The Diabetes Scent Story - Olfactory Signals of Metabolic Health
Alas! Out of another pack of breath mints? This may be the time to consider things from a different angle. Bad breath or overpowering body odor may result from poor hygiene, but not always! Medical science has found a strong correlation between body odor and elevated blood sugar levels. The stinking smell can be a warning to get your blood sugar checked, or if you already have diabetes, it signals you to reconsider your methods for managing the condition. This blog seeks to unravel the mysteries surrounding strong body odor and the health indicators it may provide.
1. Sugar Spike and Everything (Not) Nice
You understand perfectly well how having diabetes causes you to alter your lifestyle drastically. Regular exercise, timely medication, and, worst of all - sugar restriction can prove to be a serious killjoy for you, especially when you have a sweet tooth! It is common to go off track with the demands sometimes. However, regular mishaps signal poor management of your diabetes, which raises your blood sugar to dangerously high levels. One such sign of high blood sugar is unusual body odors, particularly in your breath!
2. Diabetic Odor: Red Alert
After you have identified the unpleasant smell your body emits, it is time to learn why. Your foul-smelling body odor is caused by diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially deadly side effect of diabetes. When your body does not have enough insulin to effectively utilize the glucose in your blood as energy, ketoacidosis sets in. To make up for this energy deficit, the liver breaks down fat to produce fuel. Ketone bodies, the byproduct of fat breakdown, when produced in excess, make the blood acidic. Sweat and breath - both act as means to release ketones from the body, which causes these offensive odors.
3. What Is That Smell?
Ketone bodies are not just limited to diabetes. There are other causes for it too. I am sure, by now, you are curious about what ketones smell like. It can not really be that awful, can it? Here is your answer. Diabetes-related foul breath typically has a fruity fragrance. It may smell like rotting apples or pear drops. Some people might compare this smell to nail polish remover or acetone. An ammonia-like odor is emitted in people with chronic kidney failure. These unpleasant odors serve as great markers that lead you straight to the underlying illness.
4. Other Less Serious Causes
If you have diabetes, you could experience frequent dry mouth. This is due to inadequate salivary secretion in diabetics. Having a dry mouth can result in a plethora of oral conditions - bad breath being one of them. An additional point to consider is that individuals with diabetes also have high blood glucose levels, which is reflected in their saliva, too! Saliva that is rich in sugar can result in poor dental hygiene, which in turn can cause bad breath.
Being a diabetic comes with a hefty price to pay. But the catch is you can always bring it within your budget if you genuinely strive for a healthier you every day! Keeping your blood sugar level in check and making lifestyle adjustments are the only two parameters that can reap boundless benefits to your diabetic health.
