Healthy Me - At Home and Away: Odor

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

ASK THE DOC: PLEASE CURE MY BODY ODOUR

Armpit (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PLEASE CURE MY BODY ODOUR

Question by concerned teen

I am a 19-year-old female. I have body odour. Could it be because of my armpit hair? I also perspire easily. Walking short distances causes my armpits to perspire, which leads to an unpleasant smell.

I found some information online which says hircus powder, a traditional Chinese herbal powder, can cure body odour. Is it true and are there any other ways to cure this condition?

Reply from Ms Zhao Xuhong
TCM Physician
Raffles Chinese Medicine

Before one reaches puberty, body odour is usually not a problem as the glands in the armpits and genital areas don't become active until then.

At puberty, your hormones will cause these sweat glands to develop, resulting in body odour.

For patients with a less serious condition of body odour, TCM recommends the use of aromatic therapy to reduce dampness and balance one's "Qi". These options, however, cannot treat the root problem.

Those with severe body odour may choose to have surgery to treat the sweat glands. With laser and other treatment methods, you will be able to see faster and obvious results.

However, given that you are only 19, there is a possibility that the problem may resurface later.

The information provided above is for your general knowledge only. You should seek medical advice or treatment for your condition.

health@newstoday.com.sg

Email us if you have a medical query.

From TODAY, Health – Tuesday, 02-Jun-2009

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If you are to drink to your health, drink RESERVE!

Women have a better sense of smell than men, at least when it comes to detecting underarm odour.

Researchers collected underarm secretions from 59 volunteers — 23 men and 36 women — and pooled them in two batches, male and female.

A different group of 20 men and 20 women sniffed a batch of secretions and then a chemical fragrance, working through about two dozen fragrances applied to each batch of secretions.

Each batch of secretions and each fragrance was considered separately, and each fragrance was rated for its ability to conceal the smell of the underarm odour. The results appear online in The Flavour and Fragrance Journal.

When the armpit odour or the chemical fragrances were presented separately, there was little difference in the perceptions of men and women.

But when the chemicals were used to hide the smell of armpit secretions, sex differences were apparent. For men, 18 of the chemicals succeeded against female underarm odour, and 6 against male odour. But for women, only two worked against female odour, and none worked to hide male odour.

George Preti, the senior author and a member of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, suggested that these odours may be important to women in mate selection and reproduction.

“This study highlights how women receive biological odours even in the presence of fragrances meant to block them,” he said.

“Biological information is present in underarm secretions, even when you try to screen it out.” The New York Times

From TODAY, Health – Tuesday, 28-April-2009