Clive Anderson - AT THE DERMATOLOGIST READERS' FEEDBACK
One of our readers writes: "Hi, ... I have a niece who has this body odour problem. No matter how she bathes herself often or good, she just have this slight 'green' odour. Is there a way that this can be prevented or reduced? I really need an urgent response because it's very embarrassing. I would appreciate it if you could respond today. Thank you so much."
DERMATOLOGIST'S RESPONSE
The Associated Press of August 26, 2003 reports that the City Council of the town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA has adopted a regulation that workers may not have "an odour generally offensive to others." The new rules don't spell out exactly what constitutes offensive odour. But it is said "We'll know it when we smell it."
This is a true story, at least so says The Associated Press, and its one to which we all can relate.
A reader writes about a relative who has a body odour problem. She's reported to have a slight "green odour despite regular bathing". Body odour is most commonly caused by the activity of bacteria on our sweat. Your skin has two types of sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine glands.
Eccrine glands occur over most of the body and open directly onto the skin. You have between two and five million eccrine sweat glands. When the body temperatures rises your nervous system stimulates these glands to secrete fluid onto the body surface. The evaporation of this fluid cools the body. The fluid is sweat or perspiration and it is composed mainly of water and salt (NaCl) plus trace amounts of electrolytes.
Apocrine glands are found mainly in the underarm area and around the anus and genitals. These glands secrete a fatty sweat. When you are under emotional stress the sweat is pushed to the surface of the skin. On the skin surface the apocrine sweat is immediately broken down by bacteria. The products of the breakdown of the sweat by the bacteria on the skin surface give the strong odour.
The strong odour is caused by the breakdown of products of apocrine sweat. This type of body odour is treated by firstly observing the rules of good, basic hygiene. Frequent baths and regular change of clothing. Severe cases may be treated by the use of antibacterial soaps, which act to reduce the population of bacteria on the skin. It is sometimes necessary to use antibacterial scrubs and or topical antibiotics all over the body.
Some skin disorders may also contribute to the body odour. The so-called diseases of keratinisation often result in the accumulation of layers of horny keratin on the skin surface, usually the scalp, groin, palms or soles. The activity of bacteria in the decomposition of the keratin deposits results in a peculiar mouse-like odour.
Some persons (about seven per cent of persons complaining of body odour) despite good hygiene have a fish odour form of body odour. This fish odour syndrome is reportedly due to an inborn enzyme deficiency. Because of this deficiency these persons do not completely digest foods rich in certain amino acids. Persons who suffer from this type of body odour should avoid foods rich in lecithin or choline or carnitine/lysine. These include - chocolate, nuts, raisins, cereals, eggs, soya and corn. The exclusion of these products from the diet usually results in improvement of the B.O problem.
Rarely the excretion of certain foods or spices (garlic) in the sweat is the cause of the body odour problem. Recent medical research has shown that people with body odour problems suffer from severe problems in their personal and social relationships. Feelings of shame, embarrassment, low self-esteem, isolation, frustration, anxiety and depression are extremely common.
B.O. is a serious problem for the sufferer especially but it can be
managed successfully.
Dr. Clive Anderson is a Dermatologist.
