Sweating and body odor

Overview

Sweating are usually common if you exercise or you got too hot. Sweating is also a common reaction to stress, anxiety, or nervousness. Sweat on your skin combined with bacteria is what causes body odor. Hormones, food you eat, infections, medications, and underlying medical disorders like diabetes can all affect body odor. 

Your body odor is not always influenced by how much you sweat. For instance, someone may not sweat but can have an unpleasant body odor. On the other hand, someone might sweat extensively without body odor. 

Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) or inadequate sweating (anhidrosis) can be unusual and should be taken seriously. Changes in body odor could potentially indicate a health issue.

Normal sweating and body odor, lifestyle changes and home remedies typically work well.

Symptoms

People naturally vary in their sweat production and body odor levels. Consult your healthcare provider if:

• Suddenly, your regular level of sweating increases or decreases.
• Sweating interrupts your daily life.
• You have night sweats for no obvious cause.
• You notice a change in the way your body odors.

Causes

Sweat glands in the body are the source of both body odor and sweating. Eccrine and apocrine glands are the two primary main types of sweat glands.

• Eccrine glands: These are found on most body parts and open directly onto the skin’s surface. These glands release evaporative fluids that lower body temperature when it increases.
• Apocrine glands: These are located in hairy regions like your groin and armpits. When under stress, these glands emit a milky fluid. This liquid has no smell until it combines with skin bacteria. 

Our skin naturally hosts bacteria, and when we sweat, the water, salt, and fat mix with these bacteria, which can cause odor. This odor can vary in strength or may not be noticeable at all. Factors like medications, hormones, and diet can affect body odor. Those with hyperhidrosis experience excessive sweating, potentially increasing their likelihood of body odor. The eccrine sweat glands often cause the most discomfort with sweaty palms and feet.

Some people are more prone than others to have unpleasant body odor. Other factors that could influence body odor are: 

• Genetics.
• Weather
• Obesity or overweight.
• Anxiety or stress.
• Exercise.

Changes in a person’s normal body odor are connected to a number of diseases and conditions: 

• Menopause
• Overactive thyroid.
• Diabetes.
• Gout.
• Infectious diseases.
• Kidney disease.
• Liver disease.

A shift in body odor might signal ketoacidosis linked to diabetes. High ketone levels can make your blood acidic and give your body odor a fruity scent. Liver or kidney issues can lead to toxin buildup, causing a bleach–like smell.

Risk factor

Men often encounter body odor issues more frequently due to having more hair, resulting in more apocrine glands. Body odor typically begins during adolescence when apocrine glands become active after puberty onset.