Vasilenko V.V. Fishy odor disease / www.gastroscan.ru. 2022

When faced with such a phenomenon as a sour odor from their own mouth for the first time, people, as a rule, begin to worry first of all about the aesthetic impression that this defect makes on others.

Very few people think about the reasons for such trouble. But they can be very serious! Sour breath, the causes of which can be different, should be a reason to pay attention to the condition of your body.

Causes of bad breath

Sour breath is a symptom of gastrointestinal disease.

Often, sour breath is an alarming symptom of one of the most dangerous diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. With equal probability, the root cause of such a phenomenon may be:

• stomach or duodenal ulcer;
• gastritis;
• gastroesophageal reflux;
• chalazia cardia;
• other equally serious diseases and digestive disorders.

How can you find out what exactly caused the sour breath in your particular case? And, most importantly, how to get rid of this unpleasant phenomenon? Our article will help answer these questions.

First of all, we list the most common gastrointestinal diseases that can cause bad breath. So, “sour” breath is usually a sign of one of the following digestive disorders.

Why does the smell appear?

The greatest amount of sweat is produced in the armpits, perineum, and also in the hollows under the knee. If a person follows all the rules of hygiene and there are no pathological changes in the body, then the sweat will not have an unpleasant odor. Sweat must be excreted from the human body for its normal functioning.

What are the functions of sweating:

• to maintain normal body temperature,
• to maintain normal water-salt balance,
• to remove toxic substances from the body,
• to protect the skin from drying out. This mechanism works by combining the secretions of the sweat and sebaceous glands, together they create a protective film.

If sweat has an unpleasant odor , then masking it with different means is not a solution. After all, this does not solve the cause of the problem, but only masks its consequences. the cause of unpleasant sweat odor . At high humidity and temperature, they actively multiply and emit this smell. Under no circumstances should you permanently block the sweat glands mechanically; the consequences may not be good.

how to deal with unpleasant sweat odor

Gastritis

Gastritis is increased acidity in the stomach.

The cause of a specific odor from the mouth may be increased acidity in the stomach, characteristic of gastritis.

Often this condition is accompanied by heartburn and other symptoms typical of digestive disorders. As for the sour smell itself, with gastritis it is not constantly felt from the mouth.

As a rule, a specific “smell” appears simultaneously with food belching and persists until the next session of eating or brushing your teeth.

How to deal with an unpleasant odor?

If a person showers regularly and is attentive to his own hygiene, then the problem may be in the internal organs. In order to figure out exactly what the problem is, you need to contact a specialist.

The main causes of unpleasant sweating :

1. Pathologies of the endocrine system. In this case, you need to contact an endocrinologist.
2. Problems with the menstrual cycle. A gynecologist will help you deal with this problem.
3. If you have excessive sweating on your hands, then you should see a neurologist.
4. Problems with the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, you need to consult a gastroenterologist.

Often a person does not know which organ he has problems with, so there is one important factor that will help you decide. This is the characteristic smell of sweat.

1. For example, if you smell acetone or chlorine, then there is a problem with the liver.
2. If the smell is similar to urine, then you should pay attention to the health of the genitourinary system.
3. A vinegar smell occurs in patients with tuberculosis.
4. Sweetish tint of sweat in diabetic patients.
5. The smell of mice is characteristic of patients with metabolic disorders.
6. A distant aroma of sulfur means there is stomach disease.

There are many reasons; in order to remove the smell, you need to overcome the cause of its appearance.

But there are also physiologically strange odors of sweat that can occur periodically. They can occur if a person eats hot, spicy and bitter foods.

treatment of unpleasant sweat odor

Gastroesophageal reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux is a condition in which, due to disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, gastric juice refluxes into the esophagus. The hydrochloric acid contained in this secretion emits a specific odor that is felt when breathing.

A particularly clearly unpleasant “smell” from the patient’s mouth is felt immediately after he wakes up. After all, during sleep a person is in a horizontal position, which means that digestive juice can flow into the esophagus absolutely unhindered.

