Whether you've just completed an exhausting workout or chowed down on an onion-packed cheese burger, chances are, you've been that guy who skunk up the room. In most cases, a simple shower, a swipe of anti-perspirant, or line of minty-icy-fresh toothpaste could address the situation.
So, which funky gasses should you take note of? Here are 5 common body odors that might indicate wrong gesture or become problem - and what you must do if the unpleasant smell arises.
Fruity Breath Is A Symptom Of Diabetes
Credit a problem of diabetes called Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), which occurs when your body runs low on insulin and your blood sugar raises, says Robert Gabbay, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. People with type 1 diabetes generally have it more than those who has type 2 diabetes do.
Stinky Feet Is A Symptom Of Athlete's Foot
A fungal problem may be to blame. If you notice dry, scaly skin around your toes, redness, and sometimes blisters, you may have athlete's foot, as per the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).
Your feet might also emit a foul odor, caused by a grouping of bacteria and fungus that eat away into your skin and toe webs, says Cameron Rokhsar, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. And if you scrape your feet and then touch another part of your body, you can spread athlete's foot to other areas of your body, like your groin or armpit. That can potentially cause an odor to form in those parts, too.
Smelly Poop Is A Symptom Of Lactose Intolerance
When your small intestine doesn't produce enough of an enzyme called lactase, it can't digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy products, says Ryan Unargo, M.D., Lactose intolerance is common to us all: In fact, an estimated 65 percent of people have worries about digesting dairy, as per the National Institutes of Health. But the response-including painful stomach cramping, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, as well as smelly farts and poop- can vary from person to person, says Men's Health nutrition advisor Alan Aragon, M.S.
Strong-Smelling Urine Is A Symptom Of A Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can yield pungent, almost chemical-smelling urine, says Jamin Brahmbhatt, M.D., a urologist at Orlando Health. This occurs after some bacteria, most commonly E. coli, enters your urinary tract systems and urethra. Then, they multiply in your bladder, causing an infection.
UTIs are more common in women than men because their urethra-the channel that drains the bladder-is shorter. So, men often ignore their smelly pee, since they figure they're not at risk of one or the drinks they've had.
Bad Breath Is A Symptom Of Sleep Apnea
If your morning breath is constantly ripe-even if you brush your teeth frequently-you could be dealing with undiagnosed sleep apnea, a disorder that causes your breathing to intermittently stop and start while you sleep.
Sleep apnea can lead to excessive snoring, causing you to breathe through your mouth throughout the night. This can make your mouth very dry, which is a common cause of bad breath, says Raj Dasgupta, M.D. This allows bacteria to breed more in dry surface, they produce a sulfurous gas that can give your breath like rotten egg smell.
The sleeping disorder has been strongly linked with diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, so treating it sooner than later can be beneficial to long-term health effects, Dr. Dasgupta says.
