Compassion for body odour

So many readers have had compassion for the painful, embarrassed and “mercilessly teased” 33-year-old man with persistent body odour that they keep posting suggestions. Here are more:

Reader No. 1: He might have a genetic medical problem commonly called fish odour syndrome (trimethylaminuria).

It’s caused by an inability to break down trimethylamine in the liver. A change in diet will help — but he should first get tested for it by a doctor. Reader No.2: Check out as soon as possible whether anyone in your family has the same problem, for more clues to its origin. Reader No. 3: Make sure that all the clothes next to your skin (shirts, pants, caps, underwear, pyjamas, housecoats, scarves, socks, etc.) are 100 per cent cotton, no synthetics.

Cotton socks should be thick enough to be very absorbent. Wash and dry all clothes after one day’s use — no second-day wearing without laundering them first.

Take an extra full set of clothes to work, including socks, and change into them halfway through your workday.

Look for suitable work shoes that are washable, and launder frequently. Look for frequently washable sweaters, jackets and even outer coats.

Your bed linens should be cotton or one of the newer “airy” materials that keep your body from sweating while you sleep.