This article highlights various causes of underarm odor in children and their possible remedies for the problem.
Our body produces sweat in order to regulate body temperature. Sweat is produced by sweat glands located in various parts of the body, including the underarm. The sweat fluid is basically odorless in nature. However, when this fluid comes in contact with bacteria present on the skin surface, it produces odor. Underarm odor in children is not a very common occurrence as it is in adults. This is because sweat glands that are present in the underarm region are not fully developed in small children. Normally, it develops during puberty.
Bacteria: One of the most prevalent cause is the presence of bacteria in the armpit. Lack of personal hygiene allow the bacteria to flourish in damp and unclean armpits, and produce smell.
Hormone: As kids approach puberty stage, several bodily changes occur. During this time, this problem is quite common and is closely associated with increase in production of certain hormones inside their body. It is a common reason for odor in those children who are in between the age of 8 – 12 years. If it occurs before that, then it could be an indication that the child is approaching puberty at an early age than usual.
Foods: Consumption of certain foods that have strong smells, like garlic, onion can emit unpleasant smell from the armpit. Hormones present in meats and non-organic dairy products like milk can also trigger body smell.
Phenylketonuria (PKU): This is a genetic disorder where the child does not have a specific enzyme named phenylalanine hydroxylase, which is responsible for breaking down an essential amino acid present in protein foods. As a result, if the child eat protein foods, then the essential amino acid is not broken down and is excreted out through sweat, which causes the armpit to smell.
Diabetes: Kids suffering from juvenile diabetes may get an armpit stench, which is different from the usual body smell. It has a fruity smell. In this condition, the child’s body fails to digest carbohydrate and breaks down fat for energy. The end product of fat break down is a chemical named ketone, which is excreted through sweat and has a sweet smell.
Other Causes: Hyperhidrosis is one such condition where the sweat glands are overly active and produces excessive sweat. The exact cause behind this abnormal functioning of the sweat glands is not clearly known, but it can be triggered by anxiety and nervousness. Other factors that can contribute are metabolic disorder, low blood sugar level, side effects of medicines, etc.
- Maintaining a good personal hygiene is a must for kids. Your child should bath every day. While bathing, a good quality antibacterial soap should be used to clean up the bacteria from armpit area.
- Use of antiperspirants after bath can control the sweat to some extent. As kids have sensitive skin, you must be extra careful about selecting a suitable antiperspirant for them. A fragrant free antiperspirant is a better option.
- Children should wear loose fitting clothes made of natural fabrics. This will allow the skin to breathe properly, and thus prevent growth of unwanted bacteria.
- They should always wear washed clothes. If there is excessive armpit sweating, then they should change their clothes once or twice a day.
- A well-balanced diet is important to control the smell. This will minimize the toxins in the body that causes bad odor.
If all these remedies fail to show any results, then you must contact your pediatrician to ascertain the exact cause. To control excessive sweating (or hyperhidrosis), prescription antiperspirants or antibiotics are administered topically. Sometimes, doctors recommend elimination of certain kinds of foods from diet. In other cases, doctor treat the underlying condition to get rid of this problem.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.