Foot odor

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The smell of the feet (or foot odor ) is a kind of body odor that affects the human legs. This is often regarded as an unpleasant odor, but can also be a target of foot fetishism, more specifically as a form of olfactophilia.

Video Foot odor

Cause

The main cause is sweat legs (also see focal hyperhidrosis). Sweat itself does not smell; However, it creates a favorable environment for certain bacteria to grow, producing an odorless substance. These bacteria naturally exist in our skin as part of human flora (although more odor is created when closed shoes and socks are worn). The front of the foot is the place that most sweat. Therefore, more odors are made with factors that cause more sweating, such as wearing closed-toe shoes for hours. Socks generally do not cause foot odor on their own, but when worn with shoes, socks can help trap the hairs in the feet, especially on the toes, and can contribute to the odor intensity by adding an increased surface area where bacteria can thrive.

Given that socks directly touch the feet, their composition can affect foot odor. Polyester and nylon are common synthetic materials used to make socks, but generally provide less ventilation than cotton or wool when used for the same purpose. Wearing polyester or nylon socks can increase the amount of sweat because they do not allow the feet to breathe like cotton. This can increase foot odor, although polyester and nylon can help reduce blisters by keeping the sweat away from the feet. Many synthetic socks are treated with chemicals to help reduce odors.

Because the inside of the shoe is usually not or only rarely washed, and because socks also help absorb sweat from the feet, wearing shoe closed without socks increases the amount of sweat that accumulates in the shoe, allowing bacteria to grow over time. Bacterial growth is facilitated in this case because the closed-toe boots do not receive adequate air vents (especially in the foot area, where the feet produce the most sweat), so sweat can not evaporate while the shoe is in use, in addition to no socks for absorb sweat. Dead skin cells, dirt and oil can also accumulate in the shoes of the feet over time which can affect the odor in the shoe. If a closed shoe (such as a flat ballet or pump) should be worn without socks, the best prevention of foot odor is to take off the shoes for a moment, at least in part, whenever the legs begin to feel "hot" or sweaty, to allow the sweat to evaporate from the feet and shoes.

Maps Foot odor

Odor quality

The quality of foot odor is often reported as a smell like thick cheese. Some describe smells like malt vinegar. However, it can also be like ammonia. Brevibacteria is considered a major cause of foot odor because they ingest dead skin in the legs and, in the process, convert the methionine of amino acids into methanethiol, which is a colorless gas with a distinctive odor that has a sulfate of aroma. The dead skin that fueled the process was very common on the soles of the feet and between the toes. Brevibacteria also provide cheese such as Limburger, Bel Paese, Port Salut, PÃÆ'¡lpusztai, and Munster, their typical food.

Propionic acid (propanoic acid) is also present in many foot sweat samples. This acid is an amino acid-breaking product by Propionibacteria , which develops in the adolescent ducts and adult sebaceous glands. The similarity in the chemical structure between propionic acid and acetic acid, which is a colorless liquid that will share many physical characteristics such as odors, can cause foot odor that is identified as like vinegar. Isovaleric acid (3-methyl butanoic acid) is another source of foot odor and is the result of the action of the Staphylococcus epidermidis bacterium which is also present in some strong cheeses.

Other microorganisms involved include Micrococcaceae, Corynebacterium and Pityrosporum .

Bart Knols, from Wageningen Agricultural University, Netherlands, received the "IG Nobel Prize" award in 2006 for demonstrating that Anopheles gambiae female female mosquitoes "are attracted to the smell of Limburger cheese and the smell of human feet". Fredros Okumu, from the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, received a grant in 2009 and 2011 to develop mosquito and trap pullers to fight malaria. He uses a mixture of eight chemicals, which are four times more effective than real humans.

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Prevention

Sodium bicarbonate is used as an inexpensive home remedy for foot odor prevention. However, the extent to which antimicrobial effects in odor-causing bacteria are unclear. 10% household bleach solution in 90% water kills the odor-causing bacteria. Brushes can be used to clean between toes. Swabbing feet twice daily with isopropyl alcohol is another home remedy.

Some active powders and charcoal, such as the smell of eaters, have been developed with the aim of preventing foot odor by keeping the feet dry. Specialized cedarsoles and socks with silver fibers with antibacterial characteristics are available.

Bamboo fabric socks are naturally anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and moisture wicking, cutting the odor and subside the athlete's foot.

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See also

• Body odor
• Body odor and sexual attraction of unconscious humans
• Shoes
• Smelly socks

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References

Source of the article : Wikipedia