What to know about axillary odor

Armpit disease does not affect health but makes patients uncomfortable, embarrassed, lose confidence when communicating. Understanding axillary odor will help patients find the right treatment for armpits for themselves.

1. Axillary disease affects the patient's life

Axillary odor, also known as axillary sweating, is a very common disease. This is a disease of a genetic nature, if parents have axillary odor, their children will be at increased risk for the disease. Although it does not affect health, armpit disease makes the wearer feel very uncomfortable, lose confidence when living and communicating. People who live and work next to armpit stinks are also affected.

Axillary odor can be easily recognized through the following characteristics:

  • On average at the age of 25 years or younger, there is usually a family history.
  • The smell under the arms is very unpleasant, resembling the smell of skunk. When active or when it is hot, the smell is more obvious, the armpits secrete a lot of sweat, sometimes wet the whole coat. Does not appear at night.
  • In cases of severe axillary odor, although not active, the armpits still stink. Deodorizing after bathing only works for a short time, after which the armpits stink again.
  • The undercoat under the arm is often recolored. Especially the white shirt, the shirt area under the arm will turn yellow, hardened due to sweat and the combined armpit rolling products stick. Wet axillary skin folds are prone to fungal birth, infection, irritated dermatitis.
  • If the armpit hair is long, it can be seen to decompose sweat by bacteria, forming deposits in the armpits.

Reduce armpit sweating

Axillary odor causes discomfort for sufferer

2. Causes of axillary odor

Sweat excretion is a normal biological activity, which plays an important role in the excretion of substances and helps maintain the body's temperature stability. On the human body consists of 2 to 4 million sweat glands with two main types:

  • The Eccrine gland is present throughout the surface of the skin, sweat secretes the main component of water and mineral salts, without smell. This is the type of sweat secreted in the forehead, hands, feet,… when hot, much movement. This type of sweat does not cause a bad smell in axillary diseases, they only occasionally have a slight unpleasant smell when we eat heavy-smelling foods such as onions, garlic, curry,…
  • Apocrine glands: active only when puberty is reached. This gland is concentrated in positions such as armpits, inguinal, genitals, around the ears, eye area, areola,… Sweat secreted by the apocrine gland has a number of substances such as fatty acids, cholesterol, hydrocarbons. These substances at birth do not have a smell, but due to the activity of some bacteria on the skin, decomposition of these substances causes an unpleasant odor. Two common sweat-decomposing bacteria are Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Sweat is decomposed into products such as isovaleric acid, propionic acid, propanoic. Isovaleric acid smells like cheese while propionic acid smells like vinegar.

Apocrine Route Location

Apocrine Route Location

Axillary odor occurs mainly in people who both have multiple apocrine glands and have increased sweating. Increased sweating is an abnormal disorder, when the amount of sweat secreted exceeds the level required to regulate the body's temperature.

Increased sweating may be caused by increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Due to the high use of tobacco, coffee, hot spicy foods or participation in many physical activities. Increased sweating can also occur in people with a number of conditions such as fish odor disease (Trimethylaminuria), diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, cardiovascular disease, respiratory failure, Parkinson's, menopause,… or due to the use of certain drugs.

3. How to treat axillary odor?

To treat axillary odor, patients need to improve living conditions, depending on the specific case, the doctor may prescribe medications for treatment, topical intervention therapy or surgery.

3.1. Improve living conditions

  • Patients with armpits should wear cool escape clothes, use fabrics that absorb sweat well, limit tight clothing.
  • Bathe with non-soapy shower gels, use deodorant talc powder after bathing, or use deodorant rollers on site.
  • Use shoe lining and change regularly. Limit the use of caffeine-containing drinks, drugs that cause increased sweating.
  • Use aluminium chloride salt 10-25% to prevent excreting sweat in place.

3.2. Ion therapy

Helps reduce sweating in the armpits. palms, palms. Use a power source through hydrolysed system that puts ions through the skin. Taken 10-20 minutes / day, done for several days. This method can cause feelings of irritation, discomfort or contact dermatitis.

Why does the armpit stink?

Treatment of axillary odor

3.3. Drug treatment

Anti-acetylcholin drugs, sympathetic beta blockers, calci blockers, anxiolytics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,… may be effective in some cases. Note that each of the above drugs has its own contrained, which must be considered before use in patients.

3.4. On-site interventions

Commonly used methods today are:

  • Botulinum toxin injection: Botulinum toxin is a toxin extracted from Clostridium botulinum , this toxin helps inhibit nerve impulses from the brain down to the sweat glands, reducing sweat secretion. The therapeutic effect of this method is over 90%, leaving no scars, the duration of action is 2-8 months.
  • YAG laser: low efficiency, currently less used.
  • Axillary sweat gland removal surgery: the patient will be given local anesthesia, after which the doctor conducts surgery to eliminate the maximum organization of the skin with concentrated multiple sweat glands. The duration of the operation lasts about 1 hour. The method for high efficiency, axillary odor can be reduced by up to 90%. In the early hours after surgery, physical activity related to arm movement should be limited.

To register for examination and treatment at Share99 International Health Hub, you can contact Share99 Health System nationwide, or register for an online examination HERE

VIEW MORE

  • Increased sweating: Things to know
  • Why does the armpit stink?
  • Can armpit stink be cured?
SEE MORE:

  • Is axillary odor contagious?
  • Why does the armpit stink?
  • Unusual sweating: What to know

About: John Smith

b1ffdb54307529964874ff53a5c5de33?s=90&r=gI am the author of Share99.net. I had been working in Vinmec International General Hospital for over 10 years. I dedicate my passion on every post in this site.

RELATED POSTS:

Leave a Comment

0 SHARES
Share
Tweet
Pin