Other characteristic symptoms of reflux are specific stomach pain, nausea and frequent belching. It is also worth noting that the described disease rarely occurs on its own. It usually accompanies gastritis and develops against the background of its exacerbations.

Smell test

Doctors have long ago begun to use the unpleasant aroma emanating from the human body as an option for the primary diagnosis of various diseases. After all, a repulsive amber is a clear signal that metabolic processes have been disrupted. This often occurs against the background of the development of certain pathologies.

Question and Answer Is it impossible to cure all people of all diseases? The bacteria that colonize the skin survive the previous colonies that were “healthy”, and the waste products of the new ones begin to smell differently.

Chalazia cardia

Gastroesophageal reflux is the reflux of gastric juice into the esophagus.

The cardia is the gastric muscular valve that connects this organ to the esophagus.

Its dysfunction (chalasia) leads to the fact that digestive juices enter cavities not intended for them. Usually this is the esophagus.

As a result, a condition with symptoms reminiscent of gastroesophageal reflux occurs.

Unlike the mentioned disease, chalazia cardia develops as an independent disease. This disorder has nothing to do with gastritis.

Why does the vagina smell of semen?

After unprotected sex, the aroma of seminal fluid may remain in the genitals for several days. This is a normal condition for a healthy woman. However, the appearance of such a symptom without sexual intercourse indicates a disturbance in the composition of the microflora. This condition is not dangerous for reproductive health, but correction of the vaginal microflora is necessary.

There are cases when the aroma of semen is accompanied by irritation of the mucous membranes of the vulva and uterus. Such symptoms are a clear sign of infection. Therefore, you need to contact a gynecologist to make a diagnosis and prescribe therapy.

Stomach and duodenal ulcers

Typically, ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract are asymptomatic. It is very difficult to diagnose such diseases in a timely manner (that is, before the onset of severe consequences). However, during periods of exacerbation, ulcers can manifest themselves not only with characteristic pain, but also with other symptoms. One of them is a sour smell from the mouth.

What causes this phenomenon? Many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract entail disturbances in the intestinal microflora. It is the death of the beneficial microorganisms living there that provokes an unpleasant, sharp, sour odor from the mouth, which can be felt even when breathing.

Vasilenko V.V. Fishy odor disease / www.gastroscan.ru. 2022

Fishy odor disease

V.V.
Vasilenko This disease interferes with participation in public life, complicates career growth, can deprive the main joy of life - live human communication, cause depression and even lead to suicide. Despair increases when doctors are unable to help, seeing before them a completely healthy person with ideal test results. A rare disease, and therefore little known to doctors, is called primary trimethylaminaciduria.

Time heals, but the doctor is faster. Proverb

The beginning of the history of this peculiar genetic disorder is lost in the past. In ancient legends one can find a description of trimethylaminaciduria in the hyperbolic spirit characteristic of myths. One of the legends says that the creator of the Indian epic "Mahabharata" - the divine sage Vyasa - was ugly, and such a pungent smell of rotting fish emanated from him that on his wedding night his first wife closed her eyes in horror, and therefore their son was born blind. Vyasa's other wife, sensing the smell, turned pale, and her son was always pale*. (* Ilyin G.F. Adaparva (First book) // Ancient Indian legend about the heroes of antiquity “Mahabhorata” - M.: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1958).

Slavic legends about mermaids living in water, precisely the female primary element of the four symbolic primary elements that make up the ancient Slavic world, are also inspired by this metabolic feature, because in women with a predisposition to trimethylaminaciduria, a peculiar odor appears or sharply intensifies on certain days of the lunar month (Fig. 1 ).

Rice.
1. Mermaid In Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest,” the jester Trinculo speaks of the wild and ugly slave Caliban, according to the author’s description: “What is this here? Man or fish? […] Fish; smells like fish; real aged fish stink. It looks like the cod is not the freshest. Outlandish fish! […] I decided wrongly, I don’t insist. This is not a fish, but an islander […]"

(translation by M.A. Kuzmin).

