If you have diabetes, a change in body odor could be a sign of diabetes-related ketoacidosis. High ketone levels cause your blood to become acidic and your body odor to be fruity. In the case of liver or kidney disease, your odor may give off a bleach-like smell due to toxin buildup in your body.
Some people with diabetes compare the smell of insulin to the scent of Band-Aids, printer ink, Lysol, or new plastic shower curtain liners (4). Apparently, phenols are responsible for the aroma associated with insulin (5).
It's thought that the sugar present in the blood after eating junk food alters the make-up of perspiration in some people when it combines with bacteria on the skin, leading to changes in odor.
What Are the Symptoms of Maple Syrup Urine Disease? The most distinct and easily recognizable symptom of MSUD is the smell. Urine, sweat, and even the earwax of people with MSUD will often have a sweet smell similar to maple syrup or burnt sugar.
Diabetes has been associated with decreased olfactory sensitivity, as well as impaired olfactory discrimination and odour identification scores as compared with controls, using Sniffin' Sticks [7].
One of the most common changes in urine color associated with diabetes is a darker yellow color. This is because high blood sugar levels can cause your kidneys to work harder to filter out excess glucose, leading to more concentrated urine. In some cases, urine may even appear orange or brown.
Ketones exit the body via your breath, and some through your sweat. One of these ketones is known as acetone, he says. Yep, you read that right — acetone, the same stuff that's in nail polish remover. And, as you may remember from your nail art nights, acetone smells atrocious.
A person with uncontrolled diabetes may have blood glucose levels that are dangerously high. The body tries to get rid of the extra glucose in the urine, and this can cause a sweet smell.
Hyperglycemia and Diabetes
Fruity-smelling urine is sometimes the first sign of diabetes. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is common in people with undiagnosed diabetes or poorly controlled diabetes. High levels of sugar (glucose) in the urine can make it smell sweet or like fruity cereal.
The two B-vitamins that might have some connection to body odor are vitamin B-1 (thiamin) and the B vitamin choline, Jasonides tells Lucy. If taken in mega doses, thiamin is excreted not only in urine, but also through the skin, and this changes body odor.
If you have diabetes, a change in body odor could be a sign of diabetes-related ketoacidosis. High ketone levels cause your blood to become acidic and your body odor to be fruity. In the case of liver or kidney disease, your odor may give off a bleach-like smell due to toxin buildup in your body.
If you have diabetes insipidus, you'll continue to pee large amounts of watery (dilute), light-colored urine when normally you'd only pee a small amount of concentrated, dark yellow urine.
Body odor may be a sign of diabetes in some people. It happens when there is too much glucose in the blood. Diabetes is a long-term condition, meaning that there is no cure, but people can manage it.
People who have diabetes often have poor sleep habits, including difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Some people with diabetes get too much sleep, while others have problems getting enough sleep.
Symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes include extreme fatigue, frequent urination, excessive thirst or hunger, unintended weight loss, and blurred vision.
Trimethylaminuria is a disorder in which the body is unable to break down trimethylamine, a chemical compound that has a pungent odor. Trimethylamine has been described as smelling like rotten or decaying fish.
The process of breaking down fat for energy releases byproducts called ketones. Acetone is a type of ketone, and it is the same fruity-smelling substance found in some nail polish removers. If the breath of a person with diabetes smells of acetone, this suggests that there are high levels of ketones in their blood.
If your breath smells like acetone -- the same fruity scent as nail polish remover -- it may be a sign of high levels of ketones (acids your liver makes) in your blood. It's a problem mainly of type 1 diabetes but also can happen with type 2 if you get a serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
REASON: For extreme low-carbers: When ketones (the by-product of a body burning fat instead of carbs) become too elevated in the blood, they can release an alcohol-like odor.
Many people with diabetes will describe themselves as feeling tired, lethargic or fatigued at times. It could be a result of stress, hard work or a lack of a decent night's sleep but it could also be related to having too high or too low blood glucose levels.