Fight that body odour
YOU know how it is when the person sitting next to you in a taxi smells bad — very disgusting, isn’t it? Well, you should make every effort not to be that person.
By Elvina Nawaguna
YOU know how it is when the person sitting next to you in a taxi smells bad — very disgusting, isn’t it? Well, you should make every effort not to be that person.
Dr Yasin Sakor of Kampala Medical Centre says many people don't actually know they smell bad because their smell receptors adapt to their odour. It is usually someone else who will notice the smell. For some people, it is careless or poor hygiene, but for others, it persists in spite of the efforts taken towards cleanliness.
Causes
Teenagers tend to be more active than any other social group. That makes them prime target for sweat and bacteria build up that results in a very bad odour! According to Dr Samuel Kasule of AAR, that is when they have excessive production of hormones, which increase release of sebum, (a semi fluid secretion consisting chiefly of fat, keratin, and cellular material) which is partly responsible for bad body odour.
Kasule also says that foul odour may also come from organisms, which colonise the auxiliary hair in armpits and the pubic area during puberty (especially for boys who do not want to shower) sometimes causing a white coating in the hairs.
The longer sweat stays on the skin, the more it is broken down by bacteria and the more it produces a foul smell.
However, you can bathe and still smell awful. Sakor said skin infections like ringworms and seborrhoea, a mix of bacteria and fungi, cannot be removed by showering. Yet these fungi can cause a bad smell on the body.
Some people have a thicker apocrine gland than others. Found in hairy parts of the body like the armpits and pubic areas, apocrine secretes much thicker sebum than other parts of the skin. The glands also produce proteins and fats, which encourage the growth of bacteria.
Some foods contain smelly chemicals like garlic, curry, cumin and other spices, which are eventually secreted into our sweat.
Solutions
Showering helps a lot. For people with excessive sebum emission, Sakor advises bathing at least twice a day using plenty of water and paying special attention to the pubic area, armpits, under the breasts and any clefts where bacteria can easily hide.
Use an antibacterial soap, where possible.
It is also important to wash clothes at high temperature and dry them as quickly as possible. Wear fresh clothes, preferably cotton, each day.
Use deodourants only after showering. They reduce the sweating and restrain the bacteria. But there is temptation to use it to mask bad smells.
Deodourants should never replace personal hygiene. “If you neglect bathing, deodourants can worsen the smell,†Kasule emphasises.
You can also use antiperspirants. But unlike deodourants which let you sweat but destroy or mask the bacteria, antiperspirants block the pores in the skin and stops sweat from leaving the skin.
Kasule recommends use of surgical spirit or iodine, which completely wipes out the micro-organisms causing the odour. Hair in armpits and pubic hair should be shaved because it makes these areas easier to clean and hair also traps dirt and bacteria, which produce the bad smell.
Treat all skin infections like ring worms using an anti-fungal cream or tablets and antibiotics for bacterial skin infections.
The sage plant or leaves of a herb, momordica foetida (Ebombo) have been acclaimed as remedies to bad body odour.
According to Dr Jjuuko Ndawula an alternative medicine expert, you scrub your body with its leaves and rinse with water. “A splash or two of white vinegar can also work for armpits,†he said.
If the odour persists, seek medical advice. Some times it may be a sign of a more serious medical problem like diabetes, liver or kidney diseases.
YOU know how it is when the person sitting next to you in a taxi smells bad — very disgusting, isn’t it? Well, you should make every effort not to be that person.
Dr Yasin Sakor of Kampala Medical Centre says many people don't actually know they smell bad because their smell receptors adapt to their odour. It is usually someone else who will notice the smell. For some people, it is careless or poor hygiene, but for others, it persists in spite of the efforts taken towards cleanliness.
Causes
Teenagers tend to be more active than any other social group. That makes them prime target for sweat and bacteria build up that results in a very bad odour! According to Dr Samuel Kasule of AAR, that is when they have excessive production of hormones, which increase release of sebum, (a semi fluid secretion consisting chiefly of fat, keratin, and cellular material) which is partly responsible for bad body odour.
Kasule also says that foul odour may also come from organisms, which colonise the auxiliary hair in armpits and the pubic area during puberty (especially for boys who do not want to shower) sometimes causing a white coating in the hairs.
The longer sweat stays on the skin, the more it is broken down by bacteria and the more it produces a foul smell.
However, you can bathe and still smell awful. Sakor said skin infections like ringworms and seborrhoea, a mix of bacteria and fungi, cannot be removed by showering. Yet these fungi can cause a bad smell on the body.
Some people have a thicker apocrine gland than others. Found in hairy parts of the body like the armpits and pubic areas, apocrine secretes much thicker sebum than other parts of the skin. The glands also produce proteins and fats, which encourage the growth of bacteria.
Some foods contain smelly chemicals like garlic, curry, cumin and other spices, which are eventually secreted into our sweat.
Solutions
Showering helps a lot. For people with excessive sebum emission, Sakor advises bathing at least twice a day using plenty of water and paying special attention to the pubic area, armpits, under the breasts and any clefts where bacteria can easily hide.
Use an antibacterial soap, where possible.
It is also important to wash clothes at high temperature and dry them as quickly as possible. Wear fresh clothes, preferably cotton, each day.
Use deodourants only after showering. They reduce the sweating and restrain the bacteria. But there is temptation to use it to mask bad smells.
Deodourants should never replace personal hygiene. “If you neglect bathing, deodourants can worsen the smell,†Kasule emphasises.
You can also use antiperspirants. But unlike deodourants which let you sweat but destroy or mask the bacteria, antiperspirants block the pores in the skin and stops sweat from leaving the skin.
Kasule recommends use of surgical spirit or iodine, which completely wipes out the micro-organisms causing the odour. Hair in armpits and pubic hair should be shaved because it makes these areas easier to clean and hair also traps dirt and bacteria, which produce the bad smell.
Treat all skin infections like ring worms using an anti-fungal cream or tablets and antibiotics for bacterial skin infections.
The sage plant or leaves of a herb, momordica foetida (Ebombo) have been acclaimed as remedies to bad body odour.
According to Dr Jjuuko Ndawula an alternative medicine expert, you scrub your body with its leaves and rinse with water. “A splash or two of white vinegar can also work for armpits,†he said.
If the odour persists, seek medical advice. Some times it may be a sign of a more serious medical problem like diabetes, liver or kidney diseases.