9 Causes of Underarm Odor and the Triggering Factors that Make it Damp - Wet

Kapanlagi.com - Unpleasant body odor often lowers a person's confidence. Especially when body odor attacks the moist and wet armpit area. This condition certainly makes it uncomfortable to carry out activities. Generally, the causes of underarm odor and the triggering factors can occur due to excessive sweating production.

Everyone certainly wants to maintain a pleasant and fresh body odor. However, excessive sweating often triggers unpleasant body odor. Unpleasant body odor often appears in certain areas, one of which is the armpit. Do you know why the armpit area often smells unpleasant?

This condition occurs because the armpit is a part of the body that has apocrine sweat glands. The presence of these sweat glands triggers the armpit area to be more active in producing sweat. It is not surprising that this may be the cause of underarm odor. In addition, the armpit is an area of the body that is prone to being moist and wet.

However, besides sweat, underarm odor can also occur due to other factors that need to be understood. The causes of underarm odor and the triggering factors are described below. The following are the causes of underarm odor that have been summarized by kapanlagi.com from various sources.

1. Excessive Sweating

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The first cause of underarm odor can occur due to excessive sweating. As it is known, excessive sweating often triggers unpleasant body odor, especially in areas of the body folds, one of which is the armpit. The armpit itself has apocrine sweat glands that can trigger body odor when sweat mixes with bacteria.

According to liputan6.com, these bacteria can break down sweat proteins into acid. It is no wonder that this condition can trigger underarm odor. In addition, experiencing excessive sweating is also often known as hyperhidrosis, which causes a person to sweat more than normal. This can also cause the armpit area to become wetter and more humid, triggering an unpleasant aroma.

2. Hot Air Temperature

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Still related to excessive sweating, one of the triggers is hot air temperature. Especially if you live in tropical areas with dry or rainy seasons. Likewise, if you engage in strenuous activities, it can trigger excessive sweating. In this case, hot air temperature can cause a person to sweat more, triggering body odor.

Increased air temperature makes the body feel hot, and this condition can cause the appearance of sweat as a natural body response. According to healthline.com, when the body feels hot, the eccrine glands will release sweat that can cool the body. Generally, sweat does not have a smell, but if it mixes with bacteria, body odor will occur. The same goes for apocrine glands, which can trigger underarm odor when released and mixed with bacteria on the skin's surface.

3. Puberty

Puberty usually occurs during adolescence and is marked by various physical changes. For example, boys may experience wet dreams, a deeper voice, or hair growth in certain areas. Similarly, girls may experience menstruation, breast growth, or hair growth in certain areas.

During puberty, individuals also experience hormone changes or hormone increases. This condition can affect the sweat glands, which become more active. This can happen to both boys and girls who have active sweat glands during puberty. If you experience body odor or underarm odor without any clear reason, this condition may be the cause.

4. Stress

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If you experience underarm odor, it may be a sign that your body is experiencing stress. Stress usually occurs when you face pressure, threats, or changes. This can affect a person's health, such as sleep disorders or digestive disorders. According to medicalnewstoday.com, if you experience stress, it can trigger sweating. As a result, body odor, especially underarm odor, may be unavoidable when experiencing stress that causes sweating. Therefore, managing stress is important to prevent various specific health problems.

5. Food

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Maintaining a healthy diet is also important to pay attention to. Unfortunately, some types of food can cause body odor. Most of these foods are those that have a strong smell, such as various types of onions. The same goes for spicy foods that can increase body temperature and cause excessive sweating. As a result, body odor cannot be avoided due to certain food factors. So you need to pay attention to what you consume when experiencing body odor.

6. Exercise or Heavy Work

The causes of body odor and its triggering factors can also occur due to intense exercise or heavy work. Both require extra energy and effort, which can increase body temperature and make the body sweat easily. It is not surprising that these activities are among the causes of body odor, especially underarm odor, which is often experienced by many people.

Therefore, you need to control a number of daily activities to prevent excessive sweating. If your daily work triggers increased sweat production, taking a short rest to cool down the body should be considered to reduce body odor.

7. Menopause

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For women entering menopause, it is not only marked by physical changes, but also a decline in body functions. In this case, menopause can also trigger hormonal changes. Hormonal changes themselves can also be the cause of underarm odor because they stimulate sweat glands to become more active. According to liputan6.com, the impact of these hormonal changes can trigger night sweats that cause body odor.

8. Non-Absorbent Clothing Materials

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Underarm odor can also occur if you use clothing that is not made of sweat-absorbing materials. For example, clothing made of acrylic or polyester that does not effectively absorb sweat, making the armpits damp and wet. So you need to reconsider the type of clothing you use, especially for outdoor activities.

9. Medical Conditions

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It is not impossible if you still experience underarm odor with unclear causes, certain medical conditions can be the trigger. For example, side effects of certain medications that trigger excessive sweat production, or having a history of diseases such as diabetes and thyroid. This can cause the body to sweat, resulting in unpleasant body odor.

Those are the 9 causes of underarm odor and the triggering factors that need to be known as early as possible. Consultation with a doctor can be considered to overcome unpleasant body odor.

(kpl/nlw)