Body Odor- Symptoms and how to Beat it

Your sweat or perspiration is composed mainly of water and salt (sodium chloride) and contain trace amount of other electrolytes substance that help regulate the balance of fluids in your body.

Sweating is natural and in fact good for the body. But excessive sweating can be embarrassing and annoying. Besides the body odor that arises as a result of sweating is even more irritating. Perspiration as such is virtually odorless, but when it comes in contact with the bacteria on your skin, the smell that emanates can be extremely unpleasant.

HOW BODY ODOR IS CAUSED

                Your skin has two types of sweat glands – eccrine glands and apocrine glands. Eccrine glands are spread out over most part of your body surface. Apocrine glands are present at areas where is a lot of hair growth such as the groin, scalp and armpits.

                When your body temperature rises, your brain sends signals to the eccrine glands to release fluids (sweat) onto the surface of your skin. The released perspiration cools your body and maintains your body temperature as it evaporates. Your apocrine glands secrete a fatty sweat not on the surface of your skin, but directly into the tiny tubes of the gland. When the walls of these tiny tubes shrink, the fatty sweat is pushed out on to the surface of your skin where bacteria begin to break down the fatty sweat. The breakdown of aprocrine sweat causes unpleasant body odor.

FACTORS THAT TRIGGER EXCESSIVE SWEATING

                There are few factors that trigger excessive sweating in some individual. All factors are not applicable to all people. For example, if you sweat heavily the reason could be hormonal imbalance. If your friend sweats too much it might be as a result of their intake of spicy diet. So the factors for heavy sweating differ from individual to individual. Here are some factors why we sweat heavily:-

Ø  Strenuous exercise

Ø  Hot and humid weather condition

Ø  Nervousness

Ø  Anxiety & stress

Ø  Certain medications

Ø  Certain diet... such as spicy diet, drinking hot beverage, alcohol, etc.

Ø  Certain health conditions

Ø  Hormonal imbalance

Ø  Heredity

Ø  Menopause

TIPS TO BEAT BODY ODOR

                These are some simple tips that can help fight excessive sweating and body odor:

v  Take bath every day. If possible twice a day. This will reduce the bacteria on your skin.

v  Dry yourself well after a bath. Bacteria and fungi thrive well in moist environments like the armpit, toes, etc and these causes bad odor.

v  Use talcum powder to absorb sweat and unwanted dampness.

v  Maintain two or more pair of footwear. Try not to wear the same pair for 2 or more days in a row.

v  Choose leather wear over synthetic ones.

v  Wear cotton socks as they absorb sweat better than any synthetic ones.

v  Change socks and undergarment every day.

v  Give your feet enough air. When you are at home, keep your feet bare.

v  Control stress by using by doing light exercises or other techniques like yoga and meditation.

v  Avoid foods that trigger sweating and body odor in you.

v  Wear cotton clothing.