HOW TO MANAGE BODY ODOR

We all love pleasant scents. From fruity, to musky and vanilla-like fragrances. "Smelling good is good business", most would say. However, sometimes our bodies produce foul smells which can be embarrassing. How do we handle it? How do we manage body odors? Sit back and relax because the answer lies in wait. But, first of all, let's establish some background on body odor.

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What is body odor?
Body odor can be defined as a sour, tangy or onion-like smell from the body. This smell is caused by a mixture of sweat and bacteria.
There is a misconception that sweat causes body odor when infact, human sweat is odorless. Yes, you read that right. The sweat glands produce a protein-rich odorless fluid. However, when bacteria breaks down the protein in sweat, an odor is produced. In simpler terms, the sweat doesn't cause the odor, but its combination with bacteria.
Similarly, people who sweat a lot (hyperhidrosis) are susceptible to body odor. Hyperhidrosis can also be genetically transmitted.
Body odor becomes more evident at puberty. Mostly because sweat glands become more active at this age. It's no wonder young boys release a foul smell from their bodies after a game of football or volleyball. In addition, obesity is a risk factor of body odor. Obese persons tend to sweat more due to excess fat.
Body odor occurs in mouth, armpit, anus, behind ears, genitals, feet, groin and belly button.

CAUSES
Body odor can be as a result of lifestyle habits or an underlying ailment.

Lifestyle habits

1. Diet
   Interestingly, body odor has been linked to dietary consumption. The food you eat can cause a sudden, temporary change in body odor. For instance, people experience a strong smell from their urine after eating asparagus. This smell, however, disappears after metabolism.
   Bad breath has also been reported to be caused by consumption of spicy and garlic-containing foods. In summary, watch your diet. It can play a role in developing body odor.

2. Stress
   Stress is the body's response to changes in life. We experience stress and its symptoms everyday. Stress changes can be positive, however, when mismanaged, it can be severe.
   Stress stimulates the sweat glands, causing a release of sweat. The more you sweat, the more you are predisposed to body odor.

3. Poor hygiene
   This is one of the most common causes of body odor. Poor habits like wearing dirty clothes and not taking your bath regularly can lead to body odor.

Underlying ailment
Body odor can result from underlying diseases like;

1. Diabetes
2. Gout
3. Menopause
4. Liver disease
5. Kidney disease

MANAGEMENT
Now that background has been establish, let's dive into the management of body odor. Body odor can be managed in the following ways:

1. Adoption of better lifestyle habits.
   -Shaving often: Accumulation of hair slows down the evaporation of sweat, giving bacteria more room to break down proteins and in turn produce odor. Shave often to avoid body odor.
   -Alter diet: As stated above, consuming foods like garlic, chillies and pepper causes bad breath. You might want to check in with your health provider if you're experiencing sudden body odor. It might be as a result of diet.
   -Use anti-perspirants. Anti-perspirants reduces body odor by reducing the volume of sweat and altering the activity of bacteria.
   -Wear clean clothes and loose-fitting clothes. This allows your skin to 'breathe'.
   -Bathing regularly.

2. Aluminum chloride.
   Anti-perspirants containing aluminum chloride are used to manage body odor. The aluminum chloride is absorbed into your skin and reduces the levels of sweat.

3. Botulinum toxin.
   Injections of botulinum toxin(Botox) can temporarily block sweat glands.

4. Antibiotics.
   Antibiotics reduces the bacterial level.

5. Natural remedies.
   Natural remedies like baking soda, green tea and apple cider vinegar are also effective in fighting body odor. These regimens are applied to site of odor. Example, the armpit.

6. Surgery.
   When lifestyle changes and medicines are not yielding results, a doctor can perform surgery. This surgery is called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS). The sweat-producing nerves beneath the armpit is severed. This is usually the last resort and shouldn't be done until other options have been exhausted.

IN CONCLUSION
Body odor is not caused by sweat, but the activity of bacteria in sweat. This bacteria, usually present on skin, breaks down protein substances found in sweat to produce an odor.
Certain factors like weight, diet and genetics predispose a person to body odor. Body odor can also be caused by lifestyle habits or underlying ailments. However, through the adoption of healthy habits, surgery, use of natural remedies, aluminum chloride, botulinum toxin and antibiotics, it can be managed.

I hope you learnt something new😊

References
Cleveland Clinic
Health Line
Medical News Today