Why Does My Sweat Smell Like Ammonia
February 10, 2020 | Blog
Throughout the average day there will be a variety of times that you will be brought to the production of sweat on your body, whether it be from exercise, spicy food, an illness, or even from a lack of air flow within an indoor environment – the sweat will start to commence and pour out of your body’s sweat glands. However, have you recently noticed that your sweat has taken on a different odor than the normal B.O. smell that usually is emitted out from your body’s pores? Sweat that is created and emitted from the human body can be impacted by many factors that will allow for the odor of these chemical compounds to take on a different aroma such as ammonia smell.
When it comes to the production of sweat on the human body, there can be many misconceptions that people are unaware of, especially when it comes to the odors that are created by supposed “sweat”. Sweat, however, does not contain an odor, rather the “sweat” smell is created by bacteria that breaks down sweat on the body’s surface. Ammonia is a nitrogen that is found in sweat due to amino acids, the building blocks of protein. This chemical odor can sometimes be a strong scent in your sweat, which can lead to major concerns and questions of what the causes are behind this ammonia smelling sweat and how you can remove this odor from clothing fabrics that may have become contaminated.
In this article we are going to learn more about why does sweat smell like ammonia, the causes behind ammonia production in the body, and how to get rid of ammonia body odor in clothes.
What Does Sweat Smell Like
As we discussed previously, sweat itself is a virtually odorless body secretion that will not take on any odor when emitted from the human body. Contrary to the belief of many people, the smell that is formed by sweat is the result of bacteria that the sweat is breaking down on a person’s skin when the sweat comes into contact with these substances on a surface. According to Medical News Today, the presence of sweat will lead to the rapid multiplication of bacteria which will be broken down and emit the unpleasant smell that we associate with sweat.
When it comes to what sweat smells like the odors can be influenced by an individual’s health, diet, weight, and even from medication that a person takes consistently. The smell that an individual’s sweat takes on after it is released from the body will contain clues as to the health of a person, particularly. The most common smells of sweat that people experience will include salty sweat smell, vinegar smelling sweat, fruity sweat, bleach sweat, and even ammonia smelling sweat.
Why Do I Smell Ammonia When I Sweat
If you have begun to notice that your sweat has taken on an ammonia odor when it is emitted from your body, you may be wondering as to why this is occurring? One of the most common reasons behind why ammonia smelling sweat is secreted from the skin is due to the overabundance of nitrogen present in the human body. The body relies on the kidneys to process the excess nitrogen production that is formed in the human body. When the kidneys process this nitrogen it will create urea, which will then be released through urine.
So, you may be asking “why does my sweat smell like ammonia?”, and the reason for this can be the production of too much nitrogen that the kidneys can’t process it all. This excess nitrogen production of ammonia will then be secreted out of the body by sweat. This ammonia smelling sweat will become noticeable when a large amount of sweat is released from the body either during physical activity or exercise.
What Does Ammonia Smell Like
When it comes to the aroma that is found with the emission of ammonia gases it can most commonly be described as a very sharp odor. The odor of ammonia is familiar to most people because the ammonia is used in many products that we use on a daily basis such as salts, household cleaners, and specifically glass and window cleaners that are used in a home. When this odor is emitted into the air it can be a strong, irritating one that can easily be smelled when it reaches levels higher than 5 ppm in the air. Therefore, when the human body emits ammonia in sweat, especially in elevated levels, it can produce quite a strong odor which will lead to the concerns from the individual that the ammonia sweat is produced from.
What Causes Ammonia in the Body
The causes behind ammonia production in the body can be due to various different factors such as the creation of nitrogen in the human body that will turn into ammonia. The issue with this is that it can cause a reaction in the kidneys that will lead to the secretion of ammonia from this organ in the body that will spill over to sweat that is released from sweat glands. Ammonia, however, originates in the body as a waste product that is made by your body during the digestion of protein. In some individuals their body won’t be able to process or eliminate ammonia, which will allow it to build up in the bloodstream and when a high level of ammonia accumulates in the body it can lead to significant health effects, according to Medicine Plus.
There have been other factors in the body that have also been said to increase ammonia production in the body such as during ketosis. If an individual’s body is experiencing either of these functions, it can potentially lead to the buildup of ammonia in the body which will be released either through sweat or urine.
Sweat Smells Like Ammonia Ketosis
Have you recently heard of the new diet fad called the Ketogenic diet (or keto diet)? This popular diet has swept the nation, as many people are taking on this diet formula in an effort to reach their weight loss goals. The keto diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet that is designed to help a person reach ketosis in their body. While undergoing this diet you may pick up on a distinctive odor from your breathing which has been labeled “keto breath”. Keto breath will produce a distinct taste or odor in the mouth that is different from bad breath, and that is described as a metallic taste. This breath may be caused by ammonia that is created in the body when your body is breaking down protein. Additionally, the ammonia production can be released through sweat that the body releases during physical activity or exertion.
Night Sweat Smells Like Ammonia
Night sweats are something that many people will experience, from menopausal women to those suffering from infections, cancer, or neurological conditions. No matter who you are or the root cause behind why the night sweats are occurring, if your sweat begins to take on an odor that is unlike your usual sweat smell than you may have a cause for concern. The smell of your sweat can be a result of numerous factors occurring in the body such as medication you are taking, diet, health, and even more sources that will leave your sweat smelling a little funky. However, what is the reason behind why night sweats smell like ammonia?
The human body uses carbohydrates as fuel, this is often why you hear that people bulk up on eating carbs prior to a marathon. However, when the body runs out of carbohydrates to break down as fuel it will have to dip into the protein storage in the body as added energy. The body’s protein is composed of amino acids that are broken down and create a byproduct of ammonia. When ammonia is created as a byproduct from protein destruction the ammonia will be released through sweat, including from night sweats.
How to Get Rid of Ammonia Body Odor in Clothes
The smell of sweat is an already unpleasant odor that can stick to and bind to the fibers of your clothing, making your wash cycle that much harder to deodorize. Whether it be in the armpit area of your shirts, near the collar where sweat accumulates, or even in pants near the waist band, the odors produced from sweat are bound to leave an impressionable aroma on these materials. However, what happens when you sweat starts to turn into the distinct aroma of ammonia, leaving this odor stuck on the fabrics of your clothes? What is the best way on how to get rid of ammonia smell on clothing?
As we have discussed previously, there are some instances in which an individual will produce ammonia in their sweat which will spill out and contaminate clothing with this distinctive odor on the material’s fibers. The best solution to utilize when it comes to removing sweat odors and ammonia body odor stench that has compromised clothing garments is the use of a laundry additive for chemical and odor neutralization, like the OdorKlenz Laundry Additive. OdorKlenz is a revolutionary technology that works unlike other laundry care products that utilize chemical agents and mask agents to help to remove or mask the odors stuck on clothing fibers. The proprietary OdorKlenz technology consists of safe, nontoxic earth minerals that will work to capture, contain, and neutralize noxious and toxic chemicals and odors, like sweat odors and ammonia odor, from the material of clothing. Simply place the OdorKlenz Laundry Additive into a regular wash load with unscented detergent, placing the wash load on a warm water, high agitation setting to accomplish an effective odor neutralization on the first wash.
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