The smell of illness. What does the body smell like with this or that pathology?

When faced with such a phenomenon as a sour odor from their own mouth for the first time, people, as a rule, begin to worry first of all about the aesthetic impression that this defect makes on others.

Very few people think about the reasons for such trouble. But they can be very serious! Sour breath, the causes of which can be different, should be a reason to pay attention to the condition of your body.

Causes of bad breath

Sour breath is a symptom of gastrointestinal disease.

Often, sour breath is an alarming symptom of one of the most dangerous diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. With equal probability, the root cause of such a phenomenon may be:

• stomach or duodenal ulcer;
• gastritis;
• gastroesophageal reflux;
• chalazia cardia;
• other equally serious diseases and digestive disorders.

How can you find out what exactly caused the sour breath in your particular case? And, most importantly, how to get rid of this unpleasant phenomenon? Our article will help answer these questions.

First of all, we list the most common gastrointestinal diseases that can cause bad breath. So, “sour” breath is usually a sign of one of the following digestive disorders.

How to deal with an unpleasant odor?

If a person showers regularly and is attentive to his own hygiene, then the problem may be in the internal organs. In order to figure out exactly what the problem is, you need to contact a specialist.

The main causes of unpleasant sweating :

1. Pathologies of the endocrine system. In this case, you need to contact an endocrinologist.
2. Problems with the menstrual cycle. A gynecologist will help you deal with this problem.
3. If you have excessive sweating on your hands, then you should see a neurologist.
4. Problems with the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, you need to consult a gastroenterologist.

Often a person does not know which organ he has problems with, so there is one important factor that will help you decide. This is the characteristic smell of sweat.

1. For example, if you smell acetone or chlorine, then there is a problem with the liver.
2. If the smell is similar to urine, then you should pay attention to the health of the genitourinary system.
3. A vinegar smell occurs in patients with tuberculosis.
4. Sweetish tint of sweat in diabetic patients.
5. The smell of mice is characteristic of patients with metabolic disorders.
6. A distant aroma of sulfur means there is stomach disease.

There are many reasons; in order to remove the smell, you need to overcome the cause of its appearance.

But there are also physiologically strange odors of sweat that can occur periodically. They can occur if a person eats hot, spicy and bitter foods.

treatment of unpleasant sweat odor

Gastritis

Gastritis is increased acidity in the stomach.

The cause of a specific odor from the mouth may be increased acidity in the stomach, characteristic of gastritis.

Often this condition is accompanied by heartburn and other symptoms typical of digestive disorders. As for the sour smell itself, with gastritis it is not constantly felt from the mouth.

As a rule, a specific “smell” appears simultaneously with food belching and persists until the next session of eating or brushing your teeth.

Vasilenko V.V. Fishy odor disease / www.gastroscan.ru. 2022

Fishy odor disease

V.V.
Vasilenko This disease interferes with participation in public life, complicates career growth, can deprive the main joy of life - live human communication, cause depression and even lead to suicide. Despair increases when doctors are unable to help, seeing before them a completely healthy person with ideal test results. A rare disease, and therefore little known to doctors, is called primary trimethylaminaciduria.

Time heals, but the doctor is faster. Proverb

The beginning of the history of this peculiar genetic disorder is lost in the past. In ancient legends one can find a description of trimethylaminaciduria in the hyperbolic spirit characteristic of myths. One of the legends says that the creator of the Indian epic "Mahabharata" - the divine sage Vyasa - was ugly, and such a pungent smell of rotting fish emanated from him that on his wedding night his first wife closed her eyes in horror, and therefore their son was born blind. Vyasa's other wife, sensing the smell, turned pale, and her son was always pale*. (* Ilyin G.F. Adaparva (First book) // Ancient Indian legend about the heroes of antiquity “Mahabhorata” - M.: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1958).

Slavic legends about mermaids living in water, precisely the female primary element of the four symbolic primary elements that make up the ancient Slavic world, are also inspired by this metabolic feature, because in women with a predisposition to trimethylaminaciduria, a peculiar odor appears or sharply intensifies on certain days of the lunar month (Fig. 1 ).