You can guess that the second name for trimethylaminaciduria is a disease with a fishy smell. No matter how surprising it may seem, the first scientific descriptions of this disease - excessive secretion of the odorous substance trimethylamine in people who are practically healthy in all respects - date back only to the second half of the 70s of the last century.

Trimethylamine is a very odorous substance. Some people feel its presence at a minimum concentration of 1:109! The figure is impressive, but in fact it is not so small: that is 10 trillion molecules of trimethylamine in a liter jar of air. Depending on the amount of the substance, different odors may be felt - from the characteristic smell of herring brine to the stench of decaying fish. (It is all the more surprising that in minute quantities trimethylamine emits a floral aroma!).

When receiving a referral for analysis, think about what you will do if the result turns out to be: a) positive, b) negative. If the answers coincide, there will be no need for analysis. Cochrane's aphorism

In the human body, trimethylamine is constantly formed, but normally it is inactivated, i.e. turns into an odorless substance. In primary trimethylamianaciduria, the enzyme that should carry out this transformation is missing, and trimethylamine is released in exhaled air and with all biological fluids (sweat, urine, genital secretions).

The severity of enzyme deficiency can vary, and therefore fishy odor disease expresses itself differently.

It usually appears in infancy and intensifies during puberty (sometimes later). In women, the symptom intensifies or occurs immediately before the onset of menstruation, as well as when taking birth control pills.

Stercus et urina medici sunt prandia prima. Exaliis paleas? Ex istis collige grana. - Feces, and urine, and sputum - doctors get a lot of money. This is the salt of the craft; other things are out of place to worry about. Character F. Rabelais

The genetics of the disease are as follows. Carriers of the defect (mutant allele) under normal conditions do not have a specific odor. If both parents have this defect, there is a high probability of having a child with fishy odor disease. Information about predisposition to trimethylaminaciduria is incomplete. However, overseas it is known to range from 0.5% in the UK to 11% in New Guinea.

Deficiency of an enzyme called flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) can be not only congenital - absolute or relative, but also acquired (malabsorption of nutrients and / or excessive proliferation of bacteria in the small intestine, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, renal failure).

Presumably the smell comes from those who are genetically predisposed to it.

Sometimes the enzyme is not enough due to increased formation of trimethylamine in the body.

Wisdom, like turtle soup, is not accessible to everyone. Kozma Prutkov

What to do for those whose body odor is very fishy? What measures can a person suffering from one of the forms of the disease with a fishy smell take on their own in order to smell almost like flowers?

• Avoid circumstances that cause increased sweating (physical activity, stress, strong emotions).
• Do not neglect personal hygiene products (soaps, body lotions) that are acidic (pH 5.5–6.5). Trimethylamine is an alkali; under moderate acidity conditions, only 0.02% of the original amount remains in a volatile, odorous form.
• Do not eat foods containing trimethylamine oxide, which is transformed by intestinal microbes into foul-smelling trimethylamine. These are sea animals: mollusks (oysters, mussels, squid, scallops) and crustaceans (crabs, shrimp, lobsters). Many types of mollusks and crustaceans are food for fish. Accordingly, saltwater fish must be treated with great caution. Moreover, infants with a mild form of trimethylaminaciduria begin to acquire a specific odor when their nursing mothers eat saltwater fish.
• Do not consume milk from wheat-fed cows: it contains significant amounts of the precursor trimethylamine.
• Avoid foods containing indole and its derivatives. Indole is an inhibitor of the FMO3 enzyme. It is found in plants of the cruciferous family, which include cabbage, radish, and rapeseed. Indole derivatives are included in dietary supplements that claim to ensure the health of the reproductive organs.
• In moderate forms of the disease, exclude products containing biochemical precursors of trimethylamine, primarily choline and lecithin (Table 1).

