The smell of sweat can indicate dangerous kidney disease

sweat usually develops when we play sports or when we are generally very warm. Fresh sweat doesn’t smell either. Only after some time do odor-forming bacteria collect there, which are responsible for the unpleasant note. Every person smells a little differently. But one nuance should set off alarm bells.

A smell of sweat indicates kidney failure

In fact, a certain note of sweat can actually indicate problems with the kidneys. In the advanced stage, this circumstance can be fatal. When the kidneys are not working properly, some of the urea and other metabolic products are removed from the kidneys through the skin. The result is an unpleasant smell of ammonia or urine on the sticky skin film of the affected person.

There are also other symptoms that indicate the critical situation of the kidneys. According to the Leipzig University Hospital, these include:

  • loss of appetite
  • Vomit
  • Fluid retention in the legs
  • weight gain
  • shortness of breath

So not only does your sweat smell strange, but one or more of these symptoms are added, it is time to see a doctor urgently.

Body odor indicator of several diseases

But not only a weak kidney can be guessed through the sweat. In fact, an unpleasant body odor can also indicate other diseases. Including the following (via Focus):

  • Liver: Here, too, a pungent smell of ammonia is noticeable. The sweat or the skin in general reminds of the smell of hair dye or strong cleaning agents.
  • Thyroid: When the thyroid isn’t working properly, your metabolism slows down at a snail’s pace. Acids accumulate in the body and are carried away through sweat. The result is a vinegar-like body odor.

But not only the sweat, but also the breath shows how the body is doing. With tonsillitis, the breath smells strangely sweet, even the flu has a specific smell. The air here is usually a bit musty. If the gastric mucosa is inflamed, a sweetish, musty fruit smell climbs up the throat and into the mouth.

Source: Focus, Leipzig University Hospital

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