Sweat and odour
Sweat commonly symbolises the struggle to succeed. In this sophisticated world,
A/C restricts sweating and modern cosmetic makes deodorants, that mask odour,
to hit roof-high sales. They all suppress the sweating process and give more
importance to fragrance. In spite of all this, axilla and feet sweat smell.
Shoe odour often makes heads turn. Sweat also does not allow a dear one to get
near. This becomes a sensitive issue causing a lot of embarrassment where the
sufferer could not (sometimes) realise the offensive odour as he/she lives with
it.
Skin is an air-tight and water-proof covering, but it can drip sweat. Some
think sweat is dirty, waste water which should be eliminated in compulsion.
Some think of sweat as a natural body shower/scent. Some think sweat can cause
sexual attraction. But most people feel it is an unpleasant sensation and wish
to stay free of sweat to feel more comfortable and fragrant.
Sweat
It is
otherwise termed as perspiration. Everyone sweats, knowingly or unknowingly
i.e. in the way of insensible or perceptible. The insensible sweat accounts
approximately 300 ml/day and is felt as just moisture. The perceptible
perspiration accounts for more than a litre or depends upon the exertion or
works even up to 4 litres a day. The insensible sweat will be more in the
palms, soles, neck folds and in other skinfolds.
Science reveals that sweating is a process of maintaining body temperature by
way of external cooling. It also maintains fluid and electrolyte balance in our
body. Sweat constitutes mostly water with a little urea and salts. Sweat pH
will usually be alkaline but may vary with acid secretion.
Our body can modify sweat process depending upon the requirement. During fever,
the sweat process is arrested by the nervous system to increase body
temperature to fight against infection. Likewise, with raised BP, sweat process
and urination process will be more to reduce BP. During exercise, anxiety or in
a fearful state, sweat will be more to combat the increasing temperature caused
due to increased metabolism. If there is a problem with sweating in a hot
climate, heat stroke may result with amplified BP, pulse and suffocation. Some
people may suffer from congenital absence of sweat glands. They suffer with
heat.
Excessive sweating in medical terminology is termed as ‘hyperhidrosis’.
Usually, it is seen in the under arms, on the forehead, hands and feet. Absence
or reduced sweating is termed as ‘anhidrosis’. Increased sweating often causes
discomfort and irritability with disturbance in work/lack of concentration.
In addition, increased sweating can cause great exhaustion and let out a foul
smell. Likewise, decreased sweating causes dryness of the body with
restlessness and discomfort.
Sweat glands
Sweat glands
are coiled, long, corkscrew-like structures present in the subcutaneous tissue
adjacent to the hair follicles. It opens to the outer skin through a duct.
There are nearly 2-3 million sweat glands distributed all over the body except
in the nipples, lips, nail beds and penis. Injured skin usually results in scar
formation which are usually devoid of sweat glands and hair follicles.
Sympathetic nervous system supplies nerves to sweat glands and controls its
sweating. There are two types of sweat glands present in our body. They are:
- Eccrine glands – are
smaller, most commonly distributed all over the body to regulate the body
temperature. They are concentrated more on the forehead, palms and soles.
Usually, the secretion of these types of glands will not have any
smell/offensiveness as it is diluted and tehre is an absence of fatty
acids in the secretions. The only place where it smells bad is the feet.
This is also because of bacterial action on persistent dampness and not
due to the secretion.
- Apocrine glands –
are bigger and present only in certain places i.e. groin, axilla, areola,
anus, etc. Its secretions usually contains fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates,
etc. which has its own peculiar odour and tinge. It becomes more offensive
only with bacterial invasion. This type of glands secretes more after
puberty and responds more with hormonal changes.
Reason
for sweat odour
Sweat when it dries up or evaporates, doesn’t
produce any smell, i.e. sweat by itself does not have an odour, since it is
sterile in formation. Smell/odour will be more only when there is difficulty in
evaporation and there exists a favourable circumstance for bacterial action. The
intensity of sweat and its smell varies from person to person and varies from
places to places in the same person according to emotion, environment,
exercise, food, heredity, diseases, etc. The skinfolds usually cause and
maintain dampness. Bacteria or fungus or yeast harbour well in damp places and
break down fatty acids and proteins in the sweat to cause the characteristic
odour. Most often, body odour is caused due to sweat in axilla and groin by
bacteria.
Incidences
Offensive sweating commonly occurs in every
person irrespective of age and sex. But the intensity of sweating may vary
depending upon races, weather, environment, nature of work, food, exercise,
emotion, etc.
Usually, temperate hot climates causes more sweat than cold ones. Likewise,
black people sweat more than the whites due to increased existence of sweat
glands to combat heat.
Causes
Hereditary – in many cases sweating is found to be inherited.
Psychological
- Anxiety
- Fear
Physiological
or normal
- Strenuous exercises
or starvation – ketone breath due to mobilization of protein and protein
metabolism
- Aromatic or spicy
foods which increases body metabolism
Habits
- Habits of smoking,
chewing tobacco and drinking
- Food habits – spicy
foods, protein rich diets, garlic, onion, etc.
Pathological or abnormal
- Diabetic coma –
acetone breath due to keto-acidosis
- Renal failure –
ureamic breath
- Liver failure or in
severe jaundice – fetor hepaticus
- Hormonal changes
(thyroid, adrenal & ovary problems) can cause foetid odour.
