A sudden or persistent change in body odor can be a symptom of various underlying health conditions or metabolic disorders. Specific medical diagnoses are linked to particular smells, requiring different treatments.
Yes, several diseases and metabolic conditions can cause your body, breath, or urine to smell bad. These changes happen because the body either processes chemicals abnormally or excretes toxins through sweat.
Organ failure causes distinctive smells because the body can no longer filter toxins, resulting in a buildup of chemical compounds that are exhaled through the breath or released through the skin. The specific scent depends entirely on which organ is failing.
Diabetes: Diabetes is one of the most well-known health conditions linked to changes in body odor. People with uncontrolled diabetes can experience a fruity or acetone-like smell (think nail polish remover) on their breath or skin.
Phantosmia may be caused by a head injury or upper respiratory infection. It also can be caused by aging, trauma, temporal lobe seizures, inflamed sinuses, brain tumors, certain medicines and Parkinson's disease. Phantosmia also can result from a COVID-19 infection.
Uncontrolled diabetes most commonly causes a sweet, fruity, or solvent-like scent—similar to nail polish remover (acetone) or overripe fruit. This is caused by a buildup of chemicals called ketones, which are produced when the body burns fat instead of glucose for energy.
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
But people with certain gene changes, or liver or kidney dysfunction, may not be able to process it. TMA that builds up is eventually released through sweat, urine, reproductive fluids, and breath, causing a strong, fishy odor.
Kidney disease-related body odor typically smells like ammonia, urine, or bleach. Because the kidneys cannot effectively filter waste products, excess nitrogen and urea build up in the body and are released through sweat and saliva, sometimes resulting in breath described as smelling like "cat pee".
Source: iStock Humans have 3 types of sweat glands—apocrine, eccrine, sebaceous. While eccrine sweat glands are present in all skin types on the body, apocrine and sebaceous are restricted to certain locations. Body odor is primarily caused by apocrine sweat glands that become activated during puberty.
Skin conditions. While some body odor is normal, a particularly strong smell could be a sign of skin disease, doctor and author Jennifer Stagg tells Bustle. "Skin infections can present with a putrid odor from the byproducts of bacterial growth.
Foetor hepaticus is a feature of severe liver disease; a sweet and musty smell both on the breath and in urine. It is caused by the excretion of dimethyl disulphide and methyl mercaptan (CH3SH)2, arising from an excess of methionine.
In the early stages, kidney disease often shows no symptoms. As function declines, waste and fluid build up in the body, causing symptoms like persistent fatigue, swelling in the legs or face, foamy urine, muscle cramps, and frequent nausea.
Cadaverine: One of the two most dominant decomposition gases, cadaverine can be toxic in large amounts. Its odor resembles that of rotting fish or meat.
Body odor can be directly influenced by specific vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Correcting these nutritional gaps may help neutralize unpleasant scents.
Yes, several underlying medical conditions can cause distinct and unusual body or breath odors as the body struggles to process chemicals or as a byproduct of bacterial infections.
Bromhidrosis is generally diagnosed when noticeable body odor has a negative effect on an individual's self-esteem, social interactions, or quality of life. Bromhidrosis is divided into apocrine bromhidrosis and eccrine bromhidrosis. The most common site for apocrine bromhidrosis is the axilla.
Some people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may also have too much bacteria growing in the wrong part of their gut, a condition called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), which can cause extra gas and stronger smells.
Kidney disease – May cause a urine-like or ammonia smell. Liver disease – Can create a musty odor. Thyroid disorders – Overactive thyroid increases sweating. Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) – A rare genetic condition causing a fish-like odor.