A page on the causes of body odour, medical conditions that causes body odour, what causes body odor even after bathing, reasons your body odor smells different
Hot weather Being fat/overweight
Hormonal changes
Excessive Exercise
Excessive Sweating
Poor personal hygiene,
Smelly feet and Poor foot care,
Urinary and fecal incontinence
Medical conditions like diabetes, kidney disease ,cancer, and liver disease.
This is why you may have Body Odour
So what is Body Odour?
Also called bromhidrosis, osmidrosis or ozochrotia.
Body Odour is in simple terms the unpleasant smell we perceive when a person is around. You know when that babe/guy drives by and you just don’t bother to holla cos you don’t wanna choke? Yeah that’s it.
So what causes Body Odour?
Basically, body odour is the result of the action of bacteria acting on our sweat. This bacteria are normal residents on our skin and they mostly help to protect the skin and fight off illnesses. But they can also act on our sweat and break it down.
Sweat in itself is odourless. It doesn’t have a bad smell- but when sweat gets acted upon by the skin bacteria, when sweat dries and when time goes on before one has a proper bath- then you can start to have very unpleasant smell emanating from it- mainly due to those bacteria.
Where does body odour happen most?
feet
groin
armpits
genitals
pubic hair
belly button
anus
behind the ears
under the breasts
and anywhere else really.
You know why?
Because these are the places where you have the most sweat glands in the body. So more sweat, more body odour.
Body odour (except those who are taking certain medications like antidepressants or who have medical illnesses like kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, or some forms of cancer, terrible wounds and ulcers not healing).
Apart from the above, Body Odour can be managed easily. Try use these tips
Try to lose weight – if you are fat or overweight
– Have a bath immediately after running, exercising or going to the gym
– Cut down on smoking and alcohol
– sometimes it can give you a stinking breath and an unpleasant smell
– Stop completely if you can
– Shave your armpits weekly- Some of you only shave your armpit every four years- as if it’s an Olympic event- there’s a forest with trees and wild animals under your arm – Brother why? Sister why? Get a shaving stick today. Or use a hair removal cream today. And make it a weekly habit. Consider others.
Cut down on excess coffee.
Cut down on excess booze/alcohol.
Brush your teeth twice a day.
Brush your tongue also 2 times a day.
Bad breath is also a cause of body odour.
These are simple things you can do to avoid that as well.
And see your dentist every 6months for a checkup.
Change your socks everyday. Because your socks is black doesn’t mean you should wear it for one year. Some of you are wearing the same socks since 2017 Valentine’s Day. That’s not a healthy habit. You know yourselves. Go and take out that socks from your shoes and wash it.
Some materials like nylon & leather make you sweat more- especially in a hot weather country like Nigeria. Wear cool fabrics instead like cotton and wool. That’s a better option. Wash your clothes regularly. That black trousers, that black skirt, Please kindly wash it. Please.
Some of you because you are law students- you wear that same black trousers for one month, and just be changing the top. Habits like that is the reason why you may have body odour. Please go and soak that trousers. Kayode, Chibuzor, Amaka, Farouk- Please wash that trouser today.
– Get a good perfume and body spray. Use quality antiperspirants and deodorants. If you don’t know which one to use- walk in to a good pharmacy and speak with a pharmacist there- they can guide you. Have your bath twice a day. Wash your armpits, feet, groin, under breasts, etc.
– Wear antibacterial socks if you get a lot of sweaty smelly feet. If you don’t know what they are- go to a pharmacy and ask. Or google and order online. Get foot powders as well. They are also very good for smelly feet. If you have athletes foot, pls get it treated as well.
If you notice you have done all the above with no improvements, or you get excessively sweaty suddenly or you get excessive night sweats, or you suspect you have jaundice, urine problems or more complex symptoms – Please speak with a doctor. There may be a bigger issue there.
Thanks for reading. I hope this short thread has opened your eyes to Body Odour and the simple things you can do about it.
The causes of body odour are numerous but treatable Credit: verywellhealth
