Excessive Sweating in Summer: Its Causes and How to Reduce It?

26 مايو 2023

Many people feel embarrassed by their sweating; They find in the phenomenon of sweating a reason that hinders them from carrying out their daily and recreational activities. Rather, they become ashamed to the point that they refrain from wearing some types of clothes that can clearly show sweating and have to change their clothes more than once as a result.

Although sweating is a natural function of the general body functions in humans, which the human body begins to exercise a few months after their birth, it is usual to sweat when doing activities such as exercising, or if the body temperature is higher than the normal degree.

There are also abnormalities in sweating that cause concern, such as a lack of sweating "anhidrosis" and excessive sweating "hyperhidrosis", especially in summer. What is sweating? What are its causes? When is it normal? When does it become abnormal and require treatment? We will learn about that in this article.

What is meant by sweating?

Sweating is a natural phenomenon through which the human body excretes secretions consisting of water, mineral salts, and other chemical compounds. That is done through the sweat glands distributed in the body, which number from two to four million glands in the average person, and they are small tubular structures distributed in the skin that produce sweat.

In spite of the inconvenience caused by sweating due to its unpleasant odor and the embarrassment it causes to humans, it is a natural way to cool the body. The normal body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius. When the body temperature increases from this normal temperature, whatever the reasons for this rise, the evaporation of sweat through the pores of the skin helps reduce the body temperature again.

What is hyperhidrosis?

It means increasing the amount of sweat above the normal limit needed to regulate the temperature and cooling of the human body, so that sweat drips from the hands of the person or may submerge their clothes; therefore, one loses control here. Sweating occurs regardless of temperature or mood, and it results in many problems such as dehydration and skin problems. Also, it affects the young age group, especially adolescents. Sweating has several types:

1. Primary hyperhidrosis:

This type occurs as a result of increased sweating in the hands, feet, face, head, and underarms. This type of sweating begins in childhood. It affects about 30 to 50 people who have inherited familial causes of excessive sweating.

2. General secondary hyperhidrosis:

This type is caused by a medical condition. It is a side effect of taking some types of medication, and it usually begins in adulthood. The entire body or a specific area of the body sweats, and sweating increases significantly during sleep.

Causes of sweating:

The causes of primary sweating are mostly unknown, but studies have noted that most people with sweating of this type have family members who are affected by it. This confirms that the cause is mostly genetic. As for the second type of hyperhidrosis, the secondary one, there is a wide range of causes, among them are:

1. Food:

There are specific types of foods that stimulate the body to increase sweating, most notably foods that contain “purine” such as spicy food, spices, legumes, red meat, soy products and spinach, in addition to caffeine-containing substances such as coffee, as well as substances that contain nicotine, such as tobacco.

2. Medical conditions:

This type is the least prevalent among the causes of hyperhidrosis. Among the known medical conditions that cause excessive sweating are female menopause, hot flashes in the body, low blood sugar, nervous system disorders, some types of cancer, thyroid problems, and hormonal imbalances. In addition to these cases, taking or withdrawing from certain medications, such as antidepressants, some medications for mental disorders, and fever-reducing medications such as aspirin can cause excessive sweating.

3. Quality of clothing:

Such as wearing tight clothes as well as dark-colored clothes like black, which contribute to the body's absorption of the sun's heat, in addition to heavy clothes and types of clothes made of certain types of fabrics that increase body heat and cause an increase in the secretion of sweat, such as polyester fabrics, which are one of the worst types of fabrics that can be worn in summer, as they are waterproof fabrics that do not absorb sweat and increase body heat in a way that ensures that your body turns into separate patches of sweat.

Among the types of fabrics that increase sweating, there are viscose fabrics made of artificial silk that do not absorb moisture and raise body temperature. There is also nylon that is used in the clothing industry, which can cause skin diseases when worn in summer.

4. Drinking alcohol:

It leads to an increase in body temperature, and thus increased sweating.

5. Sleep Apnea:

It is a serious disorder, as breathing stops during sleep. Also, if you are someone who snores during sleep, you may have sleep apnea.

The accumulated fat and grease cause an increase in body temperature, and thus increased sweating.

7. Doing different activities and increasing activity:

Like playing sports.

8. The normal temperature rise in the weather:

Which in turn raises body temperature to a point where sweating increases.

Methods of treating excessive sweating:

1. Taking prescription medications for excessive sweating:

Such as antiperspirants or creams containing glycopyrrolate, as well as nerve blocking drugs, that is any chemical drugs that block nerve communication with each other and reduce sweating. There are also drugs that reduce and relieve anxiety and tension and contribute to the treatment of excessive sweating.

2. Surgical procedures:

One of the surgical procedures followed is heat wave therapy, in which a device that emits heat waves is used to eliminate sweat glands through more than one session, but mostly it is only two sessions, each lasting from 30 to 40 minutes for a period of three months. Surgical treatments also include removing the sweat glands under the armpit and also neurosurgery. The surgeon cuts or picks up the nerves responsible for sweating in the hands, but this procedure may lead to increased sweating in other areas of the body.

3. Wearing light-colored clothing that reflects the sun's rays:

Staying away from dark colors that absorb sunlight and raise body heat is important, in addition to choosing clothes of certain types of fabrics in the summer, such as clothes made of linen or cotton known for its high ability to absorb sweat and allow air to penetrate into the body. Moreover, wearing clothes made of natural silk fabrics, such as chiffon and crepe reduces body temperature. Loose-fitting clothes should also be worn.

4. Take a daily shower with lukewarm or cold water:

This works to reduce body temperature and retain the body's moisture. Also, try to stay away from hot water that opens the pores of the skin and increases the secretion of sweat.

5. Use antiperspirants, not deodorants:

Deodorant covers only the smell of sweating, while antiperspirants work to narrow the sweat glands under the armpits, thus reducing sweating. They can be obtained without a prescription, with attention to the need not to use antiperspirants after removing body hair in order to avoid body infections.

6. Cut back on spices, spicy, caffeine, and nicotine foods:

Replace these types of food with hydrating foods, such as fruits and yogurt.

7. Choose shoes and socks made of natural materials:

These types of materials contribute to the ventilation of the feet and prevent them from sweating, as well as the shoes must be taken off and not worn for a long time.

8. Avoid sports or exercise in the middle of the day:

Or when the body temperature is high. It is preferable to exercise either in the early morning or at sunset.

9. Try to relax:

And stay away from anxiety, tension, and causes of psychological stress and try to control them.

10. Drink enough fluids:

Especially water, and it is preferable to drink a good amount of it early in the morning to keep the body hydrated.

11. Using a spray or vaporizer to moisturize the body:

That is, spray water mist to moisturize the body and reduce its temperature.

In conclusion:

Excessive sweating is the secretion of a large amount of sweat that exceeds the limit required to control body temperature. It often arises in childhood or in puberty and adolescence, but it can also appear at any other age as a result of various reasons such as anxiety and depression. Over time, people become embarrassed as a result of excessive sweating and the bad smell resulting from it, especially in summer. These people often rush to find a solution to this problem, which causes them to have low self-esteem and hinders them from doing their work as they should and even practicing their normal lives.

However, excessive sweating is a treatable medical condition, and there are natural home remedies that can help relieve and treat it. So, it is sufficient to diagnose the main cause of it and choose the appropriate solution to get rid of it.