The Reasons for Body Odor – Sweat and Bacteria

You think that there is no body odor from you? It seems not. Actually, once you sweat in hot summer, your body will definitely be smelly. It is because that your body will sweat under high temperature. We sweat after exercise; we sweat when we wear too many clothes; when we get nervous, we may also sweat a lot. If you sweat, your body will be smelly. It’s true. But some people tend to give out less sweat than others. This is the reason why we can’t find bad smells from some people even if they have just finished exercises. Also, there are some people even have foot odor.

It is a problem that we shouldn’t ignore. We should realize that body odor usually becomes evident if measures are not taken when a human reaches puberty - 14-16 years of age in females and 15-17 years of age in males. Also, people who are obese, those who regularly eat spicy foods, as well as individuals with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, are more susceptible to having body odor. 

Sweating allows the body to regulate its temperature and then cools us down. It is controlled from a center in the preoptic and anterior regions of the brain's hypothalamus, where thermo-sensitive neurons are located. Sweat is composed of water and minerals like calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium. Everyone is born with anywhere between 2 million and 4 million sweat glands, and the number of such glands you have will determine, in part, how much you sweat. While women generally have more sweat glands than men, men’s glands tend to be more active and produce more sweat.

When we get cold, we may also give out cold sweat. Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) means that you sweat much more than normal people. Even when you are not hot, anxious, or exercising, you make a lot of sweat. It can be a warning sign of thyroid problems, diabetes or infection. Excessive sweating is also more common in people who are overweight or out of shape.  Therefore, you should try to pay enough importance on it as early as possible whenever you find yourself give out too much sweat. Therefore, don’t take sweating as too serious a thing if it’s not excessive. But do take efficient ways to find the reasons for irregular sweat as soon as possible!

It is also essential for those who usually have to take part in some social occasions to prepare a good-smelling perfume or deodorant spray with your favorite flavors. It is a rather embarrassing thing that we put up our arms and the bad odor give out from the underarm, especially during some important business meeting or you’re dating with your girlfriend or boyfriend. By the way, we can take some other measures to make your body odor better. Sweat by itself is virtually odorless. But when microscopic bacteria that live naturally on your skin mix with sweat, they multiply quickly and raise quite a stink. Therefore, washing thoroughly, especially areas prone to sweating can reduce body odor. You should also try to avoid some offensive food, such as the pepper, if you don’t want to give out too much sweat.