Surprising Reasons Behind Your Body Odor

Sometimes odors can’t be tackled only with soaps and scrubs. Sometimes we can't really tell if we have a bad body odor unless people around you start to get away from you. This embarrassing situation can be dealt with ease if you know what causes it in the first place.  Here are a few surprising factors that can give you B.O.—and how to fix them (fast, we promise!).

Sky-high Stress Levels

When you are stressed, the smelliest sweat happens. Actually, your sweat fluids are odorless. However, once it mixes with the bacteria in your skin, it produces a pungent odor. Dermatologist Lauren Ploch, MD, of the Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center in Augusta recommends that you wash your clothes regularly in order to decrease the number of bacteria available to break down your sweat into odor-causing byproducts.

Not Wearing A Pair Of Socks

Marie Jhin, MD, a dermatologist who practices in San Francisco and San Carlos, California says that:

“Wearing closed shoes without socks [to absorb the moisture] mean feet are essentially bathing in their own sweat and bacteria. That buildup can cause bad foot odor.”

To prevent the odor, avoid wearing the same shoes two days in a row. Apply some antiperspirant to your feet before you put shoes on in the morning or at night. Also, take off your shoes beneath your desk to give them some fresh air thereby warding off bacterial growth.

Drinking Alcohol

After a drink, alcohol breaks down wherein some goes through your bloodstream while others come out of your breath and sweat.

Buddy T., the About.com expert on alcoholism, says that:

“The body treats alcohol as if it was toxic, and therefore tries to break it down and excrete it as quickly as possible. Most alcohol is metabolized in the liver and is excreted from the body in urine. But if you drink more than the liver can process or if your liver is damaged, some is excreted via breath and sweat. And that leads to foul body odor.”

Forgetting To Wash Your Bra

When you wear a bra, its fabric touches between your breasts and chest, beneath your arms, across your back – all areas which are prone to sweat. Due to this, wearing the same bra one or two days in a row can make the fungus and bacteria overgrow and the trapped moisture and sweat cause rashes and odor.

When buying a bra, avoid those with a synthetic fabric (like spandex) as it can trap sweat as they rub against the skin, thereby causing odors to linger. Opt for cotton, mesh, sheer or lightweight lace. Also, buy three to five of your favorite bras that you can rotate.

Addiction To Spicy Foods

Some foods have sulfur-containing gases that cause body odor. These gases are found in garlic, onions, curry, and other spices. When these smelly gases are broken down inside your body it is released through your pores, thus leaving you with body odor for a few hours. It would be better if you avoid eating these foods before a date or a meeting.

A New Medicine

Some medications can make you sweat, meaning more body odor. There was some other that even causes dry mouth which is one of the most common causes of bad breath. These include fever-reducing drugs, decongestants, muscle relaxers, and antihistamines.