What is Acid Sweat?

The fact that we produce sweat is completely normal for our body. In fact, sweat has several functions, the first of which certainly concerns its ability to cool the body when the body heats up excessively, for example when it’s very hot or when we play sports.

Another function of fundamental importance of sweat concerns its ability to expel toxins through the pores of the skin. Unfortunately, however, sweat can often have a very strong smell, also causing discomfort and embarrassment.

In fact, in some cases, not only can there be a greater production of sweat, from a quantitative point of view, but this sweat can also have a particularly acidic odor, especially when the so-called apocrine glands are involved .

Acid sweat, in medical jargon is also called bromidrosis, and this condition can also be linked to real pathologies, but we will deal with this later.

Various problems can emerge from acid sweating , especially from the social point of view of the individual who, emanating this pungent odor, may have difficulty relating to others. So let’s see what are the most common causes of this problem.

What are the most common causes of acid sweat?

The causes that underlie acid sweat, or bromidrosis, can be many and, among the most common, emerge above all those that concern our eating habits such as the following:

• Excessive intake of alcoholic beverages and drinks containing caffeine;
• Excessive intake of garlic;
• Excessive onion intake;
• Excessive intake of particularly spicy foods.

Furthermore, acid sweat can be connected to stressful situations and, as we have already mentioned in the previous paragraph, it can be connected to the presence of some pathologies , for example those mentioned below:

• Diabetes mellitus;
• Liver failure;
• A condition of obesity;
• A renal failure;
• Brucellosis.

Even the presence of any infections, both bacterial and fungal in nature, play an important role in the appearance of acid sweat as they are able to trigger particular epidermal reactions which therefore cause acid sweating.

>> Read also: Excessive Underarm Sweating: the remedies that work! 

Last but not least, acid sweat can also be encouraged by taking particular drugs, such as antidepressants.

How can we solve the acid sweat problem?

In the event that acid sweating occurs under normal conditions, it is not necessary to resort to specific medical treatments, but it would be sufficient to follow some precautions such as those shown in the following list:

• Pay attention to your personal hygiene;
• Always wear clean clothes, preferably made of cotton or, in any case, made with natural fibers;
• Use antiperspirant deodorants, but be careful as they could cause particular skin irritations;
• Use mild cleansers to wash your armpits;
• Avoid particularly stressful situations and try to relax.

Finally, if sweating is particularly abundant, you can also use the appropriate underarm pads , it will seem absurd to you but we assure you that they will work, just apply them directly on the shirt and you’re done.

If, on the other hand, your acid sweating depends on any pathological conditions, it would be advisable to contact your doctor to solve the problem directly from the root, curing the disease.

For example, if you are a particularly emotional person and suffer from pathological anxiety, your doctor may deem it necessary to prescribe anxiolytics to improve your general state of health.

The same applies to all other pathological conditions, remember, however, to always and only follow the instructions of your doctor as, only the specialist, after having made a thorough assessment of the situation, will know which is the most appropriate treatment for your case .

Are there any natural remedies for acid sweat?

If the cause of acid sweat concerns your eating habits or is simply a physiological reaction of your body, without pathological causes, you can also resort to natural remedies that aim to reduce the uncomfortable olfactory symptoms.

First of all, if the problem is of a food nature, it would be advisable to make changes to your diet, eliminating foods that can cause acid sweat (such as garlic, onion, coffee, alcohol).

To reduce the acidity of sweat you can evaluate the following natural remedies:

• You can prepare an infusion of sage , famous for its antibacterial properties, and apply it directly on the areas of interest (for example on the armpits);
• Choose a deodorant based on eucalyptus or mint or lavender or tea tree oil: but be careful because some can be irritating to your skin. So always test a small area;
• Baking soda can be applied under the armpit to eliminate and prevent bad smells, if you prefer you can also add a few drops of lemon to the baking soda ;
• Use potassium alum: it’s a kind of stone that is used as if it were a deodorant simply by using it on wet skin;
• Prepare a mint leaves boil and add the solution to the water you will use to wash yourself to prevent bad smells.

These are just some of the most popular and most effective natural remedies to reduce acid sweating, but there are plenty of them on the web, even the most bizarre.

How can we prevent acid sweat?

Finally, we can act against acid sweat with prevention. First of all, remember to take care of your body, especially the quality and quantity of your personal hygiene. Don’t forget to use mild cleansers suited to your skin type.

Furthermore, do not always wear the same clothes, especially if they are particularly dirty as you would only favor the bad smell and no one will want to have anything to do with you.

Always carrying disinfectant wipes in your bag or car would be useful to be able to use them in situations where it is impossible for us to wash or, in any case, use water.

Finally, remember to always use a specific deodorant for your skin type and your perspiration, possibly one of those deodorants that last throughout the day.