The Ultimate Guide to Sweating: Is It a Good Thing? – Expert Analysis and Tips

On a hot day, you will sweat a lot even if you move even a little. Some people sweat heavily and lightly; some sweat less; some people sweat profusely and emit a strong body odor; Sweating is a normal physiological phenomenon in the human body it can regulate body temperature, remove waste from the body, consume calories and release water to lose weight.

Normally, “not sweating” is not a good thing. Does sweating so easily mean health? It turns out that various sweat spots hide the warning signs of disease; however, sweat itself can be divided into “good sweat” and “bad sweat”. Known as “Dr. Sweat”, a Japanese medical doctor who specializes in sweating syndromes will analyze the doubts about sweat with everyone.

Sweating protects the brain

Sweating is a very important physiological phenomenon for humans. The main function of sweat is to prevent the body temperature from rising due to the heat of vaporization during evaporation and to keep it constant. Thermoregulation is about protecting cells and organs in the body, especially the brain, from the effects of high temperatures. Because the brain is very sensitive to heat, when you feel hot, your body sweats to regulate your body temperature and prevent overheating and damage to your brain.

There is a difference between good and bad sweat

When a person is born, there are about 5 million sweat glands in the body, but not all sweat glands are really “active”. For the Japanese, the average number of sweat glands that produce sweat is about 2.3 million In other words, more than half of the sweat glands are dormant.

Sweat comes from the blood. Sweat glands have an important filtering function, expelling excess salt, minerals and other waste from the body at the same time, sweat is reabsorbed by the body to prevent excessive absorption of nutrients. Theoretically, if the sweat glands perform their filtering function effectively, most of the rest of the blood is water.

On the other hand, if the filtration function of the sweat glands is not good, thick and sticky “bad sweat” is produced, which is the result of the remaining plasma components in the blood. This type of sweat is not helpful for heat prevention because it is difficult to evaporate and reduce body temperature. In addition, “bad sweat” makes it easier for bacteria to breed, causing odor to appear immediately after sweating.

Come up with a “good sweat” to train sweat glands

Sweat is sticky and thick, indicating abnormal function of the skin’s sweat glands. Sweat glands must be used regularly so that they do not lose their function. If you often stay in an air-conditioned room because you don’t want to sweat, or if you rarely sweat due to lack of exercise, the activity of your sweat glands will quickly decline.

In order not to hinder the development of sweat glands, it is important to allow them to work properly and sweat. By performing “sweat gland training”, weakened sweat glands can be partially restored. The procedure is to pour hot water 42 to 43°C into the bathtub and just soak the elbows and knees for about 15 minutes. In this case, you should sweat within about 5 minutes, and then rely on the fan to clean the sweat and lower your body temperature naturally. Again every day, the activity of the sweat glands gradually increases, making it easier to produce “good sweat”.

The smell of sweat and the condition of sweat are “barometers” of health

Men have more sweat glands than women, and male hormones activate the secretion of sebaceous glands, making sweating more difficult for men. In addition, men over 40 tend to have an “old man smell” when they sweat. These are called “metabolic odors” and indicate that cholesterol in the body may be oxidized, increasing the risk of lifestyle-related diseases. So, if you often have body odor, you need to something is wrong with your body.

Sweating condition

In addition, different areas of sweating also show warning signs of different diseases. For example:

1. Only sweats on the face:Hormonal changes in women during menopause lead to autonomic nervous system disorders, leading to hot flashes and profuse sweating on the face. In addition, people with Parkinson’s disease suffer from disorders of the autonomic nervous system and low body temperature regulation function, leading to cold limbs. On the other hand, the areas above the chest, especially the face, tends to sweat profusely.
2. Sweating at the hairline on the back of the head:Sweating at the hairline on the back of the head is a “cold sweat” caused by hypoglycemia.
3. Sweat is concentrated in the armpits:It represents mental stress and anxiety, which must be calm for relief.
4. Drenched in sweat:Suffering from hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism) the whole body tends to sweat, heat intolerance and fatigue, and symptoms such as heart palpitations and weight loss can appear.
5. Sweat concentrated in the upper body:Diabetes can cause neuropathy, causing the lower body to not be able to perspire normally, and sweat is transferred to the upper body, causing excessive sweating in the upper body.
6. Sweating during night sleep:This condition is also called “night sweats”. If you continue to sweat during deep sleep, it means that long-term exposure to emotions or stress has exhausted the heart, stimulating the sympathetic nerves, causing involuntary cold sweats. , and makes the body weak after sweating. If the condition persists, it presents a risk of leukemia, tuberculosis and even cancer.