Why do I Sweat So Much

Often after coming home from an intense game of basketball, you may have asked yourself, "Why do I sweat so much?". Here's your answer!
Why do I Sweat So Much
It is a question many people can't help asking themselves. "Why do I sweat so much?". It's a pretty fair question. Some people just happen to sweat a lot more than others. The basic cause of sweating is simple: To keep your body cool. Due to intense physical activity, the body becomes very warm and resorts to sweating, as sweat is the body's cooling mechanism. So now you must be having one more question, "Why do I sweat so much when I'm tense?". This is also due to the same reason. Due to stress and tension again, your body temperature increases and hence to cool it down, the sweat glands release the beads of sweat.

So now while the basic cause of sweating was quite easy to explain, we shall proceed to a slightly more difficult question. "Why do I sweat so much more than others?"

Causes of Sweating Excessively
There are several causes of sweating excessively. Here are some of them.
  • People who are obese tend to sweat a lot. The fat in the body acts as a insulator so that the body heat is not lost. However, overweight people have a larger proportion of fat and that absolutely stops the release of body heat, making their bodies a lot warmer overall. This results in excessive sweating.
  • Sometimes there are some lifestyle issues that lead to excessive sweating. Overconsumption of Nicotine and Caffeine can also lead to sweating at times. Add to that a stressful lifestyle, tension and anxiety and you have the answer to "Why do I sweat so much".
  • Hyperhidrosis is the scientific name of the condition of sweating excessively. Hyperhidrosis can be classified into primary hyperhidrosis and secondary hyperhidrosis. If you have been suffering from overactive sweat glands since adolescence then it is called primary hyperhidrosis. Primary hyperhidrosis is relatively not so serious. Primary hyperhidrosis occurs during puberty when a lot of sweat glands are activated. In case of some, more glands are activated leading to primary hyperhidrosis condition.
  • The other condition called secondary hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating that starts at any point of time. Secondary hyperhidrosis is said to be a lot more serious as it is caused due to a problem in the working of the pituitary gland or the thyroid gland. Hyperthyroidism is said to be one of the main causes of hyperhidrosis. Secondary hyperhidrosis may also be triggered off due to diabetes, gout, tumors, drugs and mercury poisoning. This problem could be a symptom of impending trouble related to the above mentioned areas and its cause should be checked out as soon as possible. You should get the problem diagnosed by a doctor so that future illnesses can be avoided.
How to Prevent Sweating
Hopefully I was able to answer the question, "Why do I sweat so much?". Sweating causes the body to smell bad which is socially very degrading. There is nothing much to prevent sweating as such as it is a bodily function. But you can try fooling the body by using light clothes that help lose body heat. You can keep yourself cool by using skin lotions on your body. If prevention doesn't work, then cure is the answer. If you know that you sweat a lot, carry a deodorant with you. Be cool!

By Arjun Kulkarni
Published: 8/25/2009
 
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