5 Body Odors You Should Never Ignore

Health

For most people, though, it only takes 12 grams of lactose—about 8 ounces of milk or a cup of ice cream—to set off unsettling symptoms, he says.

So if your gas or poop smells particularly pungent after you down some milk, you might want to check in with your doctor, says Dr. Ungaro. (If you’re passing wind more than usual, rule out these five other reasons you could be gassy first.)

He or she can diagnose the problem, or even rule out more concerning intestinal issues, like Crohn’s disease, as a culprit behind the stench. Then, your doctor can help you determine how much lactose you can take in per day without causing a problem. (You can also pop a Lactaid pill, which contains the lactase enzyme and allows you to digest dairy within 45 minutes, if you just must have a sundae, Aragon says.)

smellyurine

BODY ODOR: STRONG-SMELLING URINE IS A SYMPTOM OF A URINARY TRACT INFECTION

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can produce pungent, almost chemical-smelling urine, says Jamin Brahmbhatt, M.D., a urologist at Orlando Health. This happens after bacteria, most commonly E. coli, enters your urinary tract and urethra. Then, they multiply in your bladder, causing an infection.

UTIs are more frequent in women than men because their urethra—the channel that drains the bladder—is shorter. So men often ignore their smelly pee, since they figure they’re not at risk of one.

Not so: “Usually, men get infections if there’s something not allowing their bladder to drain” Dr. Brahmbhatt explains.

This means your UTI could be signaling a bigger problem, like kidney stones, diabetes, or an enlarged prostate gland, which can require surgery to treat, he says. So if you notice your pee smells funky, check in with your doctor, who will test your urine to see what’s up.

badbreathe apnea

BODY ODOR: BAD BREATH IS A SYMPTOM OF SLEEP APNEA

If your morning breath is consistently ripe—even if you brush your teeth regularly—you could be dealing with undiagnosed sleep apnea, a disorder that causes your breathing to sporadically stop and start while you sleep.

Sleep apnea can lead to excessive snoring, causing you to breathe through your mouth throughout the night. This can make your mouth very dry, which is a common cause of bad breath, says Raj Dasgupta, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California.

This allows bacteria to breed more readily—and when certain kinds multiply, they produce a sulfurous gas that can give your breath a rotten egg smell.

If you’ve ruled out other causes of bad breath, but still wake up with a smelly mouth and you suffer from daytime sleepiness and snoring, schedule an appointment with your doctor. It’s vital sleep apnea gets diagnosed quickly: The sleeping condition has been strongly associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, so treating it sooner than later can spare you of its long-term health effects, Dr. Dasgupta says.

Once you’re diagnosed, your sleep doctor can recommend a continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP), a mask that rests over your nose and mouth helps that helps keep your airways open while you snooze.