Subject: Re: HEALTH-UN COMFORTABLE-BODY ODOUR
Answered By: kevinmd-ga on 05 Apr 2003 20:24 PST
Rated:
Hello - thanks for asking your question.
You are concerned about body odor and problems with gas.
Let me address the issue of body odor.
The cause depends on what the odor smells like. Body odor can be
caused by breakdown of bacteria. From MayoHealth.com:
"Apocrine glands, on the other hand, secrete a fatty sweat directly
into the tubule of the gland. When you're under emotional stress, the
wall of the tubule contracts and the sweat is pushed to the surface of
your skin where bacteria begin breaking it down. Most often, it's the
bacterial breakdown of apocrine sweat that causes a strong odor.
A number of factors can affect how much you sweat and even the way
your sweat smells. Certain foods, drugs or medical conditions can
cause excessive sweating, whereas drugs or conditions may interfere
with your ability to perspire normally."
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00305
At times, people have body odor that smells like feces. In this
physician-moderated question and answer forum, a physician discusses
causes and treatment for feces-smelling body odor:
"Q: Why do I have a fecal body odor?
A: There are several causes of fecal body odor. The most common cause
is constipation. When a person is constipated the walls of the colon
are generally packed or lined with accumulated feces from extended
periods of intestinal overloading. When wastes from the blood arrive
at the inner wall of the colon, the hardened feces prevent their
passage through this wall. Since blood circulates through every organ
in body, toxins in the blood contaminate the entire body. However, you
have already tried enemas without success.
Other causes may be anatomic considerations. Examples include rectal
prolapse, weakness of the anal sphincter or decreased rectal
compliance.
A flexible sigmoidoscopy can be considered to inspect the distal colon
and anus. Other tests you may want to discuss with your personal
physician include an endorectal ultrasound to evaluate for structural
abnormalities or anorectal manometry to evaluate for anal sphincter
dysfunction.
Some studies have shown that intake of vitamin K can control fecal
body odor."
http://www.medhelp.org/perl6/gastro/...es/35559a.html
You may want to try vitamin K as discussed above. You mentioned that
you had a colonoscopy - tests for anatomic abnormalities (i.e. rectal
prolapse) may also be considered.
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=186462