Rice.
1. Mermaid In Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest,” the jester Trinculo speaks of the wild and ugly slave Caliban, according to the author’s description: “What is this here? Man or fish? […] Fish; smells like fish; real aged fish stink. It looks like the cod is not the freshest. Outlandish fish! […] I decided wrongly, I don’t insist. This is not a fish, but an islander […]"

(translation by M.A. Kuzmin).

You can guess that the second name for trimethylaminaciduria is a disease with a fishy smell. No matter how surprising it may seem, the first scientific descriptions of this disease - excessive secretion of the odorous substance trimethylamine in people who are practically healthy in all respects - date back only to the second half of the 70s of the last century.

Trimethylamine is a very odorous substance. Some people feel its presence at a minimum concentration of 1:109! The figure is impressive, but in fact it is not so small: that is 10 trillion molecules of trimethylamine in a liter jar of air. Depending on the amount of the substance, different odors may be felt - from the characteristic smell of herring brine to the stench of decaying fish. (It is all the more surprising that in minute quantities trimethylamine emits a floral aroma!).

When receiving a referral for analysis, think about what you will do if the result turns out to be: a) positive, b) negative. If the answers coincide, there will be no need for analysis. Cochrane's aphorism

In the human body, trimethylamine is constantly formed, but normally it is inactivated, i.e. turns into an odorless substance. In primary trimethylamianaciduria, the enzyme that should carry out this transformation is missing, and trimethylamine is released in exhaled air and with all biological fluids (sweat, urine, genital secretions).

The severity of enzyme deficiency can vary, and therefore fishy odor disease expresses itself differently.

It usually appears in infancy and intensifies during puberty (sometimes later). In women, the symptom intensifies or occurs immediately before the onset of menstruation, as well as when taking birth control pills.

Stercus et urina medici sunt prandia prima. Exaliis paleas? Ex istis collige grana. - Feces, and urine, and sputum - doctors get a lot of money. This is the salt of the craft; other things are out of place to worry about. Character F. Rabelais

The genetics of the disease are as follows. Carriers of the defect (mutant allele) under normal conditions do not have a specific odor. If both parents have this defect, there is a high probability of having a child with fishy odor disease. Information about predisposition to trimethylaminaciduria is incomplete. However, overseas it is known to range from 0.5% in the UK to 11% in New Guinea.

Deficiency of an enzyme called flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) can be not only congenital - absolute or relative, but also acquired (malabsorption of nutrients and / or excessive proliferation of bacteria in the small intestine, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, renal failure).

Presumably the smell comes from those who are genetically predisposed to it.

Sometimes the enzyme is not enough due to increased formation of trimethylamine in the body.

Wisdom, like turtle soup, is not accessible to everyone. Kozma Prutkov

What to do for those whose body odor is very fishy? What measures can a person suffering from one of the forms of the disease with a fishy smell take on their own in order to smell almost like flowers?

• Avoid circumstances that cause increased sweating (physical activity, stress, strong emotions).
• Do not neglect personal hygiene products (soaps, body lotions) that are acidic (pH 5.5–6.5). Trimethylamine is an alkali; under moderate acidity conditions, only 0.02% of the original amount remains in a volatile, odorous form.
• Do not eat foods containing trimethylamine oxide, which is transformed by intestinal microbes into foul-smelling trimethylamine. These are sea animals: mollusks (oysters, mussels, squid, scallops) and crustaceans (crabs, shrimp, lobsters). Many types of mollusks and crustaceans are food for fish. Accordingly, saltwater fish must be treated with great caution. Moreover, infants with a mild form of trimethylaminaciduria begin to acquire a specific odor when their nursing mothers eat saltwater fish.
• Do not consume milk from wheat-fed cows: it contains significant amounts of the precursor trimethylamine.
• Avoid foods containing indole and its derivatives. Indole is an inhibitor of the FMO3 enzyme. It is found in plants of the cruciferous family, which include cabbage, radish, and rapeseed. Indole derivatives are included in dietary supplements that claim to ensure the health of the reproductive organs.
• In moderate forms of the disease, exclude products containing biochemical precursors of trimethylamine, primarily choline and lecithin (Table 1).

