What Your Body Odor Reveals About Your Health

Believe it or not but what your body odor reveals about your health can tell you a lot.

It can tell you if your personal hygiene is a bit off, or if you're ingesting something you shouldn't, and can even be a marker for certain diseases.

No need to panic however, the best thing to do is be informed and if you have a smell on you or coming out of you that's a bit offish.

What your body odor reveals about your health comes down to a number of factors here are some of the most common.

Consistent Bad Breath

Nobody wants halitosis the term Listerine invented for bad breath, but while the word may have been a made-up marketing ploy, bad breath is real and it stinks.

People who spend lots of time worrying about it buy gum, mints, breath spray and more to combat it, but if you have consistently bad breath it could be a sign of something more than just a bad breakfast.

Research says that in 90% of cases of people who have consistently bad breath the cause comes from the oral cavity better known as your mouth.

This can be because of bacterial build-up on the tongue or actual tooth decay can cause a bad smell and when people have poor oral hygiene or a propensity for it they develop gingivitis and periodontitis.

Remember to brush and floss regularly avoid tobacco and see a dentist twice per year for cleanings and to check the health of your gums. If none of that helps the smell might be coming from sinus issues or even from gastrointestinal problems when in doubt have a doctor check it out.

Sweet Breath

If your breath is sweet you could have a different problem altogether. Fruity smelling breath can be a sign of diabetic ketoacidosis a condition that occurs when the body's unable to break down glucose as fuel because of a lack of insulin.

So the body uses fat as fuel instead, which releases ketones is the bloodstream. High levels of ketones are dangerous and life-threatening. Have your doctor check your sugar and insulin levels to make sure you're not diabetic.

It's worth noting that another sign of diabetes is sweet smelling sweat. Some people report on maple syrupy sort of smell because there's actually sugar that builds upon the skin.

If your breath is sweet kind of musty, this is a bad sign that you could have liver problems. Doctors are now using breath analysis to try to detect liver problems. If you have this symptom schedule a liver test with your doctor to make sure you're in the clear.

Everyone knows that somebody odor is normal especially after a slackening of ordinary hygiene routines  If your body odor is worse than usual you could be due for a change in your diet or your hormones might have something to do with it.

Drink plenty of water to avoid this embarrassing issue and see your doctor. If you start having night sweats for no reason that may be a sign of infection or disease.

Also if you start sweating way more than normal with no clear reason this might be an indicator of hyperthyroidism and if you start to smell bleachy you should really get a medical opinion immediately because of that could be an indication of a liver or kidney problem.

Fowl Urine Odor

Urine usually has no sense and when it does it's usually a bit ammonia-like if it has a stronger smell. The top culprit is dehydration, drink lots of water and it'll clear right up, however, if your urine smells even more like ammonia than usual or it smells sort of sickly sweet you could be getting a urinary tract infection. This will be accompanied by discomfort when you urinate so get to a doctor right away to get an antibiotic.

Speaking of which, having some amount of genital discharge is normal but when it's accompanied by the smell it's time to go to the doctor.

Yeast infections, sexually transmitted diseases, and other infections like bacterial vaginosis can all cause smells down there and all require a doctor for treatment. Of course, there are some nether region battles that affect everyone.

Unusually Foul-Smelling Flatulence 

Everybody has flatulence it's a normal part of digestion, in fact, most people pass gas ten to 20 times every day it never smelled great but if it's particularly foul you could be facing a digestive absorption issue lactose-intolerant or even a bacteria or virus in your gut.

So if the foul on this becomes unidentifiable and intolerable it's probably best to rule out any potential digestive problems just in case.

Fishy Odor

If someone smelled like fish all the time it's likely they have fish odor syndrome or trimethylaminuria (yes this is a real thing) it's rare but there is a genetic condition that makes people smell like rotting fish. 

It might not affect a lot of people but when someone does suffer, this off-putting condition tends to take a major toll on their social and romantic life.

Know What's Normal

We can't smell like fresh flowers or soap all the time even healthy bodies can smell a little funky sometimes. Our natural pheromones are part of what makes us who we are, however, if you have body odors that concern you it's a good idea to see a doctor.

There's a fine line between your natural stink and a health problem that is displayed with a particular odor. The good news is knowing what your body odor reveals about your health can give you the knowledge to start finding healthier more positive solutions.