Why sweating is important for people

What you always wanted to know about sweating

07/10/2013

Sweating is a natural function to regulate body temperature. For this, the human body has two to three million sweat glands under the skin. The autonomic nervous system, which works unconsciously, is responsible for the sweating mechanism. No wonder, then, that many people sweat intensely, especially in stressful situations when the autonomic nervous system is irritated.

Sweating fulfills many functions in the human body
Sweating is a natural process that performs various functions. On the one hand, excess heat is released during sweating and the temperature is regulated. On the other hand, sweat has a signal effect via the sense of smell. In addition, it contains sexual fragrances, called pheromones, which play an important role in sexual arousal and reproduction. The sweat also ensures the preservation of the acid mantle of the skin by lipids contribute to the hydration of the skin.

A healthy adult loses up to three liters of sweat daily. If more secretions are formed, the amount is too large to evaporate. Then the sweat collects in clothes or drips off. Even at rest, the person sweats, but with about 100 to 200 milliliters per day much less than with physical activity. The amount of sweat that is produced under the armpits, unlike widely assumed, is very low. It accounts for less than one percent of the total amount of welding.

All in all, men sweat more and faster than women because they have a larger skin surface and consequently more sweat glands and a higher metabolic rate. Evolution also plays a role in this context. Thus, people who live at the equator and are therefore exposed to high temperatures, have more sweat glands than people in cool regions.

The diet also influences sweat production. Above all, very spicy and spicy food triggers veritable sweating attacks in many people, which are particularly noticeable in the face, on the scalp and neck by welding beads. Trigger of the sweat attacks is the so-called capsaicin, which stimulates the sensors in the mouth, which are responsible for the regulation of heat and sweating.

Many athletes also know the phenomenon that they sweat faster and more sweat than untrained people. This is because the sweat glands learn to sweat specifically during physical activity. Sporty people are less likely to suffer from uncontrolled sweats.

When sweating is pathological
Around 13 million people in industrialized countries suffer from pathological sweating. In so-called hyperhidrosis, the body forms significantly more sweat even when at rest than in healthy people. According to the German Dermatological Society, the formation of at least 100 milligrams of sweat within five minutes in an armpit is considered pathological. Hyperhidrosis occurs in different degrees of severity. For example, in some individuals, increased sweating occurs only on the hands, soles, or armpits. In other people, the entire body is affected by sweating attacks.

In addition to the unpleasant physical symptoms, the resulting mental stress is severely restrictive for many patients. Shaking hands can already be a problem when shaking hands. The wet spots on the T-shirt also feel a lot of embarrassing. Often this even leads to the extent that those affected are so ashamed that they do not even entrust their family doctor. There are various therapies and medications that can relieve the symptoms.

If the entire body affected by pathological sweating, the treatment is usually with so-called antihidrotic or psychotropic drugs in tablet form. If the pathological sweating occurs only on specific parts of the body such as the hands and soles of the feet, other, less stressful therapies come into question. Usually, the first remedy is a treatment with antiperspirants from the pharmacy, which often contain aluminum chloride. Before going to bed, the preparation is painted on the affected parts of the body. After a week, the application can be gradually reduced.

Another option is iontophoresis for the treatment of pathological sweating of the hands and soles, in which pulsating direct current in a water bath should reduce sweat production. The use of chemical denervation with botulinum toxin (Botox), which is injected into the affected skin, can also inhibit perspiration. As a last resort, it is possible to surgically remove the sweat glands. (Ag)