Why do I sweat more than my friends do, and why does it smell

asks rtell:
A. The average person loses more than a litre of sweat a day. Sweating is your body's way of regulating your temperature.

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Q. So why do some people smell and not others
A. People who sweat more are more likely to have body odour (BO). Of course, it helps if clothes are changed daily, otherwise the smell can just build up.

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Q. What makes us sweat
A. Heat, obviously, and exercise. Being overweight means you are likely to sweat more, as does being anxious (people who are sitting tests or going for interviews should wear dark colours to avoid those give-away damp patches!).

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Some medical conditions, such as thyroid disease or fever, make you sweat, too.

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Q. Does what you eat make any difference
A. Yes, chillies and curries make you sweat, as do eating fish, onions and garlic. You can often tell if someone's eaten them by smelling their sweat.

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Q. Oh gross! What are the sweatiest parts of the body
A. You have about three million sweat glands, which come in two types - apocrine and eccrine glands.

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Sweat in the armpits and groin is produced by apocrine glands. The sweat they produce is milky and protein rich, and is most likely to cause BO.

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Q. Why Does it smell when it comes out
A. No, it's odourless (apart from the afore-mentioned fish, onions and garlic!). The bacteria which feed on this type of sweat generate chemical compounds which have the familiar smell of BO.

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But these glands have their uses, too.

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Q. What are they
A. They secrete pheromones - chemicals that influence the behaviour of those around us and attract partners.

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Q. So not washing means you have more pheromones
A. Yes, but there's a fine line between giving off secret signals of attraction and smelling like an old sock.

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Q. What about the eccrine glands
A. They cover the rest of the body and are 99% water - they produce the salty kind of sweat that bacteria hate.

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Q. What's the best way to stop BO
A. Wash at least once a day using a deodorant soap. Change your clothes daily and after exercise. Wear cotton clothes. Use a deodorant or anti-perspirant.

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Q. What's the difference between deodorants and anti-perspirants
A. Deodorants disguise the smell of sweat, anti-perspirants use aluminium chloride to make you sweat less.

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Q. What if they don't work
A. If the sweating is very severe, sweat glands can be removed surgically. Talk to your GP to explore all the options open to you.

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By Sheena Miller

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