Table 1. Choline and lecithin content in selected foods (in mg per 100 g)

It is useful to know that significant amounts of lecithin contain dietary supplements advertised as fish oil or omega acids for the prevention of atherosclerosis, as well as all sorts of “health-improving” ingredients and products for athletes that have not passed state certification.
They usually contain a large amount of choline and lecithin. Pregnant women, however, cannot limit themselves to choline - it is needed for the formation of the fetal nervous system. For the biosynthesis of choline in the body, an essential component is required, i.e. The sulfur-containing amino acid methionine, obtained by the body only from the outside with food. There have been no studies of the effect of dietary methionine restriction in trimethylaminaciduria. Women should avoid using birth control pills, replacing them with other methods of contraception.

The hormones contained in these pills, which are produced in increased quantities during menstruation, increase the odor.

Bad body odor can come from a variety of causes, but discussing them is beyond the scope of this book.

Paradox: many of us tend to react violently to other people's scents, often without noticing our own. As Arkady Averchenko wrote, “the air smells of sulfur and spoiled relationships” (Klinkov’s words in the story “Pokhodtsev and Two Others”).

Activities other than those indicated above are rather within the competence of a knowledgeable physician. Nevertheless, we will list substances that can be formed in the body (usually in the mouth and intestines) and give a certain odor to the breath and “winds”.

This is hydrogen sulfide (the pungent smell of rotten eggs) and its salts:

• carbon disulfide (slight odor, but pungent);
• dimethyl sulfide (unpleasantly sweetish);
• methylpropyl sulfide, diallyl sulfide (garlic);
• allylpropyl disulfide (onion);
• mercaptans:

- methyl mercaptan (smell of rotten cabbage); - propyl mercaptan (unpleasantly caustic); - allyl mercaptan (garlic).

You can also name nitrogen-containing compounds:

• ammonia (unpleasant sweetish odor);
• dimethylamine (fish, ammonia);
• indole, ethylenediamine, cadaverine (nauseating cadaverous odor);
• putrescine (a sickening smell of rotten meat);
• skatole (stench, like a toilet).

These substances are clearly presented in Table. 2*.

Table 2. Substances with a bad odor*

* In minimal quantities, skatole has the smell of jasmine, so it was added to the composition of the Red Moscow perfume as an odor stabilizer. Everything should be in moderation! ** Interestingly, whole garlic heads and bulbs do not contain these compounds, but contain a lot of the amino acid cysteine. When garlic or onion is cut, this amino acid is converted by enzymes into odorous disulfides.

Rice.
2. Drawing by Marina Turovskaya, “Newspaper 24” In addition to the above, a deficiency of FMO3 leads to a disruption in the metabolism of the biogenic amine tyramine, a chronically elevated level of which in the blood is fraught with depression, migraine, and hypertension. Tyramine is found in noticeable quantities in long-aged hard cheeses and smoked sausages. Trimethylaminaciduria may occur in premature newborns who are fed formulas containing large amounts of choline. (You shouldn’t be scared: this is due to the immaturity of enzyme systems.).

Medical Latin synonyms for the term “pathological halitosis”: Foetor (Foetor) ex Ore and Foetor (Foetor) Oris (can also be translated as “stench from natural orifices”).

An experienced doctor differs from an inexperienced doctor in only one way: an experienced doctor prescribes one medicine for 10 diseases, and an inexperienced doctor prescribes 10 medicines for one disease. W. Osler

Often doctors are not sufficiently prepared to deal with this specific problem, and people suffering from bad breath or halitosis are forced to undergo a lot of haphazardly prescribed examinations.

In fact, for a diagnostic search, an experienced specialist only needs to carefully examine the patient and ask him a few questions:

1. Is the smell constantly present or not?
2. How long ago did the smell appear?
3. Is its occurrence associated with certain foods?
4. Is the odor coming from the nose, mouth, or both nose and mouth?
5. What medications are you taking?
6. Is the smell noticeable to others?

Two mercaptans - ethyl mercaptan and butyl selenomercaptan - were registered in the 1998 Guinness Book of Records as the most foul-smelling substances.
Each of them, when inhaled, resembles a mixture of rotting cabbage, garlic, onions, burnt toast and sewer gases (electronic library “Science and Technology”, 02/03/2002). The smell is so nauseating that there was even discussion about creating a so-called skunk bomb from their mixture to disperse street riots (National Geographic magazine: US Military Is Seeking Ultimate “Stink Bomb”).

