1. Sticky sweat with a sharp odor on the palms

Stress makes your body sweat differently than during sports or heat. Human skin has two types of sweat glands: eccrine, which cool the body, preventing overheating and almost odorless, as well as apocrine, which react to stressful situations.
Sweat produced by apocrine glands has a sharp odor and thick consistency due to protein and lipid content. If your palms and armpits sweat before an important job interview or exam, that`s completely normal. So, the sympathetic nervous system is working as it should.

However, if you sweat without visible reasons, it`s worth checking thyroid hormone levels. Due to improper thyroid function, the nervous system sends false signals and sweat starts to be released excessively.

2. Fish odor due to accumulation of metabolic products.

Sometimes body odor can be so strong that it ruins life. For example, in the case of trimethylaminuria, a person emits a strong fish odor that cannot be suppressed by anything.

“Fish odor syndrome” (another name for the disease) occurs in people with a rare genetic mutation. In a healthy person`s body, proteins are broken down and excreted through the intestines, but in patients with trimethylaminuria, some processing products remain in the body, accumulate and cause the terrible fish smell. Doctors still do not know how to completely cure this ailment, so they recommend patients with “fish odor syndrome” to follow a strict diet. There is also another disease that makes the body smell like fish – bacterial vaginosis. Due to disturbances in the vaginal microflora, women complain about a specific aroma. This condition also requires a doctor`s consultation.

3. The body smells as if you have been doing heavy physical work all day (even if that`s not the case)

Sometimes even showering three times a day doesn`t save from the sharp aroma. Doctors call it bromhidrosis (“stinky sweat”). It occurs because bacteria and fungi break down the secretion of sweat glands, and this can greatly complicate a person`s social life. It is an individual body feature and there is no special treatment.

Specialists only recommend using antibacterial soaps, antiseptic creams and changing the diet. Products like onions, garlic and alcohol intensify unpleasant body odors.

4. A sweet aroma of rotting apples in the exhale

By the way, not all diseases smell unpleasant. Sometimes the body starts to emit a sweet, fruity scent. And that is a worrying symptom.

In people with diabetes, there is a lack of insulin – a hormone that helps glucose enter the body`s cells. When there is not enough hormone, the body gets energy not from glucose, but from fats. This process causes ketone accumulation. They give the body and breath a sweet aroma.

You need to see a doctor urgently if the sweet body aroma is accompanied by severe thirst, frequent urination, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

5. Changes in head odor and dandruff

If you notice that the scalp and hair have acquired a sharp odor, accompanied by itching, and the hair has become oily, it could be a sign of seborrheic dermatitis.

This chronic skin disease is associated with an increase in skin oil amount and changes in microflora. Skin oil consists of glycerides, wax esters and cholesterol, which, when broken down by bacteria, acquire an unpleasant odor. Usually, it shouldn`t be like that.

However, due to reduced immunity, stress or heredity, the skin starts to flake and acquires an oily shine. This means you need to see a specialist – they will prescribe anti-inflammatory and antifungal preparations, as well as exfoliating agents.

6. Mouth smells like acetone

The body and human breath start to smell like acetone when our body lacks carbohydrates. Such a condition can occur in several cases:

• Low-carb diet. Of course, with such a diet, weight is lost faster, the body stops receiving the usual pasta / bread and starts burning fats. The side effect is a strong odor that persists throughout the diet.

• Liver and kidney function disorders. In certain diseases, these organs cannot cope with waste removal from the body.

• Microbes, bacteria and viruses. Some seasonal illnesses also cause acetone odor, but it disappears immediately after recovery.

7. The body “smells like cats”, despite hygiene

With the help of ammonia, our body gets rid of excess nitrogen in the blood. It can be released through breath, sweat and urine. If for some reason there is an excess of nitrogen in the body, then the body will smell “like cats”.

Ammonia odor from the mouth can indicate infection with Helicobacter pylori (a bacterium that causes gastritis and ulcers).
If the body smells like ammonia, then your body is experiencing a lack of moisture or excess protein (or both). Such an effect can result from increased exercise and protein diet. Some sports supplements are guilty of the “ammonia side effect”.

By the way, ammonia odor can indicate kidney inflammatory disease. When kidneys are not working at full capacity, they cannot filter all toxins and then they are excreted through sweat. If such an odor persists long enough, be sure to see a specialist.

8. Vinegar odor after workouts

Vinegar odor can occur after heavy physical exertion. Propionic acid is to blame. Bacteria break down human sweat and form compounds that chemically resemble vinegar. Doctors say there is nothing terrible in this body odor.

Here, observing basic hygiene norms will help: regular showers, deodorant and clean clothing.