Body Odor & Menopause

Hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, and hair loss are all parts of the life changing phase of menopause. One of the more embarrassing symptoms of menopause is body odor. With the changes in hormonal balance, some women experience varying degrees of body odor.

Menopause

• Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether.

Causes of Menopausal Body Odor

• Small bacteria known as anaerobic bacteria are known to cause of body odor. When a woman's body is going through menopause, a buildup of anaerobic bacteria occurs because the body is not receiving enough oxygen and goes into overdrive to rid the body of toxins.

Symptoms

• Some symptoms of menopausal body odor are foot odor, sweaty and smelly hands, bad breath and armpit odor.

Treatment

• Typical treatments include changing diet to include items rich in magnesium and zinc, regular bathing, using steam baths and saunas, and wearing loose fitting clothes. Alternative medicines and herbal supplements may also be used to control body odor.

Complications

• Other than the embarrassment of the body odor, there are typically no other known complications or serious health consequences.