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Bromhidrosis:
What Causes Foot Odor and How to Prevent It |
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Does a strange, unpleasant smell find its way to your nostrils seconds after your shoes come off? Do you notice others wrinkling their noses in disgust when confronted with your bare or shoeless feet? If taking off your shoes clears a room, you may be suffering from a condition known as bromhidrosis.
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| What Causes Bromhidrosis? |
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One of the top causes of bromhidrosis is excessive perspiration (hyperhidrosis) and moisture, which provides a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast. When sweat and cellular debris from the bacteria and yeast begin to break down, you’ll notice a fetid foot odor emanating from the direction of your feet – even when not engaged in strenuous activity.
Additional common causes of bromhidrosis include:
- Excessive anxiety
- Various skin conditions
The good news is that bromhidrosis is not dangerous to your health, though it does create an environment for the growth of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungus. Infections such as athlete’s foot or toenail fungus may soon follow, so take steps to keep bromhidrosis at bay.
As explained above, if you experience excessive foot perspiration year-round, you most likely have bromhidrosis. If, however, a particular health condition is causing your excessive sweating, you may also notice that you have sweaty palms, excessive perspiration under your arms and in your groin area.
In turn, bromhidrosis – in combination with hyperhidrosis – can indicate the presence of other more serious health conditions, so it is always good to discuss the problem with your physician.
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| Relieve and Prevent Bromhidrosis |
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The most important way to relieve bromhidrosis is to keep your feet clean and dry.
- Shower regularly with anti-bacterial soap.
- Use foot powders and sprays specifically designed to keep feet dry.
- Change your shoes and socks often.
- Rotate your shoes (especially athletic shoes).
- Use insoles that can be changed frequently to prevent the odor from staying in your shoe.
- Wear sandals during warm weather.
- Launder, disinfect or discard foul smelling shoes.
If bromhidrosis persists, and excessive sweating also becomes a problem in other areas of your body, please consult a physician.
Information on foot, leg and lower body health conditions provided by The Podiatry Institute, dedicated to advancing the standard of care in podiatric medicine and its effects on muscoskeletal health. |
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