Menopause and Body Odor: 4 Things to Keep in Mind
You knew about menopause and hot flashes, and menopause and weight gain, and even menopause and bloating. But do you know about menopause and body odor? That's right – menopause can cause you to smell not-so-sweet as your body transitions. Below, we explain the link between menopause sweats and body odor.
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Why do I sweat more during menopause?
In some ways, menopause means your body produces less moisture, which can result in vaginal dryness or your facial skin becoming less oily. However, your body will produce more of a different type of moisture – sweat – that's often the culprit for body odor during menopause.
You sweat more during menopause due to hot flashes and night sweats caused by fluctuating hormones, specifically drops in estrogen. When your estrogen levels dip, it signals your body that you're overheating, and your body tries to balance things back out by producing sweat to cool you down.
Other psychological components can also lead to sweating. For instance, the hormone fluctuations can cause anxiety to spike in some women, leading to panic attacks that involve sweating. All these factors lead to more sweating and, therefore, more body odor during menopause.
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Why does my sweat smell?
Not all sweat is created equal, and sweat produced during menopause is especially prone to smelling for physiological reasons. You may have noticed that sweat you secrete when you’re stressed smells way worse than sweat you secrete from physical activity such as exercise.
You have two types of sweat glands: apocrine and eccrine. Eccrine glands are located all over your body and secrete a watery, odorless liquid designed to cool you down. Because this sweat is mostly water, it doesn’t smell, at least not right away — though you will eventually smell if you don’t shower right away, which gives odor-causing sweat time to proliferate in the old sweat.
Apocrine glands are mostly concentrated in your underarms, under your feet, and around your genitals. These glands start secreting sweat in response to a stressful event, such as giving a big presentation or suddenly becoming overheated. This stress sweat is very thick and full of proteins and lipids that bacteria love to feed on, causing odor. Unfortunately, most of the sweat caused during hot flashes comes from apocrine glands, which contributes to menopausal body odor.
Be mindful of a fruity smell in your sweat, which is actually a sign of diabetes. Excessive sweat can occasionally be a symptom of Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease caused by an overactive thyroid. Graves’ disease can be difficult to identify in menopausal women, partly due to the overlap of symptoms. You should talk to your doctor if you think that you have either diabetes or Graves’ disease.
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How else does menopause cause body odor?
While sweat is the main cause for body odor during menopause, it's not necessarily the only reason. Your vaginal discharge may change during menopause, which can include developing a new smell. (If you have the opposite problem — not enough discharge, resulting in dryness — a vaginal moisturizer can help.) In addition to that, some women's senses change during menopause, which can include becoming more sensitive to smells. So in some cases, you might not actually be any smellier than usual; you've just become more aware of it than you were before.
What can I do about it?
There are some steps that you can take to reduce sweating and make your sweat smell better. They include:
- Reduce or eliminate certain foods from your diet that cause toxins that can contribute to smelly sweat. These include red meat, white flour, sugars, caffeine, and deep-fried foods. Instead, incorporate foods rich in zinc and magnesium.
- Wear loose clothes made of natural fibers like cotton. Avoid synthetic fabrics, which trap heat and sweat and can make hot flashes worse. If you struggle with night sweats, wear cotton pajamas and sleep under cotton sheets.
- Try to reduce stress when possible, as more stress = smellier sweat. We know this can be hard, but it will help boost your physical and mental health as well as make you smell better.
- Prep for hot sweats by wearing odor-busting deodorant and keeping moisture-absorbent towels with you. You won’t always be able to stop hot flashes before they start, but you can manage them to make them less sweaty.
If you never thought about sweat when you considered menopause relief, it’s time to expand your understanding of menopause. Follow these tips to reduce your sweat and help mitigate body odor during menopause.
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