Not only eaten garlic or unbrushed teeth can cause an unpleasant odor in the exhaled air. Many diseases also have their own characteristic aroma. Hippocrates knew that some illnesses can be recognized by their stench. For example, with liver diseases, a specific sweetish, cloying smell of urea is felt. Along with the smell of exhaled air, the usual aroma of the body and all biological fluids of the body may change. These kinds of changes can be a sign of metabolic disorders, diseases of the digestive or respiratory systems, hormonal imbalance, dysbacteriosis, malignant diseases and even Alzheimer's disease. Even in ancient times, doctors considered smell as one of the diagnostic methods. Nowadays, scientists are actively working on creating a so-called artificial nose - a device that, based on the aroma of a person’s body and secretions, can predict the type of disease. Therefore, experts are increasingly calling for more attention to changes in the aroma of your body and loved ones.
What is body odor
Each person has his own unique scent and it can change throughout his life. Our specific smell depends on the activity of the skin glands, including sweat and sebaceous glands, on the activity of bacteria that live on the surface of the body, as well as on what we eat, drink, smoke, and what medications we take. However, there are many specific odors that can appear regardless of age or lifestyle and are a signal to see a doctor.
Content:
- What is body odor
- Smell and the immune system
- What does the smell tell you...
- Animals and electronic noses - new diagnostic methods
- A strange smell is not always a sign of illness
Body aroma is due to a rather complex and multicomponent mixture of compounds. But if a person follows basic hygiene rules, then the natural aroma of his body is barely perceptible. When you get sick, it's not so much about self-care, but about body chemistry. It has been proven that an infection, penetrating the human body, can change its aroma.
Depending on the condition, the foul odor can come from different parts of the body - from the feet to the head. Sometimes it can be caused by a local problem, in other cases it can be systemic. For example, the cause of bad breath may not be related to oral hygiene.
Rotten egg smell
This smell usually comes from the mouth and indicates the following problems.
Gastrointestinal problems. Hydrogen sulfide is formed during the breakdown of foods with a large amount of proteins. Also, this smell appears due to insufficient secretion of gastric juice. Then the food lingers in the esophagus for a long time, and the process of rotting begins. May be observed in patients with chronic pancreatitis, intestinal infection, gastritis with insufficiency of secretory function, pyloric stenosis.
Binge eating. The food eaten does not have time to be digested and decomposes directly in the stomach.
Gallbladder problems. Gallbladder diseases can also provoke the appearance of such an odor. In this case, there is flatulence, nausea, maybe even vomiting, pain in the right hypochondrium, sometimes radiating upward or to the back.
Smell and the immune system
According to scientific research, in people whose immune system fights pathogens, the body acquires a distinct, specific aroma. Moreover, it begins to appear just 4 hours after the immune system reacts to the pathogen. That is, the body of the same person in a healthy state and during illness smells differently.
One of the reasons for this, according to experts, is specific substances that penetrate into the blood when the immune system is activated. Moreover, scientists have found that the stronger the patient's immune response, the more unpleasant the smell of sweat. Different diseases and conditions have their own unique specific aroma. For example, with scrofula, a smell reminiscent of stale beer appears, the smell of acetone can be detected in diabetes mellitus, fasting or thyrotoxicosis, with typhoid fever - a bready aroma, with diphtheria - a sweetish-putrid aroma. The body of a person in diabetic ketosis smells like rotting apples, and the inability to metabolize methionine produces a boiled cabbage aroma.
In addition, researchers have found that the body of cancer patients produces various volatile substances: alkanes, formaldehyde, pentane and benzene derivatives, which affect the aroma of the body, changing it to something similar to the smell of spoiled meat.
What does the smell tell you...
... sweat
We all know how unpleasant it is to be around someone who sweats a lot. Especially if his sweat smells very strong and foul.
Acrid stench. Unfortunately, at certain periods of life, even a healthy person can sweat more than usual and the secretion of the sweat glands at this time has a pungent aroma. This applies to adolescents during puberty, as well as women during menopause. In this case, sweating is caused by hormonal changes. But in other periods of life, a very strong smell of sweat should be alarming. This can be caused either by a specific diet or by health problems. A pungent odor may indicate an overactive thyroid gland. In this case, the stench is most noticeable under the arms and in the genital area.
Sheep's wool. In a person suffering from adrenal hyperfunction, the body acquires an aroma similar to the smell of sheep's wool.