Table 1. Choline and lecithin content in selected foods (in mg per 100 g)

It is useful to know that significant amounts of lecithin contain dietary supplements advertised as fish oil or omega acids for the prevention of atherosclerosis, as well as all sorts of “health-improving” ingredients and products for athletes that have not passed state certification.
They usually contain a large amount of choline and lecithin. Pregnant women, however, cannot limit themselves to choline - it is needed for the formation of the fetal nervous system. For the biosynthesis of choline in the body, an essential component is required, i.e. The sulfur-containing amino acid methionine, obtained by the body only from the outside with food. There have been no studies of the effect of dietary methionine restriction in trimethylaminaciduria. Women should avoid using birth control pills, replacing them with other methods of contraception.

The hormones contained in these pills, which are produced in increased quantities during menstruation, increase the odor.

Bad body odor can come from a variety of causes, but discussing them is beyond the scope of this book.

Paradox: many of us tend to react violently to other people's scents, often without noticing our own. As Arkady Averchenko wrote, “the air smells of sulfur and spoiled relationships” (Klinkov’s words in the story “Pokhodtsev and Two Others”).

Activities other than those indicated above are rather within the competence of a knowledgeable physician. Nevertheless, we will list substances that can be formed in the body (usually in the mouth and intestines) and give a certain odor to the breath and “winds”.

This is hydrogen sulfide (the pungent smell of rotten eggs) and its salts:

• carbon disulfide (slight odor, but pungent);
• dimethyl sulfide (unpleasantly sweetish);
• methylpropyl sulfide, diallyl sulfide (garlic);
• allylpropyl disulfide (onion);
• mercaptans:

- methyl mercaptan (smell of rotten cabbage); - propyl mercaptan (unpleasantly caustic); - allyl mercaptan (garlic).

You can also name nitrogen-containing compounds:

• ammonia (unpleasant sweetish odor);
• dimethylamine (fish, ammonia);
• indole, ethylenediamine, cadaverine (nauseating cadaverous odor);
• putrescine (a sickening smell of rotten meat);
• skatole (stench, like a toilet).

These substances are clearly presented in Table. 2*.

Table 2. Substances with a bad odor*

* In minimal quantities, skatole has the smell of jasmine, so it was added to the composition of the Red Moscow perfume as an odor stabilizer. Everything should be in moderation! ** Interestingly, whole garlic heads and bulbs do not contain these compounds, but contain a lot of the amino acid cysteine. When garlic or onion is cut, this amino acid is converted by enzymes into odorous disulfides.

Rice.
2. Drawing by Marina Turovskaya, “Newspaper 24” In addition to the above, a deficiency of FMO3 leads to a disruption in the metabolism of the biogenic amine tyramine, a chronically elevated level of which in the blood is fraught with depression, migraine, and hypertension. Tyramine is found in noticeable quantities in long-aged hard cheeses and smoked sausages. Trimethylaminaciduria may occur in premature newborns who are fed formulas containing large amounts of choline. (You shouldn’t be scared: this is due to the immaturity of enzyme systems.).

Medical Latin synonyms for the term “pathological halitosis”: Foetor (Foetor) ex Ore and Foetor (Foetor) Oris (can also be translated as “stench from natural orifices”).

An experienced doctor differs from an inexperienced doctor in only one way: an experienced doctor prescribes one medicine for 10 diseases, and an inexperienced doctor prescribes 10 medicines for one disease. W. Osler

Often doctors are not sufficiently prepared to deal with this specific problem, and people suffering from bad breath or halitosis are forced to undergo a lot of haphazardly prescribed examinations.

In fact, for a diagnostic search, an experienced specialist only needs to carefully examine the patient and ask him a few questions:

1. Is the smell constantly present or not?
2. How long ago did the smell appear?
3. Is its occurrence associated with certain foods?
4. Is the odor coming from the nose, mouth, or both nose and mouth?
5. What medications are you taking?
6. Is the smell noticeable to others?

Two mercaptans - ethyl mercaptan and butyl selenomercaptan - were registered in the 1998 Guinness Book of Records as the most foul-smelling substances.
Each of them, when inhaled, resembles a mixture of rotting cabbage, garlic, onions, burnt toast and sewer gases (electronic library “Science and Technology”, 02/03/2002). The smell is so nauseating that there was even discussion about creating a so-called skunk bomb from their mixture to disperse street riots (National Geographic magazine: US Military Is Seeking Ultimate “Stink Bomb”).

