mojatu .com
36 Health & Food
Sweating (Normal Amounts): Causes,
Adjustments, & Complications
Sweating is a bodily function that helps regulate
your body temperature. Also called perspiration,
sweating is the release of a salt-based fluid from
your sweat glands.
Changes in your body temperature,
the outside temperature, or
your emotional state can cause
sweating. The most common areas
of sweating on the body include:
•
•
•
•
armpits
face
palms of the hands
soles of the feet
Sweating in normal amounts is an
essential bodily process.
Not sweating enough and
sweating too much can both
cause problems. The absence of
sweat can be dangerous because
your risk of overheating increases.
Excessive sweating may be more
psychologically damaging than
physically damaging.
How sweating works
Your body is equipped with an
average of three million sweat
glands. There are two types of
sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine.
Eccrine sweat glands
The eccrine sweat glands are
located all over your body and
produce a lightweight, odorless
sweat.
Apocrine sweat glands
The apocrine sweat glands are
concentrated in the hair follicles of
the following parts of your body:
•
•
•
scalp
armpits
groin
These glands release a heavier, fat-
laden sweat that carries a distinct
odor. The smell, referred to as body
odor, occurs when apocrine sweat
breaks down and mixes with the
bacteria on your skin.
Your autonomic nervous system
controls your sweating function.
This is the part of your nervous
system that functions on its own,
without your conscious control.
When the weather is hot or your
body temperature rises due to
exercise or fever, sweat is released
through ducts in your skin. It
moistens the surface of your
body and cools you down as it
evaporates.
Sweat is made mostly of water,
but about 1 percent of sweat is a
combination of salt and fat.
Causes of sweating
Sweating is normal and occurs
regularly in your daily living.
However, a variety of causes can
stimulate increased sweating.
High temperature
Elevated body or environmental
temperatures are the primary
cause of increased sweating.
Emotions and stress
The following emotions and
conditions can also make you break
out in a heavy sweat:
•
•
•
•
•
anger
fear
embarrassment
anxiety
emotional stress
Foods
Sweating may be a response to the
foods you eat as well. This type of
perspiration is called gustatory
sweating. It can be provoked by:
• spicy foods
• caffeinated drinks, including
soda, coffee, and tea
• alcoholic beverages
Medications and illness
Sweating may also be caused
by medication use and certain
illnesses, such as:
•
•
•
•
cancer
fever and fever-reducing drugs
infection
hypoglycemia (low blood
sugar levels)
• painkillers, including
morphine
• synthetic thyroid hormones
• complex regional pain
syndrome (CRPS), a rare form
of chronic pain that usually
affects an arm or leg
Menopause
The
hormonal
fluctuations
associated with menopause can
also trigger sweating. Menopausal
women often experience night
sweats and sweating during hot
flashes.
Lifestyle
sweating
adjustments
for
A normal amount of sweating
generally doesn’t require medical
treatment. You can take steps to
make yourself more comfortable
and minimize your sweating:
• Wear several light layers of
clothing that allow your skin to
breathe.
• Remove layers of clothing as
you heat up.
• Wash dried sweat off of your