Why do I smell like vinegar when I sleep?

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asked Jul 17, 2023 in Other- Health by AmosJanes (8,680 points)
Why do I smell like vinegar when I sleep?

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answered Aug 24, 2023 by lightsensor (29,340 points)
Smelling like vinegar when you sleep is caused by a condition called trimethylaminuria which is a condition in which your body cannot break down trimethylamine, which is a chemical.

The blood's high acidity and a metabolite like acetone that are in your sweat is why you smell like vinegar when you sleep.

Sweat can also smell like vinegar because of diseases such as diabetes, trichomycosis, and kidney disease, or because of hormone changes, certain foods, or skin infections.

Sweat is released by sweat glands that are found throughout the body.

These are the eccrine, apocrine, and apoeccrine glands.

A person living with a health condition such as diabetes or kidney disease may also have sweat that smells like ammonia.

A person can try antiperspirants to reduce the amount they sweat, and deodorants to cover up any odors.

A doctor can treat any underlying health conditions to help reduce the ammonia smell in sweat.

Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) is an uncommon condition that causes an unpleasant, fishy smell.

It's also called "fish odor syndrome".

Sometimes it's caused by faulty genes that a person inherits from their parents, but this isn't always the case.

Some people have TMAU due to defective genes passed down from their parents that affect their metabolism.

Some illnesses and medications can cause trimethylaminuria.

TMAU may not seem like a major health problem, but people who have trimethylaminuria often struggle with psychological and social issues.

Some people with trimethylaminuria have a strong odor all the time, but most have a moderate smell that varies in intensity over time.

Other than the strong fishy odor, individuals with this condition typically appear healthy.

The condition seems to be more common in women than men, but scientists don't know why.

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