Acetone. If the body odor resembles acetone, this may indicate liver disease, endocrine disorders, lack of carbohydrates in the diet, or infection with viruses or bacteria. But still, the most common cause of acetone body odor is diabetes. What is the connection between acetone and diabetes? When the body lacks insulin, which is what happens in diabetes, glucose accumulates in the tissues, which in turn leads to an excess of ketone bodies. They are excreted from the body through urine and sweat. And it is these substances that give the secret a sharp acetone smell. If the smell of acetone is accompanied by insomnia or constant drowsiness and loss of energy, loss of appetite, then thyroid dysfunction may occur. Smell of vinegar. If a person sweats a lot and the smell of sweat resembles vinegar, then this may indicate endocrine problems, infectious and inflammatory diseases, mastopathy, deficiency of vitamins B or D, or iodine deficiency. And if, in addition to a strange aroma, a cough, fever and weakness appear, this may indicate the development of tuberculosis.
Smell of urea. If the characteristic smell of urea is clearly detected from a person, this can be perceived as a signal of the occurrence of insufficiency of kidney function, with the manifestation of uremia - the accumulation of nitrogenous waste in the blood, which causes the smell of urea from the body and when breathing.
Honey aroma. A sweetish, honey-like body aroma is a very alarming signal. Such changes may indicate the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the most dangerous infections, in the body. It causes respiratory tract diseases, otitis media, inflammation of the facial sinuses, promotes abscesses and purulent processes in wounds, and can also cause meningitis. But what is most dangerous is that some strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, the honey aroma of sweat requires immediate medical attention.
… from mouth
Bad breath can be the result of poor oral hygiene, bacterial infection, or tooth decay. However, there are times when the odor cannot be eliminated despite thorough tooth brushing or antibiotic treatment. In this case, it is important to pay attention to what exactly the exhaled air smells like.
Acetone? This is a sign that it's time to see a doctor and check your blood sugar and urine ketone levels. A sweet, acetone-like odor reminiscent of fermented apples is often a symptom of ketoacidosis, which can occur with diabetes. Sometimes an acetone smell on breath can also appear in people who are intensively losing weight on a low-carb diet.
Does your exhaled air smell musty and sweetish? This may be a sign of liver failure. If you smell ammonia from your mouth, this is a symptom of kidney failure. If your exhaled air smells like sulfur or rotten cabbage, this may indicate the presence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria in your stomach, which causes gastrointestinal diseases.
A musty smell combined with heartburn and an unpleasant taste in the mouth is the most common symptom of stomach problems. This may be a manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux. If an unpleasant odor accompanies abdominal pain, you should be checked for the presence of a stomach or duodenal ulcer.
... intimate area
Unpleasant genital odor may also indicate health problems that require treatment. For women in particular, the smell of spoiled fish can be a warning sign. The reason for this is not poor hygiene, but a bacterial vaginal infection, which can only be gotten rid of by following the instructions of the attending gynecologist. Another dangerous signal is the smell of yeast. In this case, the risk of fungal disease is high. The appearance of a specific odor in the intimate area cannot be ignored. It may indicate cervicitis, sexually transmitted diseases or even cancer.
...legs
The feet of a healthy person who maintains hygiene should not smell bad. Unless he wears shoes made of unnatural materials or inappropriate socks. But if a person follows all the rules, and the smell still appears, then it’s time to consult a dermatologist. As a rule, this symptom indicates mycosis, a fungal disease of the feet.
... excrement
Metabolic products do not have a pleasant aroma and this is quite natural. But if the stool takes on a distinctly sour smell (especially when coupled with diarrhea or bloating), there is a high risk of lactose intolerance. This means that the body produces too little lactase, a digestive enzyme necessary to properly break down the lactose contained in dairy products. Undigested dairy products begin to ferment in the intestines, forming gases and acids, which cause the specific smell of stool.
... urine
The very strong smell of urine should also alert you. If you smell ammonia, it may indicate a urinary tract infection, such as cystitis or kidney disease. If your urine smells like acetone, then, as with your breath, this is most likely a sign of ketoacidosis. This is a fairly dangerous condition that can lead to coma. An acetone odor in urine may occur due to fasting, a low-carbohydrate diet, an overactive thyroid gland, prolonged vomiting or diarrhea. In any case, the unnatural smell of urine is a reason to undergo a medical examination.
Solutions to the problem
Comprehensive dental treatment is the key to good health of the chewing organs and oral cavity. It includes:
- full diagnostics;
- sanitation of the oral cavity;
- removal of soft and hard deposits;
- therapy of carious lesions;
- correction of bite;
- treatment of dental diseases;
The doctor pays special attention to denim tissues. If there is a need to remove teeth, surgical intervention is performed, after which prosthetics or implantation are planned.
When your breath smells of acetone, you need to eliminate all internal malfunctions and remove provoking factors. It is necessary to carry out thorough oral hygiene, which will remove unpleasant side effects. The problem can be completely overcome when the imbalance in the body is eliminated. To do this, patients must take a blood test for glucose levels, a urine test for ketones, and undergo a complete examination. Patients are prescribed a special diet. This speeds up the healing process.
