What You Can Do About Bromhidrosis (Excessive Odor)

Bromhidrosis, or osmidrosis, is a foul-smelling odor typically caused by bacteria on your skin breaking down secretions from your apocrine sweat glands. Apocrine glands begin working during puberty and are located under your arms and around your groin.

Bromhidrosis is often associated with hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating. Untreated, it can negatively affect mental health; however, there are many options available to help reduce your body odor.

Bromhidrosis describes an unpleasant body odor that usually comes from under the armpits and is often associated with hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. The severity of the odor differs from person to person and may not go away with improved hygiene practices. The odor may worsen after exercising or eating spicy or garlic-filled foods. 

Bromhidrosis can affect individuals in other ways. Experiencing bromhidrosis does not necessarily mean a person has poor hygiene. It can negatively affect a person’s body image and mental health.

If you experience an unpleasant body odor, you are likely searching for the cause.

Most people experience some body odor after sweating, such as in hot environments or after exercise, which improves after showering. If you experience frequent body odor, it may also be caused by bacteria or other underlying health conditions.

Bacteria

Your body has two major types of sweat glands—eccrine and apocrine glands. Your eccrine glands produce the clear, odorless fluid you associate with sweating. They are located all over your body and are important for regulating your body temperature. 

Your apocrine glands are located under your arms and around your groin area. They start working around puberty and release a clear substance called mucus when you sweat.

When this substance breaks down on your skin, it can cause an unpleasant body odor. In some individuals, this bacterial breakdown can cause a more severe odor and require treatment to manage. 

Some conditions that may increase how much you sweat and worsen body odor include:

• Hyperhidrosis: A medical condition that causes excessive sweating
• Hyperthyroidism: A medical condition caused by an overactive thyroid 

Diabetes

Individuals with uncontrolled diabetes can experience very high blood glucose concentrations, which may lead to diabetic ketoacidosis. When this occurs, the body uses fats for energy and produces ketones. Ketones are more acidic and are released through sweat glands and your breath, causing a vinegar or fruity smell.

Kidney Disease

The kidneys break down a substance called urea. When you have kidney disease, your kidneys no longer address urea as they should, and it’s then released through sweat. As a result, people with kidney disease may have a body odor that smells like vinegar.

Although bromhidrosis is usually physically harmless, it can negatively impact your body image and mental health. Seek medical help if you have tried changing your hygiene practices but still have body odor.

Your healthcare provider may ask about the frequency and severity of your sweating and odor, your hygiene practices, and what products, if any, you currently use to help manage symptoms. They also can address underlying health conditions like diabetes or kidney disease.

Several treatments are available to help manage bromhidrosis. The goal is to reduce body odor by decreasing the sweat under your arms. Here are some of the treatment options:

• Hygiene practices: Maintaining good hygiene, such as washing your body frequently with soap and changing your clothes often, can help limit the amount of bacteria and sweat on your skin. Using over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription antibacterial soaps may also help. 
• Deodorants and antiperspirants: Deodorants mask the smell of body odor, while antiperspirants reduce the amount of sweat. By decreasing the wetness under your arms, less sweat will be available for the bacteria to break down, and your body odor will diminish. Most antiperspirants use aluminum as the active ingredient. There are both OTC and prescription-strength options.
• Botulinum toxin A injections: This option targets your sweat glands and reduces their ability to sweat. Although a common treatment, this approach is not permanent and requires additional injections over time to maintain effectiveness. 
• Microwave therapy: Microwave beams damage your sweat glands and reduce body odor. 
• Surgical treatment: In some cases, surgical treatment may be necessary to control body odor. Many different surgical techniques can remove sweat glands from under your arms. These procedures are often not the first choice of treatment. 

If you have an underlying condition causing body odor, such as diabetes, treating the underlying condition can help reduce your body odor. Your healthcare team can help you navigate the best treatment options.

The bacteria under your arms create body odor by breaking down the secretions from your apocrine glands, so try changing your hygiene practices and keeping your armpits as dry as possible. You can also consider the following tips to help reduce body odor:

• Avoid eating spicy or garlic-rich foods 
• Shower soon after exercising and wash clothes after exercising 
• Consider shirt inserts that you can change out when you sweat to keep your armpits dry 
• Wear breathable clothing like cotton 
• Shave under your arms frequently

Although body odor does not usually have any adverse physical health complications, body odor can hurt your self-image and mental health. Individuals with bromhidrosis may isolate themselves because of worry over their body odor. Long-term, they can experience anxiety and depression.

In one study, 23 of 34 individuals with bromhidrosis were diagnosed with depression. Stress over maintaining good hygiene can also result in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in individuals with bromhidrosis.

If you are struggling with your mental health because of your body odor, a mental health professional can help. 

Bromhidrosis is a foul-smelling body odor caused by the breakdown of secretions from your apocrine glands that are released with sweat.

Bromidrosis is commonly associated with excessive sweating, and treatments often focus on reducing sweat. Underlying health conditions like diabetes and kidney disease can also cause body odor.

Although it is usually physically harmless, bromhidrosis can worsen your mental health. A healthcare team can help you navigate treatment options and provide mental health support for this condition.