Reasons Your Hands Smell, and How to Stop The Stink

So why do your hands smell bad, and how can you get rid of the stench? Here are six common hand odor causes and what to do about them.

1. You Touched Something Stinky

Fix it: Contact odors typically go away on their own, but you might be able to speed up the process by rubbing your hands with a stainless steel object (like a fork, spoon or faucet) or odor-absorbing bar like the Amco Rub-A-Way Bar ($7.60, Amazon.com), Dr. Chacon says.

Though studies haven't looked closely at stainless steel's de-smelling powers, it's thought that lingering odors are transferred away from the skin when they bind to the steel's molecules.

3. You Started a New Medication

Started a new prescription? Certain medications can cause you to sweat more heavily, which could potentially translate to more noticeable odor (think: skunk or foot-like) on your hands, according to an older but still-cited review in the 2008 issue of Drug Safety. These meds include:

  • Cholinesterase inhibitors used to treat Alzheimer's and dementia, including Aricept, Exelon and Razadyne
  • Opioids used to treat pain, such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) often used to treat depression and anxiety, including Lexapro, Prozac and Zoloft
  • Tricyclic antidepressants used to treat conditions including depression and OCD, such as Elavil, Norpramin and Pamelor

4. You're a Heavy Sweater

If your palms seem perpetually plagued by smelly sweat or clamminess, you could have bromhidrosis. The disorder, characterized by excessive sweating, can cause hands or other parts of the body to have an unpleasant odor when the sweat mixes with naturally occurring bacteria on the skin, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).

Fix it: Bromhidrosis isn't caused by poor hygiene, but not washing often enough can make the problem worse. If the problem seems to affect your hands in particular, frequent sudsing with an antibacterial soap may be helpful, the NLM notes.

You can also manage the sweating by using an antiperspirant on your palms, according to the International Hyperhidrosis Society. In more severe cases, treatments like iontophoresis (a procedure that sends mild electric currents through the skin's surface to reduce sweating) or Botox injections can also help. These would be prescribed by a dermatologist.

5. You Have Nail Fungus

Noticing a foot-like smell...on your hands? If the funk seems to linger around your nails in particular, you could be dealing with nail fungus, or what doctors call onychomycosis. "Oftentimes it smells like rotten cheese," Dr. Chacon says.

Nail fungus is more likely to strike in the toenails, but it can affect fingernails too. In addition to that foul smell, fungus-stricken nails might appear thick, yellow or whitish, brittle or crumbly or have a distorted shape, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Fix it: In some cases an over-the-counter nail antifungal treatment can effectively fight the fungus, though it can take months to see results. Stubborn fungal infections might need prescription topical or oral antifungal drugs, the Mayo Clinic notes. See a dermatologist, who can determine the best course of treatment for you.

6. You Have a Certain Health Condition

Certain health problems can cause the entire body, including the hands, to give off an unusual odor. A sweet, fruity smell could be a sign of undiagnosed or poorly managed diabetes, while a bleach-like odor may indicate that a person has liver or kidney disease, Dr. Chacon says.

If you notice that your body and hands are emitting a foul, pungent odor — think: rotting fish or garbage — you could be dealing with trimethylaminuria, a metabolic disorder that occurs when the body is unable to break down trimethylamine, a smelly chemical compound found in certain foods. When the trimethylamine builds up in the body, it can start to be emitted through a person's sweat, urine or breath, according to the NLM.

Fix it: If you suspect a medical condition is behind your smelly hands, see your doctor, who can make a diagnosis and create a treatment plan.

There's no cure for trimethylaminuria, but the smell can be managed by making dietary changes and/or taking vitamin B12, probiotic supplements, antibiotics or activated charcoal, notes the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.

When to Call Your Doctor

An unpleasant smell on your hands that sticks around for a day or two likely isn't cause for concern, especially if you touched or ate something with a strong odor.

But if you're dealing with hand or body odor that you can't explain or that doesn't seem to be easing up, call your doctor. The intense smell could be a sign of an underlying medical condition that needs to be addressed, Dr. Chacon says.

Read more on: livestrong