V.V. Vasilenko. Sixty essays on digestion (recommendations from a gastroenterologist to patients) Back to section

Gastroesophageal reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux is a condition in which, due to disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, gastric juice refluxes into the esophagus. The hydrochloric acid contained in this secretion emits a specific odor that is felt when breathing.

A particularly clearly unpleasant “smell” from the patient’s mouth is felt immediately after he wakes up. After all, during sleep a person is in a horizontal position, which means that digestive juice can flow into the esophagus absolutely unhindered.

Other characteristic symptoms of reflux are specific stomach pain, nausea and frequent belching. It is also worth noting that the described disease rarely occurs on its own. It usually accompanies gastritis and develops against the background of its exacerbations.

The smell of disease

There are two types of sweat glands:

When a person gets sick or is already sick, both glands begin to work actively. Eccrine cells fight to normalize temperature, while apocrine cells signal internal problems.

People and doctors have learned to separate unpleasant body odors into “aromas” of different substances. Each smell indicates a particular pathology and allows the doctor to quickly establish a diagnosis.

Unnatural body odor = illness:

• The smell of acetone from a person. The first signal of insufficient insulin production. If insulin is not raised to normal in a timely manner, it is possible to develop diabetes. Moreover, low insulin is accompanied by back pain, swelling throughout the body, and painful urination.
• The smell of mold from a person. It is necessary to check the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. A moldy spirit warns of the appearance of stomach ulcers.
• The smell of rotten apples. We don’t want to scare anyone, but this scent is considered the most dangerous. There is a possibility that a hypoglycemic coma is beginning to develop and hospitalization is urgently needed.
• The body smells sour. The symptom indicates a deficiency of B vitamins, or an infectious disease.
• Sweet body odor, which may be due to the development of diphtheria. It affects the oropharynx, so contact an ENT specialist immediately.
• The person smells like fish. This symptom often occurs in women; it is probably vaginosis. When the disease occurs, the microflora is disrupted and a specific odor appears from the genitals, and with it irritation and discomfort.
• The man smells like rotten meat. The most difficult and alarming fact: the smell of rotten meat appears in cancer patients.

Each person’s body smells or does not smell differently, the main thing is to promptly pay attention to deviations in the usual sensation and to any changes inside or outside oneself.

Chalazia cardia

Gastroesophageal reflux is the reflux of gastric juice into the esophagus.

The cardia is the gastric muscular valve that connects this organ to the esophagus.

Its dysfunction (chalasia) leads to the fact that digestive juices enter cavities not intended for them. Usually this is the esophagus.

As a result, a condition with symptoms reminiscent of gastroesophageal reflux occurs.

Unlike the mentioned disease, chalazia cardia develops as an independent disease. This disorder has nothing to do with gastritis.

Body odor and human illness, which doctor should I contact?

People do not know how to diagnose diseases on their own; most often they turn to the Internet to search for information. But if you don’t want to be scared by surfing sites with unconfirmed facts, consult a doctor right away.

Initially, the patient is seen by a general practitioner in a clinic or a personal family doctor. He can make a primary diagnosis and prescribe treatment. If this is not his specificity, then send him for examination to a specialized colleague. Regarding unpleasant body odors with patients:

• They conduct a conversation where they find out how the unhealthy person eats and what recent symptoms he has discovered in himself.
• Tests (blood, urine) are prescribed. Is there enough information? – they stop there, establish a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
• An oral swab is taken.

Having unsatisfactory test results, they may order an ultrasound of the organs to find out how they function. But the treatment of each person requires an individual approach and specificity. Therefore, it is pointless to predict where and to whom you will be sent. The main thing you should do is see a therapist, and not leave treatment for later.

Thank you for reading our material. Remember, smell is of great importance; it signals possible diseases. A healthy body should not have a strong smell, or even better, there should be no scent at all. Treat your health with care and lead a healthy lifestyle, then you won’t have to look for possible causes of diseases.