V.V. Vasilenko. Sixty essays on digestion (recommendations from a gastroenterologist to patients) Back to section

Dental diseases

Gingivitis can cause bad breath.

Most often, the source of sour odor is problems directly in the oral cavity.

Dental diseases such as caries, gingivitis and periodontitis will almost certainly lead to the occurrence of this unpleasant phenomenon. Why does such a specific smell arise when problems with teeth and gums occur?

The fact is that inflammatory processes in the soft tissues around the teeth lead to the active proliferation of bacteria in the oral cavity. During their life, harmful microorganisms release many substances, most of which do not have the most pleasant odor.

Due to the specific location of the source of inflammation, a person suffering from problems with teeth and gums, as a rule, feels not only a sour smell from the mouth, but also a specific taste on the tongue.

Other options

As soon as your body odor has changed, turning into something intolerable, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible. After all, a different smell can indicate various pathologies, some of which are quite difficult to treat.

Diaphragmatic hernia

The diaphragm, separating the chest and abdominal cavities, is equipped with a special opening. The esophagus passes through it. However, with a hernia of the diaphragm, the described hole becomes too wide. Because of this, the esophagus, normally partially located in the abdominal cavity, moves higher.

What are the consequences of such a violation? Due to the uncharacteristic bends of the esophagus, as well as its specific location, the likelihood of gastric juice entering this organ increases significantly. Well, we have already mentioned what this leads to when talking about gastroesophageal reflux and chalasia cardia.

Expert opinion

Mehman Mamedov, professor, doctor of medical sciences, expert of the National Health League:

— The body smells due to various metabolic disorders. For example, due to impaired glucose metabolism, the number of ketone bodies increases and their accumulation on the skin produces an odor. This is typical for decompensated diabetes. Urea odor is end-stage renal failure. The characteristic smell of the skin, as a rule, is a sign of a malfunction of organs associated with metabolism - these are the kidneys, lungs, and liver. Ulcerative-inflammatory skin diseases can also smell.

Deodorizing agents to eliminate sweat odor

Many people whose sweat smells sour are much less concerned about the causes of this smell than about finding a means to eliminate it. Undoubtedly, with the help of deodorants or other perfumed compositions you can eliminate the unpleasant stench for a certain time. Just don’t use the first drug you see for this.

The effectiveness of the antiperspirant used directly depends on its composition, as well as on the form of release. For those whose skin is prone to irritation, it is better to give preference to preparations for sensitive skin that do not contain alcohol additives. The best choice would be a composition that contains special bactericidal components that not only mask the foul odor, but also destroy pathogenic microorganisms and disinfect the skin.

If you follow these simple recommendations, you can cope with such a problem as unpleasant body odor and get rid of discomfort when communicating with others.

Treatment at home

If a person smells vinegar from his breath, this may mean he has a number of dangerous diseases. Therefore, the first thing to do for treatment is to consult a doctor and begin the treatment prescribed by him. Without this, treatment at home is not recommended. Otherwise, the condition may worsen and the treatment of the disease that caused the problem may be complicated.

But, after diagnosis, you can resort to the folk recipes listed below.

Folk recipes

First, a few general recommendations that will reduce the likelihood of acidic breath to a minimum:

• regular brushing of teeth and tongue to avoid the accumulation of harmful bacteria;
• rinsing the mouth after eating using special herbal decoctions (water without additives is not suitable);
• Brushing your teeth with dental floss or a toothpick to remove any food particles that have accumulated between your teeth;
• regular consumption of sweet fruits, primarily melon, pear or carrot; reducing the consumption of coffee and black tea, and replacing them with clean water or green tea; Increasing the amount of apples, greens, vegetables and fiber consumed - all this contributes to the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Folk recipes that will help you get rid of the unpleasant smell of vinegar or acetone from your mouth:

• Decoction of alder leaves: recipe: 1 tablespoon of dried and crushed alder leaves is poured into 0.5 liters of boiled water at a temperature of about 70-80 degrees Celsius. The broth is infused for 1 hour and filtered through gauze;
• Directions for use: rinse the mouth 6-10 times a day;

You can also use fennel, clove and/or cardamom seeds. There is no need to prepare anything here. Simply chew 1 teaspoon of seeds slowly (swallowing is not advisable).

