Sweating helps balance body temperature and is defined as “the release of a salt-based fluid from the sweat glands.” It can be caused by your emotional state, a serious medical condition, or even menopause and pregnancy (due to hormonal changes).
The apocrine glands constantly release sweat, and upon reaching puberty there is an increase in hormones that make the sweat glands more dynamic. Apocrine gland sweating usually starts at puberty and doesn’t actually end, so if you don’t sweat while walking, this could be a sign of a health problem.
We have put together a list of different types of sweat that can help you understand the causes of each variety.
What Your Sweat Can Tell You About Your Health
Salty Sweat
Just like tears, it’s normal for sweat to be salty. However, if it’s unusually salty to the point that it burns your eyes and itches on open cuts, then it’s a sign that it may be low in sodium.
A very important ingredient for a healthy body is hydration, and although it sounds illogical, you can become dehydrated due to the lack of sodium in your diet.
You may want to drink more energy drinks to increase the electrolytes that control your sodium and potassium levels. This, in turn, will prevent very salty sweating.
Barely Sweating
Everyone’s body is different: some people sweat more and others sweat less, and that is natural. However, like everything else, too much or too little of something is usually not a good sign.
If you hardly sweat on a hot summer day or while riding a bike, it means your sweat glands are not working well. This is a serious condition called anhidrosis, and it can affect the entire body.
This leads to overheating, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, which are alarming and life-threatening.
Excessive Sweating
Not only can people hardly sweat, but they can also sweat a lot, and this condition is often overlooked and ignored. Excessive sweating is called hyperhidrosis, and it can occur even during cold weather for no reason. It also tends to happen to women during menopause.
READ RELATED: GOP Senator Susan Collins, ex-ATF director and agents say they OPPOSE Biden nominee David Chipman
Sometimes this condition can be dangerous. If you experience sweating and weight loss, sweating that mostly occurs during sleep, or feel tightness in your chest when sweating, then it’s time to call a doctor. There is no need to worry as it can be diagnosed by the various tests prescribed by your doctor.
Smelly Sweat
If you think that sweat by itself is smelly, you are in for a surprise. In fact, sweat doesn’t smell at all, it’s totally odor-free. But when bacteria on your skin mix with sweat, they produce an unpleasant odor, and that is the result of stress.
There are 2 types of sweat that come from different sweat glands: one is typically odorless from the eccrine glands when overheated, and the other is the not-so-pleasant and smelly apocrine glands.
Wash the areas where you sweat efficiently and observe how your diet, environment, and medications affect your body odor.
Pregnant Sweat
During pregnancy, women tend to sweat more than normal and it is sometimes one of the first symptoms of pregnancy.
Your body changes its smell when you are pregnant, even before you realize you are about to have a baby. Don’t blame yourself because your nose can also become very sensitive during this phase.
The science behind this phenomenon is that the blood supply to the body increases due to the need to bring more oxygen and nutrition to the baby.
Drinking plenty of water, showering every day, wearing loose clothing, and staying away from spicy foods are solutions to reduce sweating.
What type of sweat does your body produce? Do you have any concerns about this?
Preview photo credit pexels.com
Source: crfatsides
