FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

READER NEEDS TO TRY NEW BRAND OF DEODORANT

Question: My teacher pulled me aside and told me that I need to try a different deodorant. She said, "I know you are a clean person, but something is wrong."

I bathe every day. I have tried different soaps, powders and deodorants. I still sweat under my arms like crazy. Do I have something wrong with me?

Answer: Human skin contains many sweat glands that participate in the important job of keeping our internal organs within a very narrow temperature range. The temperature of the environment or the degree of our physical activity can vary greatly, but our internal organs will stay at a temperature that allows for efficient metabolism. This relatively stable metabolism rate is an advantage we share with all other warm-blooded creatures.

The body produces from one to three pints of sweat each day as part of this efficient temperature regulation process. Wow! That is a lot of sweat gland activity. This seems rather incredible to most of us because we aren't constantly wringing wet with perspiration. None the less, these figures are accurate. A significant amount of perspiration occurs as "insensible" sweating sweat which evaporates from the skin before there is enough present at any one time to form obvious drops. Heavier sweat production, as occurs when exercising vigorously in a warm environment or when under emotional stress, is what most of us think of when we hear the word "sweat."

All sweat is not the same. The majority of skin areas make sweat that is primarily a blend of water and a small amount of salt. The glands located in the skin of the underarms, genitals and around the areola of the breast produce sweat that, in addition to water and salt, also contain debris from cells of the sweat glands. It is this more specialized sweat that, when broken down by the bacteria that live on the skin, produce the distinctively human aroma which is often called body odor. These special glands are identified by the medical label "apocrine sweat glands."

Apocrine sweat glands participate in sweating to control body temperature, but they are particularly active in sweating as a response to emotional stress. So, I am confident that there is nothing wrong with you. You are a normal human who exists in a stressful environment school.

Body odor can be controlled, at least for a time, by reducing or eliminating sweat production, or by preventing the bacterial action that converts sweat into objectionable aromas. Regular bathing with an antibacterial soap is the first step in controlling odor. As you take your daily bath, you should pay particular attention to thoroughly washing the areas with apocrine sweat glands. This reduces the number of bacteria present on the skin, and thereby, reduces their ability to transform perspiration into body odor.

Antiperspirants are chemicals that reduce the flow from sweat glands. In other words, they reduce underarm wetness. Commercial deodorants may or may not contain antiperspirant chemicals. However, they all do have chemicals that prevent bacterial action on sweat.

All deodorants and antiperspirants are not equally effective. Obviously, you haven't found one that works well for you. Try a different brand that uses another active ingredient. Don't be surprised if you need to try several brands and, therefore, several different active ingredients before you settle on the one you want to use regularly.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.