Do people with really bad B.O. know they stink? (daily basis, depressed)

[lizzyst]

my husband's best friend did not use deodorant and claimed his body odor was not offensive. (It was!) He bathed (I assume) and thought that was all he needed. My husband finally told him, yes, you do need deodorant, too. I used to see him put his arm around his girlfriend and wonder how she could stand his BO. I could smell him just standing a few feet away.

Another time I worked in a shoe store and this very clean-looking, nicely-groomed, well-dressed young lady came in--but when she took her shoes off, she had eye-watering foot odor and I'm not exaggerating. It was all I could do not to draw back as a reflex. I can only assume she had a health problem or excessive foot perspiration.

[Osito]

I don't think they always do. It'd be nice if there were a tactful way to let people know without offending them or being the bad guy. If I stunk I would want someone to tell me lol.

[jm31828]

Someone mentioned the onion smell- I notice this a lot with people who must often eat spicy foods (or onions, I guess)- the smell comes directly from their breath, not oozing out of their pores- and I always wonder if they know they stink so badly? I am so sensitive to that, I can smell it on someone from a 5 or 6 foot radius, that terrible onion/spicy breath smell- how do these people not notice? If I have bad breath I can always notice it right away, do others not pay attention to their own smells? And how can they handle close relationships (if they ever need to get close, face to face with someone of the opposite sex- that person will be brought to tears with that smell!)

[Praline]

Years ago, I shared an office with a young lady who had inflammatory breast cancer - the lumps showed through her skin. She smelled bad because of her disease and although her doctor gave her antibiotics to control the odor, it was still pretty bad. The odor gave me a headache but there was nothing she or I could do about it. I sprayed Lysol in the morning and kept flowers on my desk but I felt nauseous every day from the smell of her. My point is, you never know if someone smells bad because of an illness so don't be so quick to assume they have poor hygiene habits.

[antinimby]

As for telling people about their body odor, I guess it all depends on each person and if you know them well or not. People will not react nicely to strangers telling them they smell whereas if a friend or relative told them, they'd probably be more receptive.

[southernnaturelover]

I met a woman once that was a cat hoarder, and she smelled like cat poop! Just standing next to her was like sticking your nose into a litter box. Anytime I see her now I keep my distance.

[jasper12]

I once went to work, no shower, worked all day, went to the gym, sweated like a race horse while training, and when I was done, I knew I smelled like a monkey.

So, yes, I think these people know. But it does not bother them.

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by d4g4m

Do people with really bad body odor know they are giving off a really offensive odor? Is there a polite way to tell them that they should practice better or more frequent personal hygiene?

I don't think they realize because they are used to the smell. I noticed I smelled bad one day and realized I had forgot to use deodorant. If I stopped using deodorant, I'm sure I would get used to the smell and not notice it.

A guy who I had gone through an Army training program with once came to visit me and stayed for a few days. He had a severe problem with body odor and I tried to casually mention it to him. He just laughed about it and didn't take it seriously. It seemed his idea of taking a shower was to rinse off without using soap. He would then splash some after shave on and he thought he was good to go. The smell was so bad that I couldn't ride in a car with him without keeping the windows down.

I've met a few guys over the years who have this problem. They all tend to be guys who don't care about their appearance. They would have greasy hair, wrinkled clothes, ties with stains, etc. I've seen guys who would wear the same dress shirt to work every day for a week or longer.

[Rubi3]

Originally Posted by armory

You obviously don't like Italian subs from a sandwich shop as you just described the smell. It doesn't stink, it has it's own unique quality. Have you ever smelled cumin? It's sort of the same thing. You would never eat chili again if you knew it was in there. Some cheeses are out there as well.

What I think is obvious is that you have no idea whether the odor I describe stinks or doesn't stink. You are clueless as to what I think stinks. How in any possible world would YOU know whether I would never eat chili again? I often see dumb conclusions in internet forums or anywhere else, but your post takes the cake as one of the silliest.

[Sedivec]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Where on earth do all you people find these stinky people? I can't remember the last time I noticed that anybody had an offensive body odor, but I sure encounter a lot of peopple who stink the place up with offensive after-shave or perfume, or practically gag from a room with a Glade plug-in.

This x 2. The hygiene/cleaning products I use are all unscented and as a result, I REALLY notice the perfumes present in enclosed spaces or on other people.

Fabric softener is the worst. Whenever I encounter someone whose clothes are doused in gallons of fabric softener, it's enough to make my throat constrict and my eyes water. Sometimes, it's so heavy that I can almost feel the greasy film of their fabric softener coating me just from being near them!

I'd rather be in an elevator with someone with B.O. than with someone whose B.O. is covered up with the overpowering, cloying stench of a Glade Plug-in.