Changes to body odor may be due to puberty, excessive sweating, or poor hygiene. Sudden changes are typically caused by the environment, medications, or foods that you eat. However, body odor, especially sudden and persistent changes to your normal odor, can sometimes be a sign of an underlying condition.
However, body odor, especially sudden and persistent changes to your normal odor, can sometimes be a sign of an underlying condition.
Changes to body odor may be due to puberty, excessive sweating, or poor hygiene. Sudden changes are typically caused by the environment, medications, or foods that you eat.
Everyone has a unique body odor (BO), which can be pleasant or subtle, but when we think of BO, we usually think of an unpleasant smell.
Other symptoms you experience will depend on the cause. If the change in odor is due to infection, the smell may also be accompanied by:
You may also notice a sudden smell from your stool, urine, earwax, or genital discharge. No matter the location, the odor can vary. It can be foul, pungent, fishy, sour, bitter, or even sweet.
A sudden change in body odor typically occurs in a specific area of the body. Common areas include the:
Your environment, the things you eat, medications you take, shifts in hormone levels, or underlying disorders may all be behind a sudden change in body odor.
Changes in body odor can be a normal part of development, such as when an adolescent is going through puberty. During puberty, sweat glands and hormones become more active, which can cause BO.
If you’ve been working out, excessive sweat may be the culprit. If you don’t wear antiperspirant or practice healthy hygiene habits, sweat can mix with bacteria, causing an unpleasant smell.
If body odor is persistent and accompanied by other symptoms, it may be something else.
Diet
The foods you eat can sometimes cause a sudden, temporary change in body odor. For instance, many people experience a sudden, strong smell from their urine after eating asparagus. The smell will go away once the food is metabolized, unless it’s eaten daily.
Certain foods can also cause you to produce more gas, which may lead to belching or flatulence. Depending on the foods you eat, and how much gas you produce, this could create a foul smell.
Some foods that may cause smelly gas include:
broccoli
cauliflower
cabbage
bok choy
asparagus
If you have a food intolerance or sensitivity, the foods you’re sensitive to can also cause extra gas.
Your overall diet can also affect body odor. Some research has found that males who had a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables had better-smelling sweat, no matter how much they sweat.
On the other hand, self-reports showed that high carb intake was associated with less pleasant smelling sweat.
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Other research suggested that high meat consumption may have a negative effect on body odor, compared to a plant-based diet.
Bad breath can easily occur due to consuming certain foods, especially strong flavors such as spices, garlic, onions, or radish. Smoking tobacco products can also cause bad breath.
Stress
Stress and anxiety can occasionally cause you to sweat more, leading to a stronger body odor.
If you have hyperhidrosis disorder, you sweat excessively and uncontrollably, sometimes for no apparent reason. Some people develop this disorder due to genetics, an underlying health condition, or while taking certain medications.
According to 2016 research, hyperhidrosis and stress are connected. Many people who develop this condition experience stress, especially if the excess sweating affects their self-esteem or confidence.
Hyperhidrosis is often diagnosed in people with mental health conditions, such as social anxiety, which may influence its onset.
Diabetes (diabetic ketoacidosis)
Diabetes mellitus is a condition that occurs when your body either doesn’t make enough insulin, or can’t effectively use what it makes. It leads to high blood sugar.
If blood sugar levels get very high, a complication called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can occur. Ketones build up to dangerous levels in the body and are secreted into the blood and urine. Additionally, DKA causes your breath to have a fruity odor.
Medical Emergency If you have diabetes and experience a sudden fruity smell in your breath accompanied by frequent urination and a very high blood glucose level, see a doctor immediately. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a medical emergency.
Menopause, menstruation, and pregnancy
Have you ever thought you might smell different during your period? Research has found that women at high fertility within their menstrual cycle actually put out a different, perceived to be more attractive, scent to men than those at low fertility in their cycle.
This scent was even suggested to influence women’s interactions with other women, as fertility apparently smells good to everyone.
Other times, hormone fluctuations may cause a change in body odor or vaginal odor. This may not necessarily be unpleasant — just different. A subtle smell isn’t cause for concern, and instead may be due to pregnancy, menopause, or menstruation.
Vaginal infections
Several vaginal infections, such as a vaginal parasite infection or bacterial vaginosis, may cause a sudden change in vaginal odor. Other types of infections that occur outside of the vagina may also cause a change in body odor in the affected area.
Vaginal yeast infections usually don’t cause vaginal odor. However, they’re typically accompanied by itching, redness, or burning.
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Bacterial vaginosis is the most common vaginal infection in women of childbearing age and often produces a fishy odor. Its other symptoms are similar to those of a yeast infection.
Trichomoniasis, a type of parasitic sexually transmitted infection, often has no symptoms but may change vaginal odor. Discharge can smell bad, change color, or become frothy.
Skin infections
If your skin develops an infection, either new or due to a preexisting condition, you may experience a sudden smell at the site of the infection.
Some types of skin infections or conditions that might cause a smell include:
trichomycosis axillaris, a bacterial infection of underarm hair follicles
erythrasma, a superficial bacterial skin infection
intertrigo, a rash in a skinfold that can become odorous in the presence of a superimposed, secondary infection such as candidiasis (yeast infection)
Athlete’s foot
If your feet are suddenly starting to smell bad and itch, you may have developed a common fungal infection called athlete’s foot.
Fungus thrives in the warm, moist environment of your shoes and socks. If you don’t practice healthy foot hygiene habits, you may be more likely to develop it.
Cancer
Can cancer smell? Some people with advanced cancer have reported unpleasant body odors, but they’re typically due to infected cancer-related wounds. These wounds occur in around 5 percent of people with cancer.
Some people with gynecological tumors do complain of unpleasant-smelling vaginal discharge. This results from certain acids that occur, which can be reduced by using the antibiotic metronidazole.
Vitamins or supplements
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies (when you don’t get enough vitamins or minerals in your diet) or malabsorption (when your body can’t absorb the nutrients in what you eat) can sometimes cause body odor, or a smell to occur in your stool or urine.
For instance, scurvy — vitamin C deficiency — can cause sweat to smell putrid.
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Photo: ALLAN FRANCA CARMO
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