Animals and electronic noses - new diagnostic methods
It is well known that in animals the ability to recognize aromas is much more developed than in humans. In addition, today specialists are increasingly diagnosing people with impaired olfactory function. Therefore, in recent years, animals have been involved in studying the aromas of the human body. It turned out that dogs can recognize cancer patients by smell. The accuracy of such an unusual “diagnosis” in different cases ranged from 68 to 90 percent. Interestingly, some dogs identified patients with early stage cancer by smell. But laboratory rats, as it turns out, can easily detect the smell of tuberculosis.
But still, scientists pin much more hope on the so-called electronic (artificial) noses.
These devices allow the detection and recognition of a number of specific aromas. Most of these devices have a sensor matrix that comes into contact with volatile compounds, causing changes in the sensors. Scientists have already tested this device to detect lung cancer, brain tumors, kidney diseases, intestinal diseases and diabetes in patients. Table of odors for diseases
| Source of smell | Smell | What could it mean |
| Breath, body | Ammoniacal | Uremia, urinary incontinence, ammonia poisoning |
| Acetone, rotten apples | Ketoacidosis, poisoning with acetone or solvent for paints and varnishes | |
| Boiled cabbage | Tyrosinemia | |
| Rotten radish | Poisoning with selenium derivatives | |
| Bitter almonds | Poisoning with hydrocyanic acid or cyanide | |
| Pear | Chloral hydrate poisoning | |
| Bleaching agents | Poisoning with phenol, compounds of carbolic or sulfuric acids | |
| Ozone | Potassium permanganate poisoning | |
| Fetid | Ozena | |
| Sauerkraut | Crusted scabies | |
| Horse | Poisoning with penicillin or its derivatives | |
| Honey | Pseudomonas infection | |
| Menthol | Poisoning with menovazine or menthol alcohol | |
| Sheep wool | Cushing's disease | |
| Raw liver | Liver failure | |
| Sweaty feet (in babies) | Glutaric acidemia | |
| Burnt meat | Pneumonia caused by Klebsiella | |
| Sweet and sugary | Toxic diphtheria of the throat | |
| Fish | Trimethylaminuria | |
| Creams or paints for boots | Nitrobenzene poisoning | |
| Resinous, turpentine | Poisoning with substances containing turpentine | |
| Sweet liqueur | Dichloroethane poisoning | |
| Sweet-alcoholic | Ethylene glycol (brake fluid) poisoning | |
| Cheesy | Isovaleric acidemia | |
| Rotten eggs | Excess in the body of hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, mercaptans, putrefactive dyspepsia | |
| Acetic | Acetaldehyde poisoning | |
| Persistent bad odor from the mouth | Halitosis | |
| Garlic | Poisoning with phosphorus, tellurium, arsenic or their compounds | |
| Ethereal | Poisoning with ethylene oxide, ethylene chlorohydrin, ethers | |
| Urine (usually has a mild odor) | Ammoniacal | Bacterial disease, cystitis |
| Caramel and malt | Maple syrup disease | |
| Rotting apples | Excess ketone bodies, ketoacidosis | |
| Cat excrement | Metabolic disorder, beta-methylcrotonylglycinuria | |
| Musty, mousey | Phenylketonuria | |
| Fish | Trimethylaminuria | |
| Cheesy | Isovaleric acidemia | |
| Violets | Turpentine poisoning | |
| Rotten meat | Bladder cancer or other diseases that cause rotting urine | |
| Hops | Metabolic disorder, hop dryer disease | |
| Sputum (usually odorless) | Fetid | Abscess, bronchiectasis, tissue decomposition caused by cancer or gangrene |
| Feces (the smell depends on the food consumed and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract) | Rotten eggs | Poisoning with carbon disulfide, hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans, putrefactive dyspepsia |
| Sour | Fermentation processes in the gastrointestinal tract | |
| Fishy, sweetish | Cholera | |
| Leucorrhoea (discharge from the female genital organs, usually odorless) | Fish | Gardnerellosis |
| Lochia (postpartum discharge in women, usually smells like rotten leaves) | Any change in smell | Infectious complications |
How to find out at home?
You can find out whether a teenager is using drugs at home and with the help of special tests that can be bought in pharmacies. Diagnosis is performed using urine or saliva; tests can identify almost all groups of modern drugs. For example, opiates are determined within five days after use, and cannabinoids - two weeks. There are also multitests that can detect a wide range of narcotic drugs with a high degree of reliability.
If suspicions are confirmed, you need not to hesitate and contact specialists at our emergency drug treatment center in Moscow “Alkostop 24” as quickly as possible, because without the help provided, it will be very difficult to establish contact with the child. You can’t solve this problem on your own; you shouldn’t keep everything in the family, as the situation will only get worse.
