After a hard day at work or an hour at the gym, you may notice a strong, sour smell. This acrid scent is known as body odor, or B.O. While most of the time, a shower is all that is necessary to remove the smell, occasionally there are other, more serious causes for body odor. If you notice that you are sweating much more than normal, waking up in the night sweating, or that you have a strange or persistent body odor, see your doctor for an evaluation.
Apocrine Sweat
The Mayo Clinic explains that there are two types of sweat glands on the body: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The apocrine glands are located in the armpits and groin, and they secrete a thicker, fattier sweat than the eccrine glands. Bacteria on the skin mixes with this sweat, and produces an acrid "B.O." smell. Some people have larger apocrine glands than others, and may notice a stronger or more persistent smell. Fortunately, good hygiene practices and applying an antiperspirant deodorant daily control apocrine body odor in most people.
Underlying Disease
While apocrine sweat produces the typical sour "locker room" body odor, some diseases can cause other types of odors to manifest themselves on the skin or breath. Diabetics, for example, may notice a sweet or fruity body odor. MotherNature.com states that urinary tract infections can cause a similar sweet odor. Intestinal or gastro-intestinal issues can cause odor as well. Gum disease or dental caries can cause halitosis, or bad breath. Diseases that are not prevalent anymore, including typhoid fever and scurvy, also caused various body odors.
Diet and Lifestyle
Binghamton University's Guruprasad Madhavan, a biomedical engineering scientist, states that certain foods can cause a stronger-than-usual body odor. These include spicy foods, red meat, garlic and onions. Drinking alcohol and smoking can cause body odor, as can having high stress levels. If you have a cold or the flu, you may also notice a stronger or different body odor than you are accustomed to.
Premature Puberty
If a young child develops an acrid body odor, he may be going through premature puberty. Other symptoms include developing pubic hair, breasts, armpit hair and a large, sudden increase in height. If you suspect early puberty in your child, you should take him to his doctor, who may refer him to an endocrinologist for further evaluation and treatment. Rarely, body odor in children can be caused by phenylketonuria, or PKU. Since all babies in the United States are tested for this in the hospital at birth, however, any child with PKU should have been diagnosed at an early age.
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