A person is arranged in such a way that on the surface of his body there is a huge number of special glands of the skin through which sweat comes out. Most people sweaty discharge is not very disturbing. But for some, this becomes a real problem, preventing them from fully working and resting.
What is sweat?
Sweat alone is 98% water. The remaining 2% are salts, fatty and amino acids, cholesterol and hormones. These components are not volatile, so it is almost impossible for a person to smell them. In this regard, ordinary sweat does not have an unpleasant odor, therefore it does not cause a person any serious trouble.
By itself, the smell of sweat is individual and not prone to major changes. Certain changes can be observed in a person with age or with an excess of malnutrition (for example, when eating a large number of spicy or fatty foods, spices).
Things are completely different if sweat has a sour smell. As a rule, the discharge becomes unpleasant due to the presence of certain bacteria or diseases in the human body.
Causes
There are many reasons why a sour smell of sweat appears. Most often, this is a progressive disease in the human body. Therefore, if there is an unpleasant odor, as well as excessive sweating, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. After all, it is the doctor, based on the smell and other symptoms, by making tests that will be able to make an accurate diagnosis.
So, the most common reasons why an acidic smell of sweat appears is:
- diabetes;
- liver and kidney diseases;
- diphtheria;
- tuberculosis;
- violation of the digestive system;
- metabolic disease;
- problems with the adrenal glands and kidney failure.
Symptoms
There are a number of symptoms upon detection of which a person is advised to consult a doctor immediately. These include:
- sudden increase in sweat
- increased sweating at night;
- the appearance or change in the smell of sweat.
When these symptoms appear, you should make an appointment with the doctor, during which the real problem of increased sweating and the smell accompanying it will be established.
The treatment prescribed by a specialist is likely to be accompanied by the use of medical antiperspirants (which are sold in pharmacies) that mask an unpleasant odor. Also, the doctor may prescribe the use of aluminum chloride.
Each disease has its own smell.
It may seem that sweat always has the same unpleasant odor. However, it is not. Experienced doctors know and easily determine which disease corresponds to one or another acidic odor of sweat.
- Putrid and at the same time sweetish smell of sweat indicates the presence of fungal or bacterial damage to human tissues (for example, diphtheria). As a rule, a similar “aroma” is accompanied by redness and various rashes on the skin.
- The very unpleasant smell of boiled cabbage or sheep’s wool indicates that the owner of the specified “aroma” suffers from kidney or liver disease and has serious problems with the adrenal glands.
- Renal failure is characterized by perspiration, which has a pronounced ammonia odor. This is due to the fact that in case of impaired renal function, then a sufficiently large amount of nitrogenous substances begins to be released. Sweat in this case leaves white marks on clothes.
- In a disease such as diabetes, the patient has perspiration, the smell of which is similar to the smell of rotting apples. The smell of sweat in this case is rapidly increasing, which is associated with the vital activity of bacteria.
- The disgusting, pronounced sour smell of sweat is nothing but one of the most important symptoms of tuberculosis. An important sign of the presence of this disease is excessive sweating at night, which leads to the appearance of an unpleasant “aroma” of the body after a certain time after the person wakes up.
- Disruption of the digestive system is accompanied by the presence of the smell of hydrogen sulfide. But with metabolic disorders , an unpleasant fishy shade will probably be present.
The "nightmare" of any woman
The body of a woman physiologically emits less sweat than men. In this regard, subject to a sufficient level of hygiene, the acidic smell of sweat in women is a rare occurrence.
This is also due to the fact that the composition of the microflora of the female skin contains fewer bacteria that secrete compounds with an unpleasant odor.
In addition to the above diseases, which are most often accompanied by the occurrence of increased sweating, there are other factors that affect the fact that there is an acidic smell of sweat in women. The reasons for this "misfortune" may be the following:
- Emotional stress. When stressful situations arise, the body releases adrenaline, which significantly increases the activity of sweat glands.
- Hyperhidrosis is an unreasonable increase in sweating in various parts of the skin that occurs as a result of disturbances in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system.
- A change in the nature of the skin or, more simply, an increase in body weight. So, with obesity, the skin becomes more favorable for the growth of bacteria that cause putrefactive decay of sweat.
- A change in the hormonal background, which may be associated, for example, with prolonged use of hormonal drugs.
- Changing the nature of nutrition. Increased sweating, accompanied by an unpleasant odor, can occur due to the use of a large number of spices, spicy and fatty foods.
Do the children sweat?
The sweat glands of a child begin to function normally by the end of the first month of life. Moreover, in response to the heat, the baby's body releases sweat, which normally has absolutely no smell.
Nevertheless, sometimes you can smell the sour smell of sweat in a child. Many parents do not pay attention to this “bell”. However, the occurrence of an unpleasant odor during perspiration is a signal for immediately contacting a doctor.
The acidic smell of sweat in a small child may indicate the development of diseases such as rickets and impaired functioning of the nervous system.
In older children, the appearance of an acidic smell of sweat can mean the presence of a number of diseases, such as tuberculosis, neuralgia, high sugar, heart problems, rickets, malfunction of the endocrine system, viral infection, intestinal parasites.
Thus, you should not “close your eyes” to the child’s profuse sweating, accompanied by the corresponding “aroma”, and attribute this to his excessive mobility or heavy weight. If there is an unpleasant odor, it is necessary to show the child to a pediatrician who will diagnose and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
All the men are sweating ...
It is believed that men in everyday life experience great physical exertion. In this regard, and they should sweat more intensively. Moreover, if for almost all women, the problem of excessive sweating and the corresponding “aroma” is serious, then for many men the smell of sweat is not a problem at all. There are those who do not even consider it necessary to “mask” it with deodorants.
However, the acidic smell of sweat in men, as well as in women and children, in most cases indicates the development of a certain disease in the body.
An unpleasant odor can accompany a man suffering from liver disease (often associated with a lack of choline), kidney disease, a fungal or viral infection, impaired thyroid function, and even mental illness.
Why does the smell of sweat appear in men? The reasons for this may be the most commonplace. So, a similar smell can be the result of the use of certain medications, for example, penicillin, glaucoma drugs and cancer drugs. Often an unpleasant "darling" accompanies those representatives of the stronger sex who like to "attach to the bottle."
Odor control
Excessive sweating can be reduced only by contacting specialists and establishing the cause of this ailment. But you can "mask" an unpleasant odor yourself.
The main method of combating odor resulting from excessive sweating are:
- wearing clothes made from natural fabrics;
- compliance with hygiene rules (daily water procedures, the use of clean linen);
- the use of deodorizing agents (in this case, in order not to enhance the smell of sweat, deodorants must be applied to clean skin);
- exclusion from the diet of spicy and fatty foods, spices, drinks containing caffeine.
Summarizing
So what does the sour smell of sweat mean? In most cases, it signals the appearance and development of a disease or infection in the human body. That is why it is extremely important to contact a specialist in a timely manner with a similar problem.
Also, do not drag out with a trip to the doctor for those people who have excessive sweating and an accompanying unpleasant odor appeared sharply and for no reason.
The treatment prescribed by the doctor in most cases will be accompanied by the use of special deodorizing agents.
And in order to prevent the occurrence of such a "disease", you must follow the rules of hygiene, wear clothing made from natural fabrics, observe the regime and rules of proper nutrition, and, of course, take care of your health.