Stomach and duodenal ulcers

Typically, ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract are asymptomatic. It is very difficult to diagnose such diseases in a timely manner (that is, before the onset of severe consequences). However, during periods of exacerbation, ulcers can manifest themselves not only with characteristic pain, but also with other symptoms. One of them is a sour smell from the mouth.

What causes this phenomenon? Many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract entail disturbances in the intestinal microflora. It is the death of the beneficial microorganisms living there that provokes an unpleasant, sharp, sour odor from the mouth, which can be felt even when breathing.

Why does my vagina smell like acetone?

The characteristic pungent aroma of acetone from the vagina is an alarming sign. As a rule, the first disease that a doctor suspects is diabetes. With this pathology, the level of ketone bodies in the blood increases, the breakdown of which is accompanied by the unpleasant odor of acetone. To check the suspected diagnosis, the gynecologist will prescribe a glucose test and a consultation with an endocrinologist.

Other conditions can provoke the appearance of the smell of acetone:

• lack of fluid in the body;
• low carbohydrate diet;
• violation of metabolism and digestion of food;
• diseases of the urogenital tract;
• hormonal disbalance.

Dental diseases

Gingivitis can cause bad breath.

Most often, the source of sour odor is problems directly in the oral cavity.

Dental diseases such as caries, gingivitis and periodontitis will almost certainly lead to the occurrence of this unpleasant phenomenon. Why does such a specific smell arise when problems with teeth and gums occur?

The fact is that inflammatory processes in the soft tissues around the teeth lead to the active proliferation of bacteria in the oral cavity. During their life, harmful microorganisms release many substances, most of which do not have the most pleasant odor.

Due to the specific location of the source of inflammation, a person suffering from problems with teeth and gums, as a rule, feels not only a sour smell from the mouth, but also a specific taste on the tongue.

Why does the smell appear?

The greatest amount of sweat is produced in the armpits, perineum, and also in the hollows under the knee. If a person follows all the rules of hygiene and there are no pathological changes in the body, then the sweat will not have an unpleasant odor. Sweat must be excreted from the human body for its normal functioning.

What are the functions of sweating:

• to maintain normal body temperature,
• to maintain normal water-salt balance,
• to remove toxic substances from the body,
• to protect the skin from drying out. This mechanism works by combining the secretions of the sweat and sebaceous glands, together they create a protective film.

If sweat has an unpleasant odor , then masking it with different means is not a solution. After all, this does not solve the cause of the problem, but only masks its consequences. the cause of unpleasant sweat odor . At high humidity and temperature, they actively multiply and emit this smell. Under no circumstances should you permanently block the sweat glands mechanically; the consequences may not be good.

how to deal with unpleasant sweat odor

Diaphragmatic hernia

The diaphragm, separating the chest and abdominal cavities, is equipped with a special opening. The esophagus passes through it. However, with a hernia of the diaphragm, the described hole becomes too wide. Because of this, the esophagus, normally partially located in the abdominal cavity, moves higher.

What are the consequences of such a violation? Due to the uncharacteristic bends of the esophagus, as well as its specific location, the likelihood of gastric juice entering this organ increases significantly. Well, we have already mentioned what this leads to when talking about gastroesophageal reflux and chalasia cardia.

Why does the vagina smell of semen?

After unprotected sex, the aroma of seminal fluid may remain in the genitals for several days. This is a normal condition for a healthy woman. However, the appearance of such a symptom without sexual intercourse indicates a disturbance in the composition of the microflora. This condition is not dangerous for reproductive health, but correction of the vaginal microflora is necessary.

There are cases when the aroma of semen is accompanied by irritation of the mucous membranes of the vulva and uterus. Such symptoms are a clear sign of infection. Therefore, you need to contact a gynecologist to make a diagnosis and prescribe therapy.

Reasons for immediately seeking medical help

When a person smells sour, and at the same time he carefully adheres to all generally accepted hygiene standards, then this is an immediate reason to visit a doctor. The following manifestations should alert a person:

• a sharp increase in sweating at night;
• profuse sweating during the day without any particular reason;
• the appearance of an unpleasant specific odor in the secretory moisture.

Remember. Self-medication will not bring any benefit, but it can even cause harm. Only after a medical examination can you use pharmaceutical antiperspirants or undergo complex treatment to eliminate such manifestations.