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The causes of excessive perspiration and how to manage it naturally and effectively

Why you sweat SO much and how to control it naturally this Summer

The causes of excessive perspiration and how to manage it naturally and effectively

If you're a naturally-sweaty person, heading into the Summer season may be daunting. With the increasing temperature, you may find your anxiety levels following suit, wondering how you will manage your excessive perspiration. Yes, everybody sweats when it's hot, however if you sweat excessively to the point where it interferes with your self-esteem, social or personal life, you may have a condition called hyperhidrosis (we'll break it down for you a little further down).

First of all, don't worry - you're not alone! There are many people whose sweat glands just don't seem to shut off and go into overdrive for no reason. It's likely that, just like all those other people, you've tried almost every method you could find on Google. There are probably so many of you out there who have had those stressful moments when you sneak off into the bathroom to dab tissue on your face and under your armpits, only to sit there for an extra 5 minutes picking off all the broken, soggy pieces of tissue from your skin. Your grandmother swears by talcum powder? Well, you've tried and tested it and can confidently say that it doesn't work for you! 

Sweating explained

In simple terms, sweating is a function that assists with regulating your body's temperature. We have about 2.6 to 4 million sweat glands in the layer of our skin called the dermis. There are 2 types of sweat glands:

  1. Eccrine: Found all over the body, particularly on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. 
  2. Apocrine: Typically found in the hairier areas such as armpits and anal-genital area. They tend to carry fatty acids, proteins and bacteria which results in a sweaty odour.

Whether you realise it or not, the 'normal' human body is constantly sweating, as keeping your body's temperature moderated is a full time job! Sweat, which is a salt-based fluid, is