Sweating (Normal Amounts): Causes, Adjustments, and ...

How to Manage Hyperhidrosis ... Sweating is a bodily function that helps regulate your body temperature. Also called perspiration, sweating is the release of a ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectShopSubscribeSkinSelfCareTipsNutritionSkinCareGuideDrySkinRemediesAcne101EczemaTypesPsoriasisBasicsSweating(NormalAmounts):Causes,Adjustments,andComplicationsMedicallyreviewedbyCynthiaCobb,DNP,APRN,WHNP-BC,FAANP—WrittenbyEricaRoth—UpdatedonJune21,2020HowitworksCausesLifestyleadjustmentsComplicationsTakeawayHowtoManageHyperhidrosisSweatingisabodilyfunctionthathelpsregulateyourbodytemperature.Alsocalledperspiration,sweatingisthereleaseofasalt-basedfluidfromyoursweatglands.Changesinyourbodytemperature,theoutsidetemperature,oryouremotionalstatecancausesweating.Themostcommonareasofsweatingonthebodyinclude:armpitsfacepalmsofthehandssolesofthefeetSweatinginnormalamountsisanessentialbodilyprocess.Notsweatingenoughandsweatingtoomuchcanbothcauseproblems.Theabsenceofsweatcanbedangerousbecauseyourriskofoverheatingincreases.Excessivesweatingmaybemorepsychologicallydamagingthanphysicallydamaging.HowsweatingworksYourbodyisequippedwithanaverageofthreemillionsweatglands.Therearetwotypesofsweatglands:eccrineandapocrine.EccrinesweatglandsTheeccrinesweatglandsarelocatedalloveryourbodyandproducealightweight,odorlesssweat.ApocrinesweatglandsTheapocrinesweatglandsareconcentratedinthehairfolliclesofthefollowingpartsofyourbody:scalparmpitsgroinTheseglandsreleaseaheavier,fat-ladensweatthatcarriesadistinctodor.Thesmell,referredtoasbodyodor,occurswhenapocrinesweatbreaksdownandmixeswiththebacteriaonyourskin.Yourautonomicnervoussystemcontrolsyoursweatingfunction.Thisisthepartofyournervoussystemthatfunctionsonitsown,withoutyourconsciouscontrol.Whentheweatherishotoryourbodytemperaturerisesduetoexerciseorfever,sweatisreleasedthroughductsinyourskin.Itmoistensthesurfaceofyourbodyandcoolsyoudownasitevaporates.Sweatismademostlyofwater,butabout1percentofsweatisacombinationofsaltandfat.CausesofsweatingSweatingisnormalandoccursregularlyinyourdailyliving.However,avarietyofcausescanstimulateincreasedsweating.HightemperatureElevatedbodyorenvironmentaltemperaturesaretheprimarycauseofincreasedsweating.EmotionsandstressThefollowingemotionsandconditionscanalsomakeyoubreakoutinaheavysweat:angerfearembarrassmentanxietyemotionalstressFoodsSweatingmaybearesponsetothefoodsyoueataswell.Thistypeofperspirationiscalledgustatorysweating.Itcanbeprovokedby:spicyfoodscaffeinateddrinks,includingsoda,coffee,andteaalcoholicbeveragesMedicationsandillnessSweatingmayalsobecausedbymedicationuseandcertainillnesses,suchas:cancerfeverandfever-reducingdrugsinfectionhypoglycemia(lowbloodsugarlevels)painkillers,includingmorphinesyntheticthyroidhormonescomplexregionalpainsyndrome(CRPS),arareformofchronicpainthatusuallyaffectsanarmorlegMenopauseThehormonalfluctuationsassociatedwithmenopausecanalsotriggersweating.Menopausalwomenoftenexperiencenightsweatsandsweatingduringhotflashes.LifestyleadjustmentsforsweatingAnormalamountofsweatinggenerallydoesn’trequiremedicaltreatment.Youcantakestepstomakeyourselfmorecomfortableandminimizeyoursweating:Wearseverallightlayersofclothingthatallowyourskintobreathe.Removelayersofclothingasyouheatup.Washdriedsweatoffofyourfaceandbodyforoptimumcomfort.Changeoutofsweatyclothingtoreducetheriskofbacterialoryeastinfections.Drinkwaterorsportsdrinkstoreplacefluidsandelectrolyteslostthroughsweating.Applyanunderarmantiperspirantordeodoranttoreduceodorandcontrolsweating.Removefoodsfromyourdietthatincreaseyoursweating.Ifillnessormedicationscauseuncomfortablesweating,talktoyourdoctoraboutalternativetreatments.ComplicationsofsweatingSweatingmayindicateamedicalproblemifitoccurswithothersymptoms.Letyourdoctorknowifyouexperiencetheseaswell:chestpaindizzinessshortnessofbreathcontinuedperspirationforanextendedperiodoftimewithoutcauseLosingweightfromexcessivesweatingisn’tnormalandshouldalsobecheckedbyadoctor.Thefollowingconditionsresultfromeitherexcessivesweatingortheabsenceofsweating.Consultyourhealthcareproviderifyoufeelthatyousweatmorethannormalorthatyoudon’tsweatatall:Hyperhidrosisisaconditionofexcessivesweatingfromthearmpits,hands,andfeet.Thisconditioncanbeembarrassingandmaypreventyoufromgoingaboutyourdailyroutines.Hypohidrosisistheabsenceofsweat.Sweatisyourbody’swayofreleasingexcessheat.Youcanbecomedehydratedandhaveahigher-than-normalriskforheatstrokeifyousufferfromhypohidrosis.ThetakeawaySweatingisanormalbodilyfunction.Beginningatpuberty,mostpeoplestarttouseantiperspirantstominimizesweatingandodor.Sweatingeithertoomuchortoolittlecanindicateamedicalproblem.Sweatinginconjunctionwithothersymptomsmayalsoindicateahealthcondition.Makelifestyleadjustmentstoaccommodateyoursweating.Ifthisisn’tenough,consultyourhealthcareprovider,especiallyifyoufeelyousweattoomuchornotatall.LastmedicallyreviewedonApril23,20182sourcescollapsedHealthlinehasstrictsourcingguidelinesandreliesonpeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicalassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.MayoClinicStaff.(2017).Sweatingandbodyodor.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sweating-and-body-odor/symptoms-causes/syc-20353895MayoClinicStaff.(2018).Anhidrosis.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anhidrosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20369400FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyCynthiaCobb,DNP,APRN,WHNP-BC,FAANP—WrittenbyEricaRoth—UpdatedonJune21,2020ReadthisnextSweatingDuringaWorkout:WhattoKnowMedicallyreviewedbyDanielBubnis,M.S.,NASM-CPT,NASELevelII-CSSSweatingisanormalandnaturalprocessthathelpsregulateyourbodytemperatureandcoolyoudown.Sweatingwhenyouworkoutcanhelppreventyou…READMOREWhatCouldBeCausingYoutoSweatSoEasily?MedicallyreviewedbyHarshilMatta,DOSweatingtooeasilycanaffectallaspectsofyourlife.Sometimesitmaybeduetoanunderlyingcondition,andothertimesthere'snodistinct…READMOREWhyIsMySweatSalty?TheScienceBehindSweatMedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHSweatingisyourbody’snaturalwayofcoolingdownanddetoxing.Sweatismadeupofwater,salt,andthousandsofothercomponentsthatcontribute…READMOREWhatCausesColdSweatsandWhatCanYouDoAboutIt?MedicallyreviewedbyElaineK.Luo,M.D.Coldsweatsareoftenassociatedwithyourbody's''fightorflight''response.Here'swhatmaybecausingyoursymptomsandhowtotreatthem.READMOREHyperhidrosisDisorder(ExcessiveSweating)MedicallyreviewedbyXixiLuo,MDHyperhidrosiscanbeuncomfortable.Learnwhatcausesit,andexploretreatmentoptionsthatcanproviderelief.READMOREEverythingYouShouldKnowAboutSolarUrticariaWhileit'srare,somepeoplehaveallergicreactionstothesun—aconditionknownassolarurticaria.Learnmoreaboutitscausesandtreatments.READMORE19oftheBestFaceExfoliatorsfor2022MedicallyreviewedbyBukkyAremu,APRNExfoliatorscanhelpsloughoffdeadskincells,makingyourskinlookbrighter.Hereare19ofthebestfaceexfoliatorsforallskintypes.READMORE17oftheBestFaceWashesforMenin2022Agoodfacewashcanworkwondersforyourskin.Herearethebestfacewashesformen,dependingonyourskintype.READMOREThe15BestNaturalDeodorantsof2022MedicallyreviewedbyDebraRoseWilson,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,IBCLC,AHN-BC,CHTNaturaldeodorantmaysoundlikeagreatidea,butmanydon'tgetthejobdone.Tryourpicksforthebestnaturaldeodorantstostayodor-free.READMOREHurleyStagesofHidradenitisSuppurativa(HS)MedicallyreviewedbyKevinMartinez,M.D.It’simportanttohavethecorrectdiagnosisoftheHurleystageofhidradenitissuppurativa(HS)sothatyouobtainthepropertreatment.Themore…READMORE