If a person's vagina has an unusually strong and unpleasant smell, like onions, it may be a sign of an infection. Other possible causes include certain foods, a forgotten tampon, and hygiene practices. The body naturally produces a discharge that keeps the vagina healthy and free of harmful bacteria and irritants.
One of the by-products of their metabolism is a group of sulphur-containing chemicals called thioalcohols. The exact thioalcohols produced will depend on your unique menagerie of skin bacteria, but some thioalcohols do indeed smell strongly of onion.
Bromhidrosis is a disease that occurs when the bacteria on your skin breaks down sweat and produces an abnormally offensive smell similar to onions or sulfur. Bromhidrosis body odor is more pungent and persistent than ordinary B.O. There are two types of bromhidrosis: apocrine and eccrine.
The researchers also discovered why women's sweat smelled like onions: The female sweat had ten times the level of an odorless sulfur-containing compound than men.
Finally, speaking of your vaginal biome, yeast infections can occasionally cause your vagina to smell like onions. This is rare, though, and is almost always accompanied by discharge and itching or burning.
BV is responsible for the fishy smell most commonly associated with unpleasant vaginal odors. The fishy smell may be especially strong after sex. Another common symptom to look out for with BV is a gray or grayish-white discharge.
Cause: Acne lesions are filled with dead white blood cells that feed the bacterial infestation. Because most of these bacteria are anaerobic, they produce their own sulfur compounds as they grow. These sulfur-containing compounds can cause a pungent smell of garlic or onions when you pop the acne.
Vaginal odor can change from day to day during the menstrual cycle. An odor might be especially noticeable right after having sex. Sweating also can cause a vaginal odor. Bacterial vaginosis is an overgrowth of bacteria typically present in the vagina.
In most cases, vaginal scents are very normal, and odor alone is not a symptom of a problem. The vagina and the area around it (groin skin, vulvar, etc.) contain healthy bacteria that are a part of our microbiome and include sweat glands. These can produce an odor that varies for each person.
A person can reduce vaginal sweating by wearing breathable underwear and avoiding tight-fitting clothing. Practicing good vaginal hygiene can help prevent bacterial and yeast infections. Avoiding douches, antiperspirants, and scented pads and panty liners can help maintain a healthy vagina.
Lemon juice works to remove onion smell due to its acid level. This is why vinegar is also a solution, as well as tomato juice, celery juice, mustard, and rubbing alcohol.
Fluid changes
Some people may notice watery discharge or a vaginal odor during menopause. This is due to the vagina's changing acidity level — also known as pH — following a decline in estrogen levels.
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) is an uncommon condition that causes an unpleasant, fishy smell. It's also called "fish odour syndrome". Sometimes it's caused by faulty genes that a person inherits from their parents, but this isn't always the case. There's currently no cure, but there are things that can help.
There may be an odor, such as a strong fish-like odor, especially after sex. Yeast infections produce a thick, white discharge from the vagina that can look like cottage cheese. The discharge can be watery and often has no smell. Yeast infections usually cause the vagina and vulva to become itchy and red.
In fact, everyone's vaginal discharge has a slightly different smell, and that's completely normal, according to Minkin. On the other hand, a more persistent onion-like smell that lasts multiple days could be a sign you have bacterial vaginosis, an infection that occurs when too much "bad" bacteria grows in the vagina.
If you have a fishy vaginal odor due to chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis, these STDs are easily curable with prescription antibiotics.
'The vagina has a natural bacterial flora that's there to keep a good balance,' explains Dr Rosén. It's because of this natural bacteria that the cervical mucus in the vagina always has a smell. You may also experience changes throughout your menstrual cycle as the pH balance in your vagina changes.
Should a healthy vagina have any smell at all? Normal vaginal discharge has a mild, musky scent that is not unpleasant. This means that a slight smell is normal. Any foul (bad) or strong smell, or a smell that is unusual, is a sign that things are out of balance, and that you should get yourself checked out.