Why do Casts get Smelly?

Question

i have an arm cast now and its really smelly. i was wondering if anyone else ever had a smelly cast and if they knew why it smelled so bad

Answer 1

Your body perspiration and since you are unable to wash that area the smell gets into the cast.  

Answer 2

Casts do not breathe, they hold all the smell in..

Answer 3

The cast is made out of plaster and this material is porous, in other words it takes in moisture ie; your sweat and it absorbs it in the material and there is no place for it to escape. This is why it smells more as time passes.  

Answer 4

no fresh air.  Its the same principle as smelling under a Band-Aide, only bigger!

Answer 5

you cant wash the area where the cast is so the sweat builds up and makes it reek.

Answer 6

Does it smell like rotten meat and is there fluid leaking out of it? If so, you need to go to an MD.

Otherwise, if it's normal stinkiness, that's going to happen.  

Answer 7

It's all the sweat that is sticking to your cast & skin that makes it smell

Answer 8

Cats have their natural odour and don't "smell". You should never really need to bathe a cat unless he is a pedigree of the long-haired variety. Maybe you're a dog person?

Answer 9

skin doesn't breath

sweat builds up and smells

normal body odar builds up

moister build up

Answer 10

Its because you can't wash the skin underneath the cast, and when you sweat as you normally do, it all goes into the cast and there is no way to get rid of the sweat and dirt...

Just like your clothes get dirty and smelly when you wear them, and then you wast them, so does your cast, but you cant wash it....

Answer 11

Aww hun. You could go to the A&E department & explain about your smelly cast, perhaps if they aren't too busy there, they might change your cast for you.

Good Luck. I hope your arm gets better soon. X :-)

Answer 12

the dead skin under them, (thats also why you're itchy)

Answer 13

In this weather I guess it might have something to do with sweat?