You know you're slightly pungent after a hard Spinning class or garlicky dinner.
But it turns out that some less expected factors--like how quickly you
get dressed in the morning, the amount of carbs you eat, or whether you
snore--can also affect your BO, breath, gassiness, and more. Here's how
to fix it,
fast.
1. You Don't Towel Off After Showering
A speedy postshower rubdown may end up causing a problem later on.
That's because moisture can get trapped between folds of skin, like
below your breasts, under your love handles, or even between your toes,
says Marina Peredo, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in private
practice in Smithtown, NY. "There's no access to air there, and it's
easier for bacteria and fungi to multiply and mix with sweat, causing
odor and irritation," she says.
Fix it: Peredo recommends this trick to her patients: "After you
dry off, set a blow-dryer to cool and wave it over your belly, groin,
feet--anywhere that gets uncomfortably sweaty." You can also sprinkle an
absorbent powder with antifungal properties onto your skin or in your
shoes. Try Zeabsorb-AF, available at drugstores.
2. You Love Spicy Foods
Foods with pungent ingredients, such as curry, garlic, and other spices,
can not only cause bad breath, but also a bit of a body odor.
When digested, these foods produce several stinky sulfur-containing
gases. Most of these byproducts are metabolized in the intestines and
liver, but some, such as allyl methyl sulfide, are absorbed into the
bloodstream and released through your lungs and pores, an effect that
can last for a few hours or more, says Debra Jaliman, MD, assistant
professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.
Fix it: You can temporarily mask bad breath with mouthwash or by
chewing a bit of fresh parsley, mint, or fennel seeds, but you'll have
to wait until your body is done digesting before all the odor is
completely gone. Sit down to a spicy meal in good company; it's tough to
smell it on others if you all eat the same thing, says Richard Price,
DMD, spokesperson for the American Dental Association. Avoid garlic-rich
chow in the hours before an important meeting or date.
3. You Brush--But Only Your Teeth
Neglect your tongue, and your breath may not be as fresh as you'd like.
Your tongue is covered with thousands of small hairlike projections
called papillae, which can trap and harbor tiny scraps of food. So even
if you brush and floss regularly, small remains from your meals can hang
behind, collecting bacteria and emitting hydrogen sulfide vapors--aka
bad breath.
Fix it: Mouthwashes may help, but the best way to remove
bacteria, dead cells, and food debris from the crevices of your tongue
is with an inexpensive tongue scraper. Brushing your tongue with a
soft-bristled toothbrush works well too. Gently clean as far back as you
can without gagging. Also, switch to a toothpaste that contains
chlorine dioxide or tea tree oil, a powerful disinfectant with a
pleasant, eucalyptus-like smell.
4. You're Under Serious Stress
When an urgent project drops on your desk, sweating is part of how your body naturally handles the pressure.
Our bodies are smart. The famous fight or flight response
mechanism--yep, the same one that helped our ancestors outrun
saber-toothed tigers--increases sweating so that we don't overheat while
we're battling it out. Fast-forward a few thousand years, and hectic
days at the office can produce those same sweaty palms and sticky
underarms.
Fix it: Try sage tea. It contains the astringent tannin and
several antiseptic compounds that may act to calm down the sympathetic
nervous system, which is what triggers all those stressy symptoms. Sage
tea should reduce overall perspiration if sipped frequently in small
quantities throughout the day. To make it, steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of
coarsely powdered dried sage leaves in hot water and leave covered for
10 minutes to ensure all the active ingredients have been released.
5. You've Upped Your Fiber Intake
Fiber-packed foods are great for your health, but they may leave you feeling a little gassy.
Unfortunately, the reason some fiber-rich foods--such as fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and beans--keep you feeling full longer is the
same reason that they can cause gas, according to the Mayo Clinic. This
type of fiber, called soluble fiber, doesn't get digested until it
reaches the large intestine (other foods typically get digested in the
small intestine, earlier in the digestive process).
