(GoHealthier.com) – Everyone has a specific odor to their body. But sometimes that odor changes and may mean something’s wrong. There may be a host of reasons why your scent changes, but finding out why might be important for your future health. Read on to find out what odor changes might mean for your health.
| Quick Read: There are a lot of reasons a person’s body odor may change. Sweating, not showering frequently, and medications may all affect the body’s natural scent. Some illnesses also cause body odor changes, which is why it’s essential to be aware of these subtle shifts. Check out the full article to find out what causes common body odor changes. |
Common Changes In Body Odor May Give Important Clues to Your Health.
Knowing What’s Normal is a Good Start
When a person knows what they normally smell like, it can be easier to detect a problem. Body odor isn’t something most people think about, but everyone has a natural scent. It’s the way they smell when they’re clean but aren’t using any products like deodorant or perfume. That’s the baseline, and knowing what it smells like may help alert a person to changes they want to investigate. Most body odor changes aren’t harmful, but a change in smell could signal a medical issue in some cases.
Exercise May Change Your Scent
When a person exercises, they typically sweat more than usual. When that sweat mixes with skin bacteria and dries, it can produce a strong, pungent scent. Taking a shower or bath will remove that scent because it removes the dried sweat from the skin. It’s expected that someone will smell different after they exercise or sweat a lot, and that’s generally no cause for concern. Other reasons for excessive sweating, such as extreme stress or hormonal fluctuations, may produce a similar scent result.
Your Diet Can Affect Body Odor
There’s an old saying that “you are what you eat.” That’s partially true, and what a person consumes may also affect how they smell. Foods high in fiber may lead to gas that has a smell similar to eggs, and asparagus may cause odd-smelling urine. Strong-flavored foods, such as onions and garlic, might also cause body odor differences. The body releases compounds when breaking down these foods that can cause a change in scent.
Medications Play a Role In How a Person Smells
Some medications cause excessive sweating in people who take them. These include Vivactil, Isopto Carpine, Norpramin, and Pamelor, along with any type of zinc supplement. These medications may cause people to produce extra sweat, potentially causing a person’s body odor to change. Not everyone who takes these medications will have the additional sweating and corresponding body odor changes, but it’s important to know it might occur.
When to Talk With a Doctor
If your diet, exercise routine or medication regimen hasn’t changed, a sudden change in body odor might be worth talking to a healthcare provider about. Kidney disease and diabetes can both cause changes to body odor, along with other symptoms. Additionally, there are genetic conditions like trimethylaminuria, which, while rare, can produce an unpleasant body odor. The best way to know for sure what’s causing the scent changes is to let a doctor help.
Anyone who’s recently changed their diet or exercise routine and noticed a body odor change probably shouldn’t be alarmed. The same is true for women going through perimenopause or anyone taking a medication that causes excessive sweating. But for others who don’t see an obvious cause, consulting a medical professional may provide peace of mind, diagnoses, if needed, and treatment options.
~Here’s to a Healthier Life!
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