- Nervous disorders –
Parkinson’s disease, sympthathetic nerve affection, paralysis.
- Medicines – used for
fever, vomiting, fits, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, psychological
complaints often cause fetid odour.
Diagnosis –
The tests often required are:
- Blood investigations
to rule out diabetes, infection, allergies, metabolic disorders
- Urine investigations
to rule out diabetes, bile salts, ketone bodies, etc.
- While diagnosing the
problem, age, sex, health status (physical and mental), environment,
clothes, smell of sweat should be considered before advice/treatment, i.e.
Suspect
- Menopause in a
middle age lady flushing
- Tuberculosis and
cancer when there are night sweats often
- A yeast infection
when there is sweat smell of beer
- Diabetes when sweat
smells sweetish or acetone like or fruity
- Liver or kidney
disorder when sweat smell like ammonia
Prevention
& management
Usually to prevent the discomfort arising from sweat and its odour, care must
be taken to:
- Dry it fast
- Cut down the sweat
process
- Maintain cleanliness
- Destroy bacteria /
fungus / yeast
Do
- Maintain personal
hygeine, cleanliness
- Drink plenty of
water and juices
- Have good shower
twice daily
- Wear cotton under
garments, socks
- Wear loose dresses
which allows good aeration
- Clean and dry the
shoe every time before wear
- Wash sweat/sweating
area at least twice daily
- Trim hair in the
sweaty areas
Avoid
- Tight fitting
clothes/synthetic clothes/shoes
- Spicy foods, onion
and garlic
- Using clothes/socks
for more than a day in temperate climates
- Congested/crowded
places
- Coffee, alcohol,
smoking and chewing tobacco
- Preservative-added
tinned foods/drinks
- Stress and strain
- Unnecessary
medications
Complications
Excessive sweat/body sweat odour can reflect
in societal mingling, self-esteem, love and sex.
Also, one should beware that systemic illnesses like liver disorders, kidney
disorders, diabetes, etc., can cause its own specific odours while complicating
the disease.
General
treatment
Normally,
no one goes for treatment regarding sweat, unless the sweat and its odour
affects them severely.
For masking the odour, people use soaps, talcum powders, deodorants and
perfumes that are only temporary management. Other than these masks, some use
washing solutions which contains hydrogen peroxide for cleansing the sweat
area. Doctors may advice anti-perspirants/topical applications (for
obliterating ducts with salt/gel formation) after ruling out thyroid, heart,
diabetic problems and hormonal imbalances. These topical applications work give
only temporary relief. Rarely, if increased sweat (in palms/soles) disturbs the
sufferer more in regard to work, surgical resection of sympathetic nerves will
be performed as a last resort.
Homeopathic
approach
Sweat is one of the most important general symptoms which affect one as a
whole, compared to other localized symptoms. Homeopathy always gives importance
to the general symptom more than to any particular disease symptoms. Even
though sweat process can be altered with air-conditioner and rest, when it is
corrected to normal with Homeopathy treatment the body will feel lasting
comfort and well-being. Homeopathy medicines will not arrest the sweating
process altogether, since it may often cause other discomfort in the course of
treatment or afterwards. Also, one should beware that sweat suppressed in one
area will reflect in increased sweating in another area. If it is suppressed
altogether, the kidney will be affected due to increased work load. Homeopathy
treatment aims at regaining the normal sweat process rather than stopping it.
Homeopathy acts neurologically to attain normalcy against increased sweating to
absence of sweat with dryness.
Regarding odour, treatment differs from person to person depending upon the
secretions, odour, bacteria, cause and the person’s nature. Homeopathy can also
correct/reduce odour by making quality secretions. Deodorants and perfumes can
only mask the odour temporarily, but symptomatic Homeopathic management can
make one perfect once and for all. The congenital absence of sweat glands and
increased existence of sweat glands cannot be corrected by medicines. It may
need surgical intervention.
Homeopathy can show its best results in complaints of sweat in patches, sweat
on only one side, sweat only on the forehead or sweat only in the occipital.
These types of symptoms are treated as peculiar and characteristic symptoms in
Homeopathy for individual patients and for selecting the apt drug.
Homeopathic medicines commonly used in cases of sweat disorders are – Acetic
Acid, Ars Iod, Artemisia Vulgaris, Aurum M, Benzoic acid, Butyric acid,
Caladium, Calc carb, Flouric acid, Gelsemium, Graphites, Hepa sulf, Hydrocotyle,
Lac can, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Nat mur, Nitric acid, Osmium, Petroleum,
Psorinum, Pulsatilla, Salicylic acid, Silicea, Sulphur, Tellurium, Thuja,
Tuberculinum Urtica urens, Verat alb, etc. These medicines should be
taken under the advice and diagnosis of a qualified Homeopath.
for
new hope
Dr. S. Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD (Homeo)
Laxmi Homeo Clinic
24 E. New Mahalipatti Road
Madurai, TN 625 001
India
Tel: +91-984-319-1011 (Mob /
Whatsapp)
Clinic : +91-452-233-8833 |
E-mail: drcheena@gmail.com
(Disclaimer: The
contents of this column are for informational purpose only. The content is not
intended to be a substitute for professional healthcare advice, diagnosis, or
treatment. Always seek the advice of healthcare professional for any health
problem or medical condition.)