Body Odour and other nasties

It is natural to wake up with bad breath. It is also ok, to smell of sweat after a rigorous physical activity such as dancing or running the treadmill. However, if your Body Odour (BO) doesn’t go away even after brushing your teeth or taking a shower, then it could be an indication of a bigger problem. Left unchecked, having a body odour can affect your self and social esteem. It is therefore, important that you know how its causes and how to manage it.

Causes

BO can come from your armpits, groin, feet and mouth. In other instances, you can also produce foul smelling urine. There are multiple factors that cause body odour including; your diet, medication, health condition and your gender. The major contributing factor however, is the bacteria that acts upon the sweat on your skin. During puberty, your sweat glands become more active due to an increase in hormonal activity by the adrenal glands. Once discharged to the outer layer of your skin, the existing bacteria break down the sweat into acid resulting in body odour. The areas affected most by this activity are the armpits, feet and the groin area. Further, eating garlic or spicy foods will definitely affect your breath. The same goes for not bathing and cleaning your mouth regularly.

Management

You can therefore, deal with the above easily and affordably by practicing good hygiene. Start by;

–Brushing your teeth regularly (doctors recommend doing it twice a day).

– Bathing or showering daily to kill the bacteria that interact with the sweat on your skin. Remember to use an anti-bacterial soap where you can.

-Drying your feet thoroughly. Bacteria thrives in damp areas (this goes for your towel as well BTW) and always wear cotton socks since it absorbs moisture.

-Shaving your armpits and groin regularly

-Wearing clean underwear.

-Investing in an affordable deodorant or antiperspirant.

– Drinking lots of water and eat a balanced diet to clean up your internal organs…and your urine by extension.

Treatment

If you have done all the above and your odor is still with you, then you may need to seek medical attention. There are health conditions such as Osmidrosis and the fish odor syndrome (TMAU), that may require treatment from a qualified physician. Both conditions present themselves through a foul-smelling body odor due to the bodies hormonal and metabolic activities. Further, health conditions such as diabetes, kidney failure or liver complications could cause bad breath or sweat.

On matters reproductive health, Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s), Yeast infections (Candidiasis) and Bacterial Vaginosis (BVG) can also cause foul smells from both the penis and the vagina. Some sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can also occasion body odor especially because of the penile and vaginal discharge they are characterized by.

Always take care of yourself and keep track of any changes in your body. Your body houses your being and treating it right is the best gift you can offer the world.