During perimenopause, many women develop a heightened sense for smells that family members or co-workers may not notice. (I certainly did.) A woman may also become sensitized to smells emanating from her, other family members, an office space, or her household that were previously never noticed. Not surprisingly, along with all the changes that occur with the menopause transition, new odors may develop, including “old person smell.”
Sweat—ugh! Upon entering perimenopause, women may find they perspire more often than they used to, with hot flashes (67%) or without (31%). Sweat provides your skin bacteria with substrate to break down, causing odors. Perspiration smells stronger if you are dehydrated or have recently consumed certain flavored ingredients like garlic, onions, cumin, coriander seeds, fenugreek, curry powders, or asafetida.
There are two types of perspiration. Your body’s watery eccrine sweat typically dries quickly unless it’s excessive, humid outside, or trapped in unbreathable clothing or within skin folds. The somewhat oily apocrine sweat from your armpits, groin, and anogenital area does not evaporate quickly, and because it is confined, the bacteria have a decomposition field day. (These apocrine glands also generate a person’s unique pheromones.)
To diminish odors, stay hydrated, wear sweat-wicking fabrics, and dress with loose clothing in layers that are easily removed if you have a hot flash. Choose cotton or other natural products for clothing, pajamas, and bed sheets.
To further control odors, use soap or body wash to bind the oily secretions in those areas where the apocrine glands are: the armpits, groin grooves, rear privates, and maybe the face, upper chest, and upper back if those areas are still oily. Other skin folds prevent water from flushing away eccrine gland sweat and these may need careful washing and drying as well. Since soap contributes to skin dryness as well as kills beneficial surface bacteria, you may wish to just let water rinse off the remaining areas unless you have been working hard or playing in the dirt (gardener here).
Some older folks—men and women—develop a new odor as they age, colloquially known as “old people smell.” It’s real and you may have noticed this smell at your grandparents’ homes. Oily secretions containing omega-7 fatty acids are released onto certain skin areas where they are changed by enzymes into a compound called 2-nonenal. This chemical has a characteristic odor described as greasy, grassy, cucumber-like, mushroomy, or like stale beer. Apparently, your genetics determines if you will secrete these omega-7 fatty acids or not. It is unclear if diet or medical conditions play a role in creating 2-nonenal, but recommendations from various unscientific Internet sites suggest avoiding meat and dairy or becoming vegan to keep from having the smell. Whether these individuals originally had the odor and lost it with a vegan diet is not clear.
While 2-nonenal is not as unpleasant smelling as fermented sweat, it often accompanies that stinky odor yielding a scent I call “old goat.” Bathing with soap removes pungent surface sweat, but it is often not enough to remove the 2-nonenal which may require a special product. High concentrations of 2-nonenal are found behind the ears and the back of the neck and these areas should receive close attention in addition to the usual underarms, groin, genital regions, and other skinfolds.
“Old person” smell can impregnate clothing, linens, and upholstery. The 2-nonenal is difficult to launder out, but using high temperature water, longer wash times, and presoaking in products that use enzymes and/or benign bacteria to digest the molecule are recommended. Natural fabrics like cotton tend to release the smell more easily than synthetics like polyester. Of course, many sites just recommend laundry products that have a significant fragrance component, but they only mask odors, including 2-nonenal. Line drying outside in the fresh air may also help.
New or changing genital odors rank high on the list of concerns of menopausal women. As the menopause transition progresses with diminishing estrogen levels, the vaginal pH trends toward neutral and the beneficial bacterial composition in the vagina changes, leading to new smells from “down there.” The temptation is to douche, but this introduces irritating chemicals and fragrances to the vaginal vault. Using a vaginal moisturizer containing hyaluronic acid which adjusts the pH closer to the vagina’s usual acidity may help.
Urinary leakage complicates the genital odor profile, and urine may contain other smells depending on what was recently consumed. Most people notice a characteristic odor after eating asparagus, but perimenopausal women may start noticing other specific urine odors soon after ingestion of coffee, fish, and other foods.
A smelly genital odor is a reason to visit your gynecologist to make sure that there is no infection or other problem going on. Fecal incontinence is probably the most feared malodorous scent and another reason to seek medical attention.
To stave off genital odors, wear loose fitting pants and underwear made of cotton or other natural fabrics, bathe daily, and do Kegel exercises (to strengthen the pelvic floor which helps with bladder and bowel control). Again, stay hydrated. Using a bidet with toileting allows you to gently spray-clean your urogenital, perineal, and anal areas, thus reducing odors. These days, a bidet need not be a separate bathroom fixture as there are now bidet attachments available online that can be easily connected to your current toilet.
Another cavity that can produce horrible odors is the mouth. Bad breath, or halitosis, is the plague of relationships at home and in the office. The breath is influenced by diet (onions and garlic) and habits such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and frequency of toothbrushing. Good oral hygiene includes at least twice daily tooth brushing (with a soft or extra-soft brush) as well as daily flossing and tongue brushing (with your toothbrush). Dentists will tell you that flossing helps prevent gingivitis and this is true, but most people are not motivated by prevention. What dentists should say is that flossing removes bits of food debris from between the teeth that rot and cause “death breath.” Unfortunately, many people are tempted to cover bad breath with mouth wash which can be drying and harmful to one’s beneficial mouth bacteria. (Yes, that is a third area other than the gut that contains beneficial bacteria—the skin, the vagina, and now the mouth.)
If you take care of your mouth and you still have halitosis, a trip to your doctor is in order. Xerostomia, or dry mouth, is a common problem as one ages, especially menopausal women, and can be associated with certain medical conditions or specific medications. An ENT referral may be needed if you have associated ear, nose, throat, or sinus symptoms.
Taking proper care of your abode will also cut down on additional odors. You may notice them when you come home from a trip. Common stink-producers that are overlooked are garbage disposers that have retained food or scum on the underside of the flaps, dishwashers whose filters or air intakes are clogged, under-cabinet leaks, washers left with the door shut, damp towels and shower stalls in bathrooms with poor exhaust fans, mold in damp basements or attics, stinky shoes, tobacco smoke, and pet-related smells from food, unwashed fur, accidents, or litter pans.
Many people try to cover these odors with all types of sprays, plug-in air fresheners, essential oil diffusers, incense, and scented candles and I would argue that you may be poisoning yourself by breathing all those chemicals. While tackling an involved cleaning can be overwhelming, focusing on one part of a room, one pet-related issue, or one appliance every few days will help.
For pet smells, I recommend an unscented Internet-available product called Anti-Icky-Poo* which, while having a silly name, works well to remove all sorts of human and pet odors in laundry, bedding, and carpets—even stinky sneakers and yes, cat pee accidents! This product combines enzymatic and beneficial bacterial treatments that don’t cover up a stench, but truly denature the bad odor. I am not sure about its effect on 2-nonenal AKA “old person smell.”
A heightened sense of smell is a blessing and a curse. While this sensibility is well known, it is not well studied. It is also unclear whether this sensitivity to odors persists or fades as one progresses through the menopause transition.
Feel free to comment if your sense of smell has changed and what you noticed most. Other suggestions to deal with some of these odors are welcome, too.
*I have no financial or commercial interest in this product.
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