Odaban Blog
Why Do We Sweat?
Every person strives to develop themselves and to significantly improve their individual quality of life. Excessive sweating is more than just an annoying problem in this regard, as it often severely restricts personal freedom. People who suffer from this issue often withdraw because no one likes to endure the pitying looks of others. Home remedies like sage tea or alternating baths usually only show short-term or even no effect at all. Causes of Sweating Sweat production is basically a natural protective function of the body that is meant to prevent overheating of the organism. Another cause of the sometimes intense activity of the sweat glands can be stressful situations. The so-called cold sweat runs down your back. This is a reflex that occurs in special stress situations. A chemical process in the body is responsible for us sweating particularly heavily in these situations. Blood sugar rises, cortisol is released, which leads to an adrenaline rush. This reflex was often vital in the Stone Age because it sharpens the senses, releases energy, and causes us to start sweating. Stone Age humans could thus escape the impending danger. Today, the reflex is rather annoying. The high adrenaline level in the blood causes the skin to be less supplied with blood and to cool down. Sweat can only poorly evaporate on cool skin, which is why it is also called cold sweat. We cannot suppress the reflex, but we can contain the negative symptoms. Some people tend to carry the stress of the day into their sleep and therefore suffer particularly from sweating outbreaks at night. The cause is often the stress of the day, which is broken down during sleep. It becomes very unpleasant when you wake up in the middle of the night and find yourself in sweat-soaked sheets. Restless sleep stresses the body additionally, and it can also become a real problem for the partner.People who suffer from excessive sweat production are often caught in a vicious circle. The stress factor they are exposed to rises immeasurably because the fear of sweating triggers stress again, which in turn leads to sweating outbreaks. Relaxation techniques and meditation only help to a limited extent. To escape this vicious circle, a reliable and fast-acting remedy against sweating is necessary. Furthermore, there are also life phases in which it is quite normal to sweat more. The menopause in women is just one example. In this phase, which is part of every woman's life, the hormonal change in the body causes sometimes excessive sweat production. So-called hot flashes are the result. The sweating outbreaks cannot be controlled and therefore often lead to very unpleasant situations, especially the face is often affected. Most women are relieved after the body's adjustment phase, and the sweat glands return to their normal activity. Nevertheless, there are also some women for whom this unfortunately does not apply. Sweat production does not completely reduce again. To lead a carefree, active life and maintain youthful quality of life, an effective remedy against sweating is advisable.
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Causes and reasons for excessive sweating
The human body has about 3 million so-called eccrine sweat glands, which are responsible for temperature regulation and thus protect the body from overheating. They are located at the junction of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. But how exactly does temperature regulation work? It’s quite simple. The wet sweat that emerges from the pores evaporates on our skin, creating a cooling effect. This is also known as evaporative cooling. Sweating is therefore a vital process. Even during energy production, when nutrients are burned, so much heat is generated that the body temperature inside the body would actually have to rise by about one degree per hour. Heat, physical exertion, and excitement can further increase body temperature. To prevent all these factors from causing the body to overheat, the body produces sweat – our natural and bodily cooling agent. However, some people’s sweat glands produce unnecessarily large amounts of this cooling agent. They sweat continuously and extremely heavily, even without being exposed to particular physical exertion, for example. The actual causes and reasons for excessive sweating are diverse and often difficult to identify. Excessive sweating from unknown causes For reasons not yet clarified, some people’s sweat glands produce sweat more frequently than is actually necessary for temperature regulation and energy production. It is suspected that an overfunction of the sweat glands or an overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls sweat gland production, is the underlying cause. Those affected often sweat in attacks and up to several times a day. The sweating attacks are usually limited to certain body regions, such as the armpits, soles of the feet, back, scalp, or forehead. For some people, even slight stimuli are enough to make the body start sweating. For others, sweating occurs suddenly and without a prior trigger. The intensity of sweating also varies significantly: the disorder ranges from beads of sweat on the forehead and dark sweat stains under the armpits to actual streams of sweat. Those affected are usually only troubled by the unpleasant sweating attacks during the day. At night, however, they often have no complaints. Stress as a trigger for excessive sweating Stress and emotional strain are considered one of the main causes of excessive sweating. In a milder form, almost everyone knows this phenomenon: when you are tense, excited, or nervous, the body can start to sweat. Damp, shaky hands and a few small beads of sweat at the hairline are a completely normal reaction of the body to a stressful situation. If someone is under constant pressure, this can also affect sweating. Many people who are under chronic stress complain of sudden sweating attacks, even at night. The psyche plays a decisive role in this context. Chronic stress negatively affects mental well-being and can lead to depressive moods, sleep disorders, and nervousness, among other things. Due to the psychological strain, the body consequently releases more stress hormones, which in turn give the command to produce sweat. Hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause In addition, hormonally induced changes can also be a reason for increased sweating. During pregnancy or menopause, excessive sweating is therefore not uncommon. Especially during menopause, many women complain of sudden sweating attacks and increased sweating. It is assumed that the cause lies in the declining estrogen levels. This disrupts the hormonal balance and the body’s temperature regulation works inaccurately: the brain sends a cooling signal even though it is not actually necessary. Excessive sweating can also occur during pregnancy. Here too, hormonal changes in the body play a decisive role. The female body now has to supply not just one person but two sufficiently with nutrients. The result: the blood circulation is stimulated and body temperature rises. To compensate for the temperature increase and protect the body from overheating, sweat production is increased. Those who feel uncomfortable can counteract this with light clothing made of natural fibers and a conscious, balanced diet – but fundamentally, this is a completely normal bodily reaction. Unhealthy lifestyle Besides the causes just mentioned, lifestyle often plays a major role. To counteract excessive sweating, one should first take a close look at their own lifestyle. Do I move enough? Do I exercise? Do I eat healthily? Do I have too much stress? All these are factors that can influence sweat production. Often, it is spicy foods, too much coffee, or alcohol that rev up sweat production. Overweight is also a common cause because the extra pounds make even small movements difficult, so the body reacts even to minor exertion. However, if someone sweats excessively despite a healthy lifestyle or notices a change, they can seek advice from a general practitioner or dermatologist.
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