Here, healthy bacteria in your gut break down the fiber, which produces
hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and even methane. Eventually, these smelly
gases have to go somewhere--and they often exit in the form of
flatulence.
Fix it: Add these foods to your diet over a few weeks so your
body can adjust. If you use a fiber supplement, be sure to take it with
at least 8 ounces of water and drink plenty of liquids throughout the
day--fiber won't move easily through the digestive system without it.
6. You Snore Like a Banshee
Blame those nighttime noises for cover-your-mouth morning breath.
Sleeping with your mouth open dries out your oral cavity, enabling dead
cells to accumulate and decompose on your tongue, gums, and cheeks. This
is what causes morning breath.
Fix it: Skip the nightcap. Alcohol before bed can make snoring
worse. Placing an adhesive snoring strip across the bridge of your nose
can help by enhancing breathing. In the morning, in addition to brushing
your teeth and tongue and flossing, gargle with a small cup of acidic
lemon juice to kill odor-causing bacteria. Then eat plain unsweetened
yogurt, which contains healthy lactobacillus bacteria, a probiotic that
competes with and replaces the reeking bacteria in your mouth. The
lemon-yogurt combo instantly neutralizes odor and lasts 12 to 24 hours,
says Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, Jenkens/Pokempner director of preventive and
alternative medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center.
7. You Eat on the Run
If you wolf down lunch in mere minutes because of work deadlines, you may have a burpy afternoon ahead of you.
Chewing too fast and drinking through a straw can cause you to swallow
too much air. You release most of this air, which contains nitrogen,
oxygen, and carbon dioxide, from the stomach by burping. What's left
makes its way through the digestive tract until it is eventually
expelled through the other end--as gas.
Fix it: An hour lunch break may be unheard of these days, but do
give yourself enough time to chew properly, without gigantic bites. Put
down your fork while you munch to slow down, if necessary.
Also, don't eat when you're anxious, upset, or stressed--it can interfere with digestion.
On hectic days where you know you'll eat quickly, take two
enteric-coated peppermint capsules (500 mg each) three times daily,
recommends Ronald Hoffman, MD, author of
Alternative Cures that Really Work (Rodale, 2007). Peppermint kills bacteria that cause bloating and relaxes gastrointestinal muscles for smoother digestion.
8. You Only Use Deodorant
Make sure your white stick contains antiperspirant too.
Deodorants only temporarily mask your BO--they don't prevent your body
from releasing sweat, says Peredo. "Antiperspirants actually plug your
sweat glands, which stops you from excreting sweat," she says.
Fix it: You really need only an antiperspirant, but if you want
that ocean breeze scent, at least pick a product that has both deodorant
and antiperspirant. If you're a big-time sweater (especially in sticky
summer months), apply it
before you go to sleep. You perspire
less at night, so more of the antiperspirant's aluminum-based active
ingredient is pulled into sweat glands. The effect can last 24 hours or
longer, even if you shower in the morning. If this doesn't help, ask
your doctor about prescription-strength antiperspirants, such as Drysol
or Xerac, which contain aluminum chloride.
9. Your Scalp Is Flaky
Dandruff isn't the problem--it's the hiatus from hair washing that makes your mane smell gamey.
"It's a common misperception that dandruff occurs when your hair scalp
is too dry," says Peredo, a myth that makes people wash their hair less.
This, combined with the fact that an irritated scalp may be more of a
bacteria breeding ground, can make your tresses smell. "In fact,
dandruff happens when your hair is too oily."
Fix it: Washing your hair with shampoo regularly may help get the
flakes in check. If not, try an OTC dandruff shampoo. Look for ones
with zinc pyrithione, an antifungal/antibacterial agent that can de-germ
your scalp (found in Head & Shoulders or Selsun Salon), or with
coal tar, an ingredient that slows down your skin cell - shedding
process (like Neutrogena T/Gel). If the dandruff still doesn't go away
after a few weeks, see your doctor or derm. You may need a stronger
prescription-strength product or steroid lotion.
