All about bodycare > Perspiring... it's perfectly natural! > Live Life. Don't Sweat it!

Emotion, stress, physical exertion, a few minutes in a mid-summer traffic jam, and we're soaked! It's perfectly natural! But if you suffer from heavy sweating, here are some answers:

Q. Why does perspiration occur?
A. Sweating is our body's natural way of giving off heat to maintain our core body temperature. Sweat serves as the body's coolant, protecting it from overheating. Hot weather, physical activity and stress can make you sweat even more.

Our bodies contain two to four million sweat glands. They are present over the entire body, with the highest density on the palms and the soles of the feet, as well as in the armpits.

Q, What is heavy sweating?
A. in some people, the bodys mechanism for sweating is overactive--- beyond what the body needs to control temperature. Heavy sweating most often occurs in the underarm area and on the hands and feet, but may also be seen on the face. Extreme sweating can be embarrassing, uncomfortable and a continuous struggle. It can be debilitating: disrupting all aspects of a person's life with regards to career, relationships, recreation and emotional well-being

Q. What causes heavy sweating?
A. Sweat glands are activated by nerves, which can respond to a variety of triggers including messages from the brain that the body is too hot, hormones, emotions and physical activity or exercise in people who have excessive sweating the sweat glands overreact to both mental and physical stimuli and are just generally overactive

Q. Are there any skin conditions that can result from heavy sweating?
A. Heavy sweating can lead to a number of skin problems. Maceration of the skin (softening and separation of the skin due to increased hydration) may be uncomfortable and even painful. This may be accompanied by bacterial and fungal infections of the skin. Another common problem known as bromhidrosis, is a release of odour-producing substances that are made by the microorganisms which are part of the normal skin There are rare individuals who naturally excrete large amounts of dark green or brown-green substances in the sweat of their armpits (known as chromhidrosis) leading to an embarrassing condition when they suffer from heavy sweating.