Sweat why

Normal sweating Increased sweating hyperhidrosis Reduced sweating hypohidrosis Heat stroke and heat exhaustion Where to get help. Sweat is produced by glands in the deeper layer of the skin, the dermis. Sweat glands occur all over the body, but are most numerous on the forehead, the armpits, the palms and the soles of the feet. Sweat is mainly water, but it also contains some salts. Its main function is to control body temperature. As the water in the sweat evaporates, the surface of the skin cools.

An additional function of sweat is to help with gripping, by slightly moistening the palms. Normal sweating Normal, healthy sweating is caused by: hot temperatures, such as in summer physical exercise emotional stress eating hot or spicy foods fever associated with illness.

Increased sweating hyperhidrosis Excessive sweating is known as hyperhidrosis. Some known causes include: obesity hormonal changes associated with menopause hot flushes illnesses associated with fever, such as infection or malaria an overactive thyroid gland hyperthyroidism diabetes certain medications.

Treatment for excessive sweating Treatment for excessive sweating depends on the cause. Self-help strategies for hyperhidrosis Some strategies for managing hyperhidrosis at home include: Wear loose clothing.

Use antiperspirants that contain aluminium chloride and are designed for hyperhidrosis — follow the instructions carefully. While advertised mainly for use in the armpits, these agents can also be used on the palms, soles and forehead or wherever the hyperhidrosis occurs. Reduced sweating hypohidrosis Reduced sweating is called hypohidrosis if there is partial loss of sweating, or anhidrosis if there is complete lack of sweating. This can occur for a number of reasons, which include: some skin disorders burns to skin that damage the sweat glands underactive thyroid hypothyroidism dehydration prolonged excessive heat or exercise during hot weather.

Heat stroke and heat exhaustion Heat stroke or sun stroke can occur in hot weather when not enough sweat is produced to keep the body cool. Symptoms can include: muscle cramps headache nausea vomiting. Give feedback about this page. And when you reach puberty, special hormones affect the glands in your armpits — these glands make sweat that can really smell. Luckily, regular washing with soap and water can usually keep stinky sweat under control. Many teens and adults also find that wearing deodorant say: dee-OH-der-ent or antiperspirant say: an-tee-PUR-sper-ent helps.

So don't worry about a little sweat — it's totally normal and everybody sweats. Sometimes too much sweating can be a sign that there is something wrong in the body, but this is rare in kids. If you notice more sweat, it's usually just a sign that it's time to start using a deodorant or antiperspirant. But if you think you have a sweat problem, talk to your parent or your doctor about it. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.

Why Does Sweat Smell? It can happen with some cancers. Just like brushing your teeth, putting on deodorant is probably part of your every day getting-ready ritual. But shopping for personal care items can leave you feeling baffled by the body care aisle.

You might see some deodorant sticks labeled as only deodorants while others are antiperspirants. The difference is really quite basic. Deodorant does just that: keeps your odor at bay. Similarly, an antiperspirant does two jobs: it keeps odors at bay, and also keeps you from perspiring — thereby avoiding wet armpits and other areas during a stressful day. These products reduce your body odor caused by sweat and bacteria.

However, recent research has shown there is no definite link between aluminum and breast cancer. Discover why your body makes sweat, why some kinds smell worse and what happens when your sweat meets bacteria.

Discover when sweat signal a serious condition that needs prompt attention. Learn more about vaccine availability. Advertising Policy. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. Related Articles. Why Is Acne Worse in the Summer?