Stress or intense activity can cause people to sweat, but if this happens when you are sitting still and listening to classical music, it is likely that your body has a problem.
The reason some people sweat a lot while others don’t is still not fully explained. However, expert Harmik J. Soukiasian, chief of thoracic surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, shared some of his insights on the matter. Dr. Soukiasian also heads the Cedars-Sinai clinical team on hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating.
Video interview on TV by Heidi Mitchell (WSJ) about living with sweat.
Sweating is a natural process. “If it’s too hot, you sweat, and when the water evaporates, you feel cooler,” he said. Sweating also serves other functions. It helps hydrate the skin, helping to maintain the body’s fluid balance, though doing so removes electrolytes and salts. “You need to replenish your electrolytes and salts with something other than water if you’re exercising intensely or sweating a lot.”
Weaker people tend to sweat more than healthy people because the body has to work harder to cool down.
Previous studies have shown that weaker people tend to sweat more than healthy people because the body has to work harder to cool down, Dr. Soukiasian said. However, healthy people sweat earlier during comparable activities. That’s more than likely because people who are used to exercising have efficient organs. They begin to cool down as soon as their core body temperature rises.
Anxiety can put the body into survival mode, trigger the release of adrenaline, increase heart rate, and signal sweat glands to speed up. According to Dr. Soukiasian, emotional sweating is part of the “fight or flight” response and is normal. But “sweating while sitting in the chair listening to classical music is not normal”.
Many drugs, including insulin, antidepressants and even aspirin, have the side effect of making people sweat, says Dr. Soukiasian. Caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco can increase sweating, as they can increase heart rate and body temperature. Spicy foods, including capsaicin, a chemical found in chili peppers – can trigger brief bursts of sweat, but usually last only a few minutes and can be alleviated by drinking cold milk, ” because milk protein has a cleansing effect” that can dissolve the hot sensation in the mouth that causes sweating.
Obese people also seem to sweat more , although Dr. Soukiasian said there has been no reliable study explaining why. That could be because obese people have to work harder to carry heavier weights, or perhaps because their bodies are better insulated from the cold.
Sweat glands run throughout the body, but are concentrated in the palms, armpits, and soles of the feet.
Sweat glands run throughout the body, but are concentrated in the palms, armpits, and soles of the feet. Excessive sweating occurs when one of these glandular clusters is stimulated by even the slightest effects, such as a change in outdoor temperature, and these “taps” won’t stop flowing. . Experts aren’t entirely sure why this happens. This condition affects about 1% to 3% of the population. “I’ve seen students who couldn’t take the test because their palms were so sweaty that they smudged the exam paper,” he said.
First, Dr. Soukiasian advises healthy but sweaty people to wear loose, natural fibers and to use antiperspirants in sweaty areas like hands or feet. If the problem persists, the next step is to purchase an aluminum supplement as prescribed by a dermatologist. Aluminum destroys cells in the glands, thereby reducing sweat production. (It can also irritate sensitive skin.)
Botox , a numbing agent, is the last resort before you have to undergo surgery, and Dr. Soukiasian only recommends it after all other options have failed. .
While menopause or the flu can lead to excessive sweating, the condition is not usually associated with other common disorders, says Dr. Soukiasian. However, excessive sweating during sleep or in just one area of the body can be a symptom of a rare disease like tuberculosis, HIV, or lymphoma. “So if you sweat a lot at night or in specific areas, you should see a doctor.”
“Unless you sweat while you sleep or are embarrassed by sweating at work or exercise, your sweat levels are probably nothing to worry about.” Just shower and change clothes often.