Sweating

We often hear a lot of people say that they sweat excessively - but of course we all sweat more! This happens especially when we are hot or anxious though excessive sweating may be partly caused by genes. Sweating is necessary to us though because it is one of the ways we can regulate our body temperature and we rely on the evaporation to protect us against a hot environment. Unlike most other animals which rely on insulation or panting, we sweat, also to keep our skin moist. In fact, sweat even from some areas of the body contains scents or ‘pheromones’ that send secret signals to other people and according to New Scientist magazine (10 November 2001), it also contains a natural antibiotic, dermicidin, to destroy bacteria on the skin.

So if you think you sweat excessively, don’t be bothered too much by it. Healthy people really sweat especially when you are in a strenuous exercise, hot weather or you are simply having nervousness, anxiety or stress. Each person has about 3-4 million sweat glands so you have a lot in there. Even at rest in a cool environment, a normal person still loses about half a liter of sweat in a day because the sweat glands are capable of producing 12 liters of sweat in 24 hours. However, men sweat more than women because of body size (New Scientist 1 June 2002).

But if you are really alarmed of your sweating, we can also validate this because other people may have sweating as a symptom of known medical conditions. These include an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), gout, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, lymphoma, hypoglycemia, parasites, metabolic dysfunction, a nerve damage due to diabetes (autonomic dysfunction) or spinal cord injuries, liver disease or vitiligo. It can also be the result of some psychiatric disorders such as stress, panic attacks or anxiety disorders or perhaps from hot flashes associated with menopause.

To reduce your sweating and body odor bathe daily to keep the number of bacteria on your skin in check. Afterwards, dry yourself thoroughly because microorganisms thrive in the damp spaces. With foot odor you should choose shoes and socks that are made of natural materials to help prevent sweaty feet by allowing your feet to breathe. Also rotate your shoes and try not to wear the same pair two days in a row. And during the day, air your feet. In fact, go barefoot when you can, or at least slip out of your shoes now and then.

As for your clothes, choose natural-fiber clothing such as cotton, wool and silk for your skin to breathe. However, when you exercise, you can try high-tech fabrics that wick moisture away from your skin. Also try relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation or biofeedback to help you learn to control stress that triggers perspiration. Further more, change your diet because some foods or beverages cause you to sweat more than usual like caffeinated drinks as well as foods with strong odors.

Complications associated with too much or too little sweating can be annoying or life-threatening. Common complications of excessive sweating include fungal nail infections where your nail may separate from the nail bed, and the skin around it may become red and swollen along with a slight odor. Athlete's foot is that unmistakable foot smell, which occurs when sweat and bacteria mix. A Jock itch is a fungal infection which causes an itching or burning sensation around your groin and is mildly contagious and can spread by contact or shared towels. Some bacterial infections and warts result form excessive sweating, especially around hair follicles or between your toes. Heat rash or prickly heat occurs when the pores around the sweat glands become blocked and sweat becomes trapped under your skin, causing fine red spots or bumps.

On the other hand, when you don't perspire enough to cool your body, the results can be serious too as this would include heat exhaustion which can occur suddenly. This is often caused by excessive exercise and inadequate fluid intake where signs and symptoms include faintness, nausea, a rapid heartbeat, ashen appearance and dry skin. You can also have a Heatstroke which can occur when you work or exercise strenuously in hot weather and don't drink enough. Its main signs and symptoms are a high temperature, hot and dry skin, and confusion or even coma. You can make an affordable home remedy if you have sweaty hands or feet. You can boil five tea bags in a quart of water for five to ten minutes. When the solution cools already, you can then soak your hands or feet for twenty to thirty minutes nightly. Make this a part of your ritual for tea contains tannic acid, which is also found in commercial products like Zilactol, and Zilactin. The astringent properties of the tannic acid are can be responsible for its antiperspirant action against your sweaty glands.

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Sweating