You expect to stink a little after a hard workout or a spicy meal, but do you ever ask yourself why you smell bad in other situations? You may be surprised to hear there are many things besides exercise, sweat and pungent food that can affect your body odor. Rest assured, there are ways to fix your stench problem.
Why Do I Smell So Bad?
1. You're Stressed at Work
Why it causes odor:
When things get tough at work, whether there is too much on your plate or you have a demanding boss, it is normal for you to feel stress. As the stress grows more intense, your body reacts by releasing the cortisol hormone. This causes your heart to palpitate and your sweat output to increase. Mixed with the bacteria on your body, the extra moisture will make you smell bad.
How to fix it:
Try a natural solution like drinking sage tea, which has antiseptic properties that can help calm you down. If you sip on it throughout the day, you can reduce your chances of excessively perspiring. You can also add breathing exercises to your day as a way to lower your tension.
2. You're Taking Medications
Why it causes odor:
Medications are designed to cause a reaction from your body. For example, you take acetaminophen to reduce pain or lower a fever. However, the good effects can come with bad side effects. Depending on how you react to a drug will determine if you suffer from excess body odor caused by dry mouth or excessive sweating. The label of each medication will list possible side effects.
How to fix it:
If you are suffering from dry mouth because of a prescription, your physician can change your medication or adjust the dosage. To counteract the side effect, you should avoid caffeine consumption and frequently sip water to encourage saliva production.
3. Your Blood Sugar Levels Are Off
Why it causes odor:
When your blood sugar levels are too low or too high, your body may release the smell of ketones, a fruity yet offending scent. If this happens, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible because if you are thinking "why do I smell so bad" and you are suffering from this problem, you may have diabetes.
How to fix it:
Diabetics often suffer from dry mouth, which results in bad odors. Try drinking lots of water throughout the day and eating foods that naturally combat stinky breath. Chewing on fresh fruit like apples or raw vegetables like celery increases your body’s production of saliva.
4. You're Having Digestive Problems
Why it causes odor:
When you are having problems in the bathroom, it leads to extra flatulence. Whether you are consuming too much fiber or not enough, either situation will produce stinky odors. Not only do they cause you to release foul gas, your body may omit toxins from constipation that smell bad, too.
How to fix it:
Fiber intake is a tricky thing. The key is to find the right amount for you. Sometimes adding fiber-rich food like vegetables, whole grains and fruits can be enough to keep you regular. If you take a fiber supplement, take with a full glass of water or it will stop you up instead of cleaning your digestive tract out.
5. Your Body Needs Magnesium
Why it causes odor:
You don’t think of the vitamin magnesium when you wonder "why do I smell so bad" but you should. Researchers have found evidence that it helps your body get rid of extra body odor. Magnesium works by modifying the flora of your digestive system and essentially deodorizes your stool.
How to fix it:
An easy way to add more magnesium to your diet is by consuming food full of it. Try eating bran, raw nuts, sesame seed, flax seed, tahini and even chocolate. Dark chocolate is full of the powerhouse vitamin and will satisfy your sweet tooth, too!
6. You're Eating Too Fast
Why it causes odor:
With today’s busy schedules, it is common to eat on the run. Unfortunately, when you eat too quickly, you are messing up your digestive tract. By chewing and drinking fast, you swallow a lot of air. This air is then released from your body through burping and flatulence. Full of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, the discharged gas stinks.
How to fix it:
While taking a full lunch break is uncommon in today’s hectic lifestyles, it is important to take enough time to eat right by chewing your food instead of swallowing it whole. Skip the straw and sip your drink straight from the cup. Doing both will reduce the amount of air swallowed while you are eating.
7. You Sleep With Your Mouth Open
Why it causes odor:
When your nose is congested or you suffer from snoring, you sleep with your mouth open. This dries out your mouth, allowing bacteria and dead cells to fester on your gums, tongue and inside your cheeks. This decomposition process results in foul-smelling morning breath.
How to fix it:
Try to keep your mouth closed during the night by using a decongestant to help clear your nasal passageways. If you are snoring a lot, try out a snoring strip which is designed to assist with your breathing. Make sure to brush and gargle in the morning to help get rid of the dead and stinky cells.
8. You Forget To Brush Your Tongue
Why it causes odor:
Your tongue’s surface is full of papillae, hair-like projections that trap tiny bits of food. There are thousands of the small papules covering it, all primed for capturing leftovers. When you brush your teeth and neglect brushing your tongue, you leave bacteria behind. This results in very bad breath and foul odors.
How to fix it:
Really the best way to fix bad breath caused by you not brushing your tongue is to stop skipping it and start doing it. Buy a tongue scraper, which is typically not that expensive, and clean your tongue as far back as you can without causing yourself to gag. Using mouthwash can help, too.
9. You Don’t Dry Off After Bathing
Why it causes odor:
Next time you shower or bathe, take the time to completely dry off afterwards. Pay close attention to the folds of your skin and in between your toes. Don’t forget to pat dry your love handles, underneath your breasts and in the groin area. When you leave moisture behind, bacteria thrives. Since there is limited air, it freely mixes with sweat causing a foul odor.
How to fix it:
If drying yourself off with a towel is not enough, try using a blow dryer on the cool setting. Sweep it over your hard-to-dry areas, especially in spots where sweat tends to get trapped. You can also put antifungal powders in your shoes or apply it on your skin.
10. You Like Your Food Hot
Why it causes odor:
Recent studies have shown evidence that spicy food is good for your health. Unfortunately, it is not always good for your odor. Strong spices like garlic, curry and cumin are metabolized in your body and then secreted through your pores. This makes your sweat very pungent and offensive.
How to fix it:
Realistically, only time will truly get rid of the odor as your body need to digest all of the spiced food. Until then, you can attempt to mask the odors by using mouthwash for your breath and a pleasant smelling body spray for the rest of you. Don’t worry too much about people eating the same food as you. Chances are they are asking themselves “why do I smell so bad” and they won’t notice your stench over their own.