with the skin fat and dead skin cells form a protective acid mantle.
This prevents aggressive pathogens from colonizing the skin. On the other hand, these released substances are an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, which, however, in most cases do not represent pathogens. They break down sweat and especially sebum on the skin.
causes
Body odors are often the cause of body odour. If personal hygiene is not carried out for a longer period of time, an unpleasant odor develops, in particular if bacterial excretion products cannot evaporate due to high humidity in the environment or are prevented from being released by unsuitable clothing.
Serious medical conditions can also be responsible for foul-smelling body odor. Unpleasant bodily vapors can indicate diseases such as diabetes , liver or kidney disease. As a side effect of the disease, those affected often exude a pungent odor of ammonia or acetone.
Diseased sweat glands can also be the reason for body odors. In the so-called hyperhidrosis or bromhidrosis, excessive eccrine or apocrine sweat is produced. This increased sweating can occur all over the body (generally) or locally (sweaty hands, armpits). Here, the natural skin flora is disturbed, which promotes the formation of foul-smelling substances (metabolic end products).
When to the doctor?
If you have an unpleasant body odor, you do not necessarily have to see a doctor immediately. As a rule, body odor only occurs if the person does not wash enough and there is a lack of hygiene. This problem can be treated simply by increasing the intervals between washing and showering.
Various articles for the care of skin and hair should also be used. Hair in particular can contribute significantly to an unpleasant body odor if it is not washed and cared for regularly. Here it is enough to simply shower or bathe more often to remove the unpleasant smell. A doctor usually does not need to be consulted.
Only in cases where body odor does not go away even with a sharp increase in care should a doctor be consulted. This should also be notified if the body odor appears very suddenly without other changes in life having occurred. In this case, the unpleasant odor may indicate another problem.
Why do we sweat?
Two different types of glands (apocrine and eccrine glands) produce different levels of sweat in our body. The apocrine glands are among the sex-specific organs because they only come into action during puberty. They do not react to heat, but to strong emotions such as fear, anger or sexual arousal by secreting a cloudy secretion into the duct of the sebaceous glands.
The glands are located in the armpits, ear canal, around the nipples and genitals in the lumbar region. Their secretion plays a role in our social behavior as a sexual stimulus or to mark boundaries, that is in our ancestors. The eccrine glands, which are found almost all over the body (two and three million), react to heat by producing enormous amounts of sweat. At very hot temperatures, they produce up to four liters per hour.
The sweat, which contains a lot of water, evaporates and thus removes excess heat from the organism, whereby the core temperature inside the body remains constant. The perspiration of these glands is primarily used for heat regulation.
complications
If nothing is done about body odor, it is not uncommon for skin diseases , pimples and blackheads to develop. These form due to the layer of fat on the skin and can multiply very easily without care. The formation of these blemishes on the skin occurs with body odor all over the body. Here it can also lead to the formation of psoriasiscome. The skin can peel off or even begin to rot if not washed and cared for. If there is a sudden change in personal hygiene, the skin cannot get used to the new care products immediately and could react with a rash, which should disappear again after a few days. In any case, body odor is an unpleasant burden that also affects other people and should therefore be treated.
home remedies
So it’s the bacteria that create that pungent, offensive odor. The sweat of the apocrine glands is mainly responsible for body odor. What can you do about it?
1. Pay attention to cleanliness
Sweat located in the area of the apocrine glands (under the arms, in the lumbar region) should be washed away with water and a deodorant soap at least once a day. At the same time, a large number of bacteria are removed, which find ideal living conditions on the skin.
2. Combat skin irritation and body odor
If deodorants and antiperspirants irritate the skin, an antibacterial soap (such as chlorhexidine) or an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment can be used. Other remedies would be talcum powder or baking soda.
3. Use of deodorants
Deodorants are cosmetic products that are used in milder cases. They usually contain an antibacterial substance that kills bacteria.
4. Use of an antiperspirant
The use of an antiperspirant can reduce the perspiration of the eccrine glands by up to 50% if possible. Although apocrine sweat is the primary cause of odor because it contains oil (the breeding ground for bacteria), there is no way to stop its secretion.
With the reduction of eccrine sweat, however, the skin becomes drier and the bacteria lose a basis for life. Antiperspirants also contain antibacterial agents that fight odor.
↳ Further information: Home remedies for body odor
5. Clean clothes regularly
Sweat in clothing undergoes the same decomposition process as sweat on the skin. Worse still, dry, bacterial sweat can damage fabric fibres, as acids are also involved.
6. Food also plays a role
Spicy foods can have a sweat-inducing effect. For example, hot peppers affect the amount of sweat a person produces. If you want to avoid body odor, you should avoid onions, garlic, hot spices and beer or eat them in smaller amounts.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.