5 body odors you should not ignore.

5 body odors you should not ignore.

Some serious conditions are better treated the sooner they are noticed, so a smell just might tip you off and save your life- or at least improve the quality of it.
At times, it can be gross- sweaty armpits, flatulence, etc, and sometimes body odors can be quite weird. If you’re having weird body odors like fruity, or even chemically smelling scents, you should consider talking to a medical professional. After all, certain smells can be telltale signs of various problems.
Observe the following:

1. Athlete’s foot

If your shoes, socks, and feet constantly smell, even without strenuous exercise or exertion, it could be a matter of athlete’s foot.  Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that can make your feet and other infected areas very uncomfortable. If when inspecting your feet, you see dry and scaly skin, redness, or blisters, these could be indicators of athlete’s foot. Other signs include pale grayish layers or dead skin, usually between the toes. This skin may also be moist, soft, and incredibly foul smelling. While athlete’s foot may seem like an annoyance, it sometimes can end up leading to complications.

Related: 7 DIY Home Foot and Toenail Fungus Treatments
One potential issue brought on by athlete’s food is cellulitis. This occurs when dangerous bacteria is able to infect the soft tissue of your skin. Ordinarily, the skin is too resilient for such infections, but athlete’s foot can make the skin more vulnerable, making it prone to infection. Fortunately, most of the time athlete’s foot is easily fixed by over the counter products. like Lotrimin or Tinactin work well. Doctors can help with more serious cases. To prevent initial (and recurrent) infections of athlete’s foot, try to keep your feet dry and well ventilated; fungi thrive in moist, warm environments.

2. Diabetes

If you’ve for strange, fruity smelling breath, this could potentially be an indication of diabetes. Specifically, the fruity smells comes as a result of diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA. DKA is something that happens when the body is short on insulin. As a result, the blood sugar spikes dramatically. This is more typical for type 1 diabetic patients than for type 2 diabetic patients. However, during this occurrence, blood sugar is not the only thing that spikes. Ketones, which are acidic compounds also begin to build up in the blood as a result of the body converting fat to usable fuel.

Acetone is one of the ketones that ends up in the blood. You may recognize it as a component of nail polish remover. In any case, in excessive amounts, it is the acetone that makes your breath smell slightly fruity. Unfortunately, due to the way that our olfactory senses work, it’s entirely possible that you would not notice this change. Others might. Even if you don’t, other symptoms of DKA include frequent vomiting and urination, which can make it difficult to retain bodily fluids. Other diabetic symptoms include fatigue, dry mouth, and blurred vision. See a doctor if experiencing such symptoms.

3. Lactose Intolerance

You might think it natural to have foul smelling gas. While this is true to an extent, certain smells come from more than just the food you’ve eaten. For example, If you’re experiencing a lot of loose and incredibly smelly stool, along with bloating and bad gas, this could be a problem. Generally, these symptoms come from lactose intolerance. Likely, you’ve heard most adults are lactose intolerant. Now, in a healthy system, lactose digestion is facilitated by lactase, produced by the small intestine. However, without enough lactase, the small intestine moves lactose to the colon, and gut bacteria handle it.

While lactose intolerance isn’t a serious concern (and again, is pretty common), the symptoms can be no picnic. Sometimes painful cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea accompany the smelly waste products. More importantly, however, such smells may result from more serious illnesses. If you’re constantly experiencing problems related to bad gas and other digestive issues, consider seeing a doctor to rule out more serious diseases like Crohn’s. Otherwise, figure out your maximum dairy intake, namely, around 10 grams or 7 ounces per day, or take certain medications to boost your lactase levels and make dairy easier for your body to manage.

4. UTI

While you have probably had a UTI, chances are you wouldn’t associate it with a certain smell so much as burning urination. However, certain urinary infections can, in fact, produce such foul smells. Generally, the odor comes as a result of E.coli in the urinary tract, and then the bladder. While this is typically a more significant problem for women, who have shorter urethras, it is possible for men to get them as well, and they can be transmitted between partners via sexual intercourse. Other symptoms of UTI’s are more obvious, such as the burning or frequent urination and discharge.

While UTIs themselves are usually treatable with antibiotics without too much trouble, do not write them off. They can lead to serious complications if they are left unchecked. For example, they can cause significant bladder and kidney infections, which are much more difficult to treat, and life-threatening as well. They could also be a sign of diabetes (check for fruity breath) or an enlarged prostate. All of these conditions can have a more serious impact on a patient’s life, and may also be more rigorous and financially burdensome in their treatment. See a doctor if you think you have one.

5. Sleep Apnea

It might surprise you that sleep apnea can cause unpleasant odors, especially in the morning. This will be especially noticeable if you practice good dental hygiene and still awaken with terrible morning breath. In this case, the bad breath comes from mouth breathing; sleep apnea can often cause excessive snoring, which means you’ll be breathing in through your mouth when you sleep. When your mouth is open, it dries out very easily, and dry mouth is an easy culprit for bad breath. This is because a dry mouth allows bacteria to breed, and to put it simply- most bacteria stinks.

Related: 8 Things You Should Avoid to Improve Sleep Apnea
There are other causes of bad breath. However, if you are able to clear those and are still dealing with foul morning mouth, check for other signs of sleep apnea. Are you snoring a lot at night? Are you often sleepy during the daytime? Sleep apnea reduces sleep duration and quality because it causes the victim to stop breathing off and on during the night; this leads to constantly waking up in the middle of the night, which results in being tired in the morning. Sleep apnea has been linked to serious conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

While some of these conditions are much more serious than others, they all can cause health complications. Don’t underestimate your nose as a means to identify potential health problems. If you notice unusual smells coming from your body, and you’re exhibiting other associated symptoms, don’t hesitate. Check with a medical professional as soon as possible in order to rule out serious illnesses- or at least get a handle on them early. In a lot of cases, the sooner you know about even a serious problem, the better the treatment options you have available to help live a long, fulfilling life.