Body odour is one unpleasant and difficult issue many people battle with today both young and old but of course, tougher for the young as serious self esteem damaging tendencies are involved. Before going any further, what really is body odour?
Simply put, body odour is when the body gives off a smell others find unpleasant. It happens when the bacteria that lives on the skin break down protein that come off through sweat into certain acids. People wrongly believe that heavy sweating is the cause of body odour but on the contrary, sweat itself is virtually odourless to humans. It is the rapid multiplication of bacteria in the presence of sweat and their breaking down of sweat into acids that eventually causes the unpleasant smell. This becomes evident when a human reaches puberty.
Obese people who eat spicy foods, as well as individuals with certain medical conditions like diabetes are at higher risk of developing this health condition.
This condition may not affect the body entirely but mostly, certain parts of the body more like the feet, genital, pubic hair and other hair, behind the ears, belly button, armpits & so on. It makes more sense that the major cause of body odour which is linked to the apocrine glands (produces sweat high in protein), are found in the breasts, genital area, eyelids, armpits and ear.
Prevention they say is better than cure. In this case, it’s no different. Preventing body odour is way easier than treating it. The overall way of preventing it is general body cleanliness and consciousness. This consciousness is as regards those major body parts that are susceptible to developing an unpleasant odour because of the apocrine glands they carry.
To treat or control body odour, the following is advised;
• Wash daily with warm water as it helps kill off bacteria. This should be done at least once a day but preferably morning and night hours.
• In choosing your clothing, natural fibres like wool, cotton & silk are advised as it allows the skin to breathe aiding better evaporation of sweat.
• Use good antiperspirants as they contain aluminium chloride which actively fights body odour.
- Shaving hair in areas such as the armpits can slow down the evaporation of sweat, giving bacteria more time to break down proteins and create odorants. Shaving can help body odor control in that area.
• See a doctor for further directions and medical advice when personal and home based approach to treating the health condition fails.
You know you need medical help with this condition when;
• You start sweating much more than you normally do, without any logical reason.
• You have cold sweats and
• Sweating disrupts your daily routine.
Always remember, body odour is truly controllable and curable in most scenes. Study your body scents and know when it deviates as such can indicate or lead to a different health condition.
