Have you ever met someone who has a great smile and personality? In fact, they are everything you desire in human beings except one thing – their body odour no be here. It’s pungent, so overpowering that they bury whatever good thoughts you have about that person.
Body odour is a common issue affecting one’s quality of life. It brings a lot of limitations to the sufferer. For instance, a person with body odour will constantly suffer self-esteem issues. He or she cannot mingle with others due to their smell. It’s a very terrible experience. But don’t worry. There’s a solution. If you want to know about it, continue reading.
Table of Content hide 1What is body odour? 1.1Eccrine glands 1.2Apocrine glands 2Causes of body odour 2.1Diet 2.2Stress 2.3Vaginal infection 2.4Skin infections 2.5Athletes foot 2.6Cancer 2.7Poor personal hygiene 3How to prevent body odour 4How to treat body odour 4.1Hydrogen peroxide and water 4.2Wash gym clothes regularly 4.3Change your diet 4.4Consult a doctorWhat is body odour?
According to Cleveland Clinic, body odour is what you smell when your sweat comes in contact with the bacteria on your skin. Body odour can be caused by puberty as hormones and sweat glands become more active. Obesity, diet, poor personal hygiene, diseases, and medications contribute to body odour. It occurs in several parts of the body, such as:
- Feet
- Groin
- Armpits
- Genitals
- Pubic and other hair
- Belly button
- Anus
- Behind the ears
A common misconception is that sweats cause body odour. The truth is that human sweat is odourless. But when the bacteria on the skin mixes with the sweat, it causes body odour. This is why a person can smell without being sweaty and vice versa.
Sweating occurs by secretion of fluids by sweat glands onto your skin’s surface. There are two types of sweat glands:
Eccrine glands
Eccrine glands secrete sweat directly to the surface of the skin. When the body temperature rises, the eccrine glands produce sweat that cools your body as it evaporates. The glands cover most of your body, including palms and soles.
ALSO READ: Family planning: Meaning, types, importance and effects
Apocrine glands
Apocrine glands are responsible for producing body odor. These glands can be found in your groin and armpits and produce sweat that can smell when it comes in contact with bacteria on your skin. However, apocrine glands work until a person reaches puberty.
Causes of body odour
The following are the causes of body odour:
Diet
What you eat affects the way you smell. Certain foods such as garlic, cabbage, onions, alcohol, and tobacco, among others, cause body odour. Some of these food belching or flatulence can make you release some foul-smelling gas. Others such as garlic and other spices, tobacco, and alcohol cause bad breath. Also, taking too much sugary food can cause your body to overproduce yeast, which turns the sugars into alcohols, which contributes to odour.
Stress
You’re wondering what stress has to do with body odour. Here’s the thing; stress and anxiety can cause you to sweat more, leading to a stronger body odor. It is worse if you suffer from hyperhidrosis disorder, which causes you to sweat excessively for no particular reason. Both stress and hyperhidrosis are connected, according to 2016 research.
Vaginal infection
This is for ladies who have infections in their nether regions. Bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis are typical infections that produce fishy odour. The discharges change colour and become frothy like cottage cheese, but they also smell bad, giving the woman an unpleasant odour.
Skin infections
Some types of skin infections that might cause a smell to include trichomycosis axillaris (bacterial infection of underarm hair follicles), erythrasma (a superficial bacterial skin infection), and intertrigo (a rash in a skinfold that can become odorous in the presence of a superimposed, secondary infection such as yeast infection).
Athletes foot
Athletes foot is a fungal infection that makes a person’s foot itchy and smelly. The fungus develops in your shoes and socks’ warm, moist environment.
ALSO READ: 10 benefits of birth control pills
Cancer
Cancer-related wounds cause unpleasant body odours, especially for patients in advanced stages of the disease. Also, some people with gynecological tumors complain of filthy-smelling vaginal discharge.
Poor personal hygiene
I don’t have to explain that you will smell if you don’t keep your body clean. Not taking a proper regular bath, not brushing your teeth, wearing dirty clothes, washing and changing pads or tampons during your menstrual period, etc., are all causes of body odour.
How to prevent body odour
- Take your bath regularly
- Wear clean clothes and wash the dirty ones properly.
- Avoid eating excessively strong-smelling foods such as garlic, cabbage, onions, etc.
- Avoid sugary foods as much as possible.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Stop smoking.
- Keep your underarms dry as often as you can.
- Wear antiperspirants like deodorants before bedtime to mask the smell. If you wear it in the morning only, the sweat you accumulate will wash away the product and render you defenseless against daytime sweating. Note that antiperspirants don’t prevent sweating; they merely mask the odour.
- Wear loose-fitting clothes, especially made from cotton materials.
ALSO READ: Top 20 most revealing swimsuits of all time
How to treat body odour
The previous tips provided above are effective ways of treating body odour. However, if you want to go an extra mile, here are a few things you can do for treatment:
Hydrogen peroxide and water
Hydrogen peroxide is a mild antiseptic used in the mouth to help relieve minor mouth irritation such as canker/cold sores, gingivitis, dentures, and orthodontic appliances by releasing oxygen when applied to the affected area. For body odour, use one teaspoon of peroxide (3%) to one cup (8 ounces) of water. Then wipe this on affected areas (underarms, feet, groin) with a washcloth to help destroy some bacteria that create odor.
Wash gym clothes regularly
We often sweat when we work out in our gym clothes. If you identify sweating from gym workouts as the number one reason for your body odor, then it’s best to practice the art of washing your gym clothes regularly.
Change your diet
Reduce your intake of sugary foods, spicy foods, and other types of food that make your body release an unpleasant odour. If possible, don’t take any of these foods at all.
Consult a doctor
If you have hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating, consult a doctor. There are several options to treat the condition. Your doctor can make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
ALSO READ: Fear of intimacy: 12 signs and causes plus how to overcome them