Sour body odor: the essence of the problem

Sweating is a necessary and natural physiological process of the human body. The norm is the release of sweat in moderate amounts and the absence of any extraneous stench. If there is increased sweating and the sweat smells like sour milk, the reasons for this phenomenon are explained by the body’s reflex response to certain external or internal factors.

What does the sour smell of sweat mean? The glands that produce sweat are distributed throughout the body. The secreted sweat fluid consists of only 10% of various organic substances, the remaining 90% is water. It is a set of organic compounds that is responsible for the smell emanating from the human body.

Removing accumulated toxins, salts and other elements from the body is one of the main functions of the sweating process. When your body smells sour, it can be caused by the following factors:

• removal of toxins in increased quantities formed during certain diseases;
• imbalance in the composition of the fluid secreted by secretions due to pathological processes in different organs;
• poor nutrition;
• blockage of the sweat channels leads to stagnation of the sweat mass and as a result the body smells sour;

Failure to comply with hygiene standards is the cause of an unpleasant “fragrance” from a person.

Depending on the predominant genesis in the human body, the aroma can be different, one of the variants of which is the sour smell of sweat.

Why does my vagina smell like acetone?

The characteristic pungent aroma of acetone from the vagina is an alarming sign. As a rule, the first disease that a doctor suspects is diabetes. With this pathology, the level of ketone bodies in the blood increases, the breakdown of which is accompanied by the unpleasant odor of acetone. To check the suspected diagnosis, the gynecologist will prescribe a glucose test and a consultation with an endocrinologist.

Other conditions can provoke the appearance of the smell of acetone:

• lack of fluid in the body;
• low carbohydrate diet;
• violation of metabolism and digestion of food;
• diseases of the urogenital tract;
• hormonal disbalance.

Medical help to combat sweating

Why does some people's sweat smell sour, what does it mean and what is the likelihood of health complications?

If a person correctly performs hygiene procedures, wears clothes and shoes made from natural materials, has tried many methods to combat unpleasant sweating, but the sweat still tastes sour, then he needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. In such cases, there is a high probability that the symptoms of stench are caused by the presence of some disease that the person may not even be aware of.

You should make an appointment with a therapist or dermatologist. The specialist will prescribe a comprehensive examination to the patient and, based on its results, prescribe the correct treatment. Taking into account the physiological characteristics of the skin, the doctor will also recommend the most effective and appropriate antiperspirant or pharmaceutical product in a particular case.

Some patients are advised by doctors to undergo Botox, which stops excessive sweating by blocking the sweat glands. But this method allows only to temporarily eliminate the problem and is used in rare cases.

In particularly severe clinical cases, doctors suggest eliminating the problem of sweating through surgery. The essence of this operation is to destroy the sweat glands located under the armpits. But such surgical interventions are performed extremely rarely, since doctors are always looking for alternative, safer methods of treatment.

Every person can face such an unpleasant situation when the corrosive smell of sweat follows him everywhere. Regardless of why your sweat smells sour, you shouldn’t be upset, but you need to respond to the problem in a timely manner and seek professional help.

Reasons for immediately seeking medical help

When a person smells sour, and at the same time he carefully adheres to all generally accepted hygiene standards, then this is an immediate reason to visit a doctor. The following manifestations should alert a person:

• a sharp increase in sweating at night;
• profuse sweating during the day without any particular reason;
• the appearance of an unpleasant specific odor in the secretory moisture.

Remember. Self-medication will not bring any benefit, but it can even cause harm. Only after a medical examination can you use pharmaceutical antiperspirants or undergo complex treatment to eliminate such manifestations.