Why do sweaty armpits smell?

The hot summer is hard to endure for many people, especially for those who are a little overweight. Summer is a very painful season and some people even don’t want to go out. Moreover, summer will bring people unpleasant odor. This is because the human body sweats more under the armpits and the unpleasant odor is difficult to dissipate, so it is easy to cause embarrassment. So why does armpit sweat smell?

Causes of underarm sweat and odor

There are many cases in which sweat from the armpits carries an odor. Human sweat glands have two types: one is small and distributed throughout the body, and its main function is to sweat and regulate body temperature; the other is larger, called apocrine glands, which are distributed in special areas such as the armpits and pubic area, with the most glands in the armpits. This is why people often sweat more under their armpits.

The apocrine glands in the armpits secrete some organic substances, which are decomposed by bacteria to produce unsaturated fatty acids, causing sour and smelly armpit sweat. After a little exercise in the summer, the apocrine glands secrete vigorously due to the influence of the endocrine glands, so a little odor will be produced at this time.

The average adult body has 3 to 4 million sweat glands, which produce 15 liters of fluid a day. Nearly 99% of the sweat is water, which helps the body dissipate heat and regulate body temperature. The human body's sweat is secreted through the apocrine sweat glands and the eccrine sweat glands. The armpits are home to the apocrine sweat glands. The apocrine sweat glands and the eccrine sweat glands have different structures, and the sweat they secrete and excrete also differs in composition and properties. The components of sweat secreted by the apocrine sweat glands include carbohydrates, proteins, pyruvate, iron, ammonia and lipids, while the components of sweat secreted by the eccrine sweat glands are almost all water except for a trace amount of salt. Therefore, controlling the secretion of underarm sweat glands can also prevent the deterioration of sugars and proteins caused by bacteria and the production of odor.

Generally, sweating under the armpits is a normal physiological phenomenon, but if you sweat too much, you should consider whether there is a problem with some part of your body function. Excessive sweating under the armpits is medically known as "localized hyperhidrosis", which often occurs in young and middle-aged people with greater emotional fluctuations. If a woman sweats a lot, it may be due to qi deficiency, which is often accompanied by shortness of breath, fatigue, and dizziness. If you find that your armpits are sweating abnormally, it is best to go to the hospital to check the cause and receive symptomatic treatment or conditioning based on the doctor's diagnosis.