Why smell like fish

Let your doctor know if you experience any of these symptoms. Vaginitis is inflammation or an infection of the vagina. It is most commonly caused by a bacterial infection, but can also be caused by a yeast infection or a sexually transmitted infection STI called trichomoniasis. A fishy odor is a common symptom.

Bacterial vaginosis is an imbalance or overgrowth of bacterium in the vagina. Having penile-vaginal intercourse with a new partner is usually the cause.

Douching or other hormonal changes, such as pregnancy and menopause can result in bacterial vaginosis. Trichomoniasis is an STI caused by a parasite spread through sexual contact that can cause a foul or fishy smelling odor. A UTI may cause foul or strong-smelling urine. You may also experience burning, itching, or pain. Your menstrual cycle may cause different odors. A stronger or fishy odor may be caused by an infection or from a forgotten tampon.

Let your doctor know if you are concerned. Vaginal sweating due to exercise, heat, or other reasons is normal and can occasionally have an odor.

If you notice a foul odor when you sweat, let your doctor know. If you are experiencing symptoms of vaginitis or are concerned about your vaginal odor, see your OB-GYN. They also may take a sample of the discharge for lab testing.

They can also perform a pH test. This tests the vaginal discharge for an elevated pH. An elevated pH may mean you have a bacterial infection. But your doctor will need to assess your other symptoms, plus review your medical and sexual history to confirm the diagnosis.

Your doctor may perform a pelvic exam and send samples to a lab, if needed. If you test positive for a bacterial infection, your doctor will give you a prescription for antibiotics. A commonly prescribed antibiotic for vaginitis is metronidazole Flagyl tablets or a cream or gel such as clindamycin Cleocin that you apply to your vagina. In order to maintain fluid balance, ocean creatures must fill their cells with amino acids and amines to counter the saltiness of seawater.

Ocean fish tend to rely on trimethylamine oxide TMAO for this purpose. This smell can be reduced in two ways. TMA on the surface of the fish can be rinsed off with tap water. Treating the fish with acidic ingredients such as lemon, vinegar, or tomato can also cause TMA to bind to water and become less volatile. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

Is there any way to prevent bacterial vaginosis and fishy vaginal odor? Korin is a former New Yorker who now lives at the beach. She received a double B. Korin has been published in Read more.

Carolyn covers all things health and nutrition at SELF. Her definition of wellness includes lots of yoga, coffee, cats, meditation, self help books, and kitchen experiments with mixed results. Topics vaginal health sexually transmitted infections sexual health pelvic inflammatory disease infections. Sign up for our SELF Daily Wellness newsletter All the best health and wellness advice, tips, tricks, and intel, delivered to your inbox every day.

Trimethylaminuria symptoms can be present from birth, but they may not start until later in life, often around puberty. The only symptom is an unpleasant smell, typically of rotting fish — although it can be described as smelling like other things — that can affect the:. They can check for more common causes, such as body odour , gum disease , a urinary tract infection or bacterial vaginosis.

Tell your GP if you think it might be trimethylaminuria. It's an uncommon condition and they may not have heard of it. In trimethylaminuria, the body is unable to turn a strong-smelling chemical called trimethylamine — produced in the gut when bacteria break down certain foods — into a different chemical that doesn't smell. Many people with trimethylaminuria inherit a faulty version of a gene called FMO3 from both their parents.

This means they have 2 copies of the faulty gene. The parents themselves might only have 1 copy of the faulty gene.