Body Odor
What Is Body Odour?
Body odour is defined as an unpleasant smell from the body of a person who has been sweating or from a person who is not clean. It is an irksome smell produced after perspiration. It occurs when sweat contacts bacteria that normally reside on the skin. Sweat itself is almost odourless, but the combination of sweat with skin bacteria can produce an offensive odour.
Body odour is present in all animals, including humans and its intensity can be influenced by many factors (behavioural patterns, survival strategies.). it has a strong genetic basis, but can also be strongly influenced by various diseases and physiological conditions. Though body odour has played an important role (and continues to do so in many life forms) in early humankind, it is generally considered to be an unpleasant odour amongst many human cultures.
In humans, the formation of body odour is caused by factors such as diet, sex, health, and medication but the major contribution comes from bacterial activity on skin gland secretions. Humans have three types of sweat glands which are; Eccrine sweat glands are present from birth while the latter two become activated during the puberty stage. Among the different types of human skin glands, body odour is primarily the result of the Apocrine sweat glands which secrete the majority of chemical compounds that the skin flora metabolizes into odorant substances. This happens mostly in the axillary regions seem more important than the genital regions for body odour which may be related to human bipedalism. The genital and armpit regions also contain springy hairs which help diffuse body odours.
CAUSES OF BODY ODOUR
Body odour is a common problem that can severely affect a person’s quality of life. Although its root causes are often down to a person’s hygiene practices. Body odour can indicate a more serious underlying condition in some instances. The body can produce odour in the mouth and other cavities, as well as in bodily fluids. However, this article focuses on odours originating from a person’s skin and the bacterial processes in sweat.
STRESS AND ANXIETY:
It can occasionally cause you to sweat more, leading to a stronger body odour. If you have hyperhidrosis disorder, you sweat excessively and uncontrollably sometimes for no apparent reason. Some people develop this disorder due to genetics, an underlying health condition, or while taking certain medications. It causes your apocrine glands to work overtime, remember, these are glands that cause smelly sweat. So you may notice an increase in body odour right before a stressful event.
GENETICS:
Some people are just more prone to body odour than others.
ALCOHOL:
The constant intake of alcohol can cause body odour. Alcohol when taken comes out through the pores. However, when the liver is damaged, it metabolizes less of the alcohol, leaving more to come out through your body odour.
DIET:
The foods you eat can sometimes cause a sudden temporary change in body odour. For instance, many people experience a sudden strong smell from their urine after eating asparagus. Certain foods can also cause you to produce more gas, which may lead to belching or flatulence. Depending on the foods you eat, and how much gas you produce, this could create a foul smell. Some foods that cause smelly gas include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok clay, and asparagus. Your overall diet can also affect body odour, bad breath can easily occur due to consuming certain foods, especially strong flavours such as spices, garlic, onions, or radish
EXCESSIVE WORKOUT:
If you’ve been working out, excessive workout sweat may be the culprit. If you don’t wear antiperspirants or practice healthy hygiene habits, sweat can mix with bacteria, causing an unpleasant smell. If body odour is persistent and accompanied by other symptoms.
DIABETES (diabetic ketoacidosis):
Diabetes mellitus is a condition that occurs when your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t effectively use what it makes. It leads to high blood sugar. If blood sugar levels get very high, a complication called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can occur. Ketones build up to dangerous levels in the body and are secreted into blood and urine. Additionally, DKA causes your breath to have a fruity odour.
VAGINAL INFECTIONS:
Several vaginal infections, such as vaginal parasite infection or bacterial vaginitis, may cause a sudden change in vaginal odour. Other types of infections that occur outside of the vagina may also cause a change in body odour in the affected area.
SKIN INFECTIONS:
If your skin develops an infection either new or due to a pre-existing condition, you may experience a sudden smell at the state of the infection. Some types of skin infections or conditions that might cause a smell include; trichomycosis axillaxis, a bacterial infection, underarm air follicles, erythrasma, a superficial bacterial skin infection, intertrigo, a rash in a skinfold that can become odorous in the presence of a superimposed secondary infection such as candidiasis (yeast infection)
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URINARY TRACT INFECTION (UTI):
A bacterial (UTI) occurs when bacteria enter your urinary tract and multiply. This type of infection can cause your urine to produce a strong odour, affecting the sensation, frequency urgency, and appearance of your urine.
How To Get Rid Of Body Odor
Body odor may be reduced or prevented or even aggravated by using deodorants, antiperspirants, disinfectants, and underarm liners. The thing about smelling good is that it comes down to what you find to be a pleasant scent.
REGULAR SHOWER:
Your body’s scent has a lot to do with cleanliness, but genetics and even what you eat can also influence the way your body smells. You can’t do anything about genetics. How often you should shower on your skin type, activity level, and preference.
THE USE OF DEODORANT AND ANTIPERSPIRANT:
Deodorants mask the smell of odour-causing bacteria. To help avoid body odour, apply some antiperspirant or deodorant in the morning and before bedtime. If you can’t find a product that best suits you, consult with your doctor.
USE OF BACTERIAL SOAP:
Wash away sweat and odour-causing bacteria by taking regular baths or showers. Be sure to use anti-bacterial soap as these are designed and proven to remove the odour-causing bacteria.
WEAR BREATHABLE FABRICS:
The kind of fabrics you wear can also affect how much you sweat as you do your daily activities. Choose fabrics with better breathability such as cotton, silk, and wool to allow air to enter your clothes and keep sweat from building up. For workout clothes, moisture-wicking, synthetic materials are best as they may be able to keep the sweat off the skin.
DO YOUR LAUNDRY:
Bacteria can easily accumulate and breed on used clothes and unpleasant odours can stick when they are not washed properly. Be sure to regularly wash your clothes, so the awful smell from odour-causing bacteria doesn’t stick.
In the end, the best way to prevent body odour is to maintain proper hygiene. Prevent bacteria build-up through frequent showering and handwashing with antibacterial soap like safeguard pure white bar, body wash, and liquid hand soap to gain great smelling, long-lasting protection against odour-causing bacterial for up to 24 hours.
How To Prevent Body Odour
- Take a bath or shower every day
- Wash your clothes regularly and make sure to wear clean ones.
- Try to avoid strong-smelling foods that may seep through your pores.
- Put on antiperspirant at bedtime. This gives the product a chance to work while you sleep and are not sweating. If you apply antiperspirants after showering in the morning, the sweat will accumulate will wash away the product, and render you defenceless against daytime sweating. They mainly mask the smell of sweat on your skin. Antiperspirants are chemical agents that reduce sweating.
- Keep your underarms dry. Bacteria have a hard time breeding in dry areas of the body. Shaving your underarms regularly will also help prevent the accumulation of bacteria and can replace sweat and odour.
