Sweating is a normal, essential bodily function. Its main purpose is to cool your body off when it’s in danger of overheating. But like nearly every other bodily function, it’s possible to sweat too much. There’s a wide range in how much people sweat, with your gender, physical activity level, and individual genetic makeup all playing a role. If you feel like you sweat a lot but aren’t particularly bothered by it, there’s no cause for concern. If, on the other hand, you feel like your sweating is interfering with your comfort or ability to function on a daily basis, it’s safe to say that you’re sweating too much. But this standard is subjective, and one person’s “too much” might not strike someone else as problematic.
Why We Sweat
Sweating is one of the body’s main mechanisms for staying cool, ensuring that your internal temperature doesn’t rise to a harmful level. “Sweat is used to dissipate heat,” explains Alisha Plotner, MD, a dermatologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “When our skin develops moisture on the surface, that moisture is evaporated and cools the skin. That’s the primary reason we produce sweat.” There are two scenarios in which increased sweating is normal, according to Dr. Plotner: when we become overheated, and when we’re nervous or anxious. Anxiety-induced sweating is intended to be part of our body’s cooling function, says Plotner. “From an evolutionary perspective, if somebody is nervous, and they need to run away from a potential threat, then sweating might be beneficial to help dissipate the heat that would be generated,” she notes. Contrary to widespread belief, Plotner says, sweating doesn’t play much of a role in removing toxins from your body. Your liver and kidneys do most of that, with sweat glands contributing “in a very minimal manner.” Sweat glands are found all over the body — the average person typically has between two and four million of them, according to the International Hyperhidrosis Society. There are two main types of sweat glands: eccrine, which open onto the skin’s surface, and apocrine, which open into hair follicles. Eccrine sweat glands are present on most areas of your skin, but tend to be found in large numbers on the soles of your feet, palms of your hands, forehead, cheeks, and armpits. Apocrine sweat glands are common in your armpits and groin area. They produce a thicker type of sweat that, when it comes into contact with bacteria on the skin’s surface, can result in body odor. Your fitness level and your gender both play a role in how much you sweat, as physically fit people and men tend to sweat more than unfit people and women. In a study published in September 2010 in Experimental Physiology, researchers found that while exercising in hot conditions, fit men sweated significantly more than fit women — with fit women having just as many active sweat glands, but sweating less from each gland. Unfit men sweated less than fit men or women, while unfit women sweated the least. The differences between fit and unfit members of each gender showed that being fit resulted in a greater increase in sweating during exercise among men than women, with more efficient cooling of the body’s core temperature.
When Is Sweat Considered to Be Excessive?
Sweat glands are activated by your nervous system, which explains why certain neurologic conditions can lead to excessive sweating — such as a brain injury following a stroke. Hormonal changes, such as those associated with menopause, and health conditions like diabetes, as well as the use of certain hormone drugs, can also cause an increase in sweating, according to Plotner. Excessive sweating is known as hyperhidrosis. Most of the time, Plotner says, excessive sweating isn’t associated with any underlying health condition. Instead, it’s caused by overactivity of the normal neurological pathways that cause sweating. This is called primary hyperhidrosis, and it often runs in families. When excessive sweating is caused by an underlying health condition, it’s called secondary hyperhidrosis. “If we know that there’s an underlying cause, then it’s important to focus on that cause and treat it when possible,” says Plotner. Sweating is considered unnecessary or excessive, Plotner says, if it occurs outside normal scenarios — like overheating or anxiety — or if the amount interferes with your ability to function. For example, it’s not considered normal for mild heat to cause large amounts of underarm sweating.
When to Seek Treatment
As a general rule of thumb, if you think you may sweat more than you should, but you’re not bothered by the problem, you don’t necessarily need to seek treatment, assuming no underlying cause of the excess sweating is found, says Plotner. Though you should consider seeking treatment, she adds, if your sweating makes it difficult for you to turn doorknobs, type on a computer, or shake someone’s hand — all of which can have an impact on your professional life. But your personal and social life is also important, Plotner adds, so sweating that causes you embarrassment or makes you hesitant to participate in social events should also be addressed. Hyperhidrosis can affect particular areas of the body or the whole body, Plotner notes. The most commonly affected areas are the face and scalp — known as craniofacial hyperhidrosis — as well as the armpits, palms of your hands, and soles of your feet. Some people have excess sweating in the groin or trunk area as well, she adds. Regardless of where or exactly how much you’re sweating, if it bothers you, Plotner says you may be a candidate for treatment. Treatments range from topicals, to oral drugs, to injections, with each option carrying its own benefits and risks. “I think it’s important that patients are aware that there are treatments available,” Plotner emphasizes. “If excess sweating is interfering with your personal or professional life, then you should see your board-certified dermatologist to discuss your options.”
