How Can Disease Be Detected by Smell?

28. října 2025

2 min čtení

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Some doctors claim they can identify diseases by body smell. Today, scientists are close to inventing an "artificial nose"—a device for identifying a disease by body scent and discharges.

Klíčové poznatky

Some doctors claim they can identify diseases by body smell.
What does your sweat say about you?
What does your breath say about you?

Pro koho je tento článek

Pro ty, kteří zkoumají Healthy lifestyle prostřednictvím odor, women health.

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Autor článku

Dr. Asya

Scientific Advisor

As a biochemist, she has expertise in developing and implementing new methods of assessing fatty acids in the blood. She also studies the processes occurring in the human body, and works to help people stay healthy and defeat old age.

Odborník na zdraví

What does your sweat say about you?

There are periods in life when even a healthy person sweats heavier than usual. For example, excessive sweating during puberty is caused by hormonal changes. But in other periods of life, the acute smell of sweat should serve as a warning sign:

Body scent resembling the smell of fleece can be a sign of hyperfunction of adrenal glands.

If the body smells like acetone, it can show diabetes. It might be a sign of liver problems, endocrine disorders, carbohydrate deficiency, or a viral or bacterial infection.

Is the smell of acetone accompanied by insomnia or drowsiness, fatigue, and bad appetite? If so, the problem is likely in the thyroid.

The vinegar-like smell of sweat shows endocrine problems, contagious diseases, mastopathy, or a deficit of vitamins B, D, and iodine. When accompanied by cough, raised body temperature, and fatigue, it can signal developing tuberculosis.

The characteristic smell of urine is one of the symptoms of kidney dysfunction with manifestations of uremia.

Sweet, honey-like body scent can indicate the presence of such dangerous infections as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It causes diseases of respiratory pathways, otitis, contributes to abscesses and purulent wounds, and can also cause meningitis.

What does your breath say about you?

80 % of cases of bad breath are caused by problems in the oral cavity, 10 % are related to ENT disorders, and 10 % are associated with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, diabetes, cancer, and other disorders.

The sweet acetone smell similar to that of fermented apples is a common symptom of ketoacidosis, which can signal the presence of diabetes. The smell of acetone sometimes appears in people on a low-carb diet.

Breath with a musty or sweet odor can be a sign of liver failure. The smell of ammonia is a symptom of liver or kidney dysfunction.

If the exhaled air smells like sulfur or rotten cabbage, it can be a sign of the presence of bacteria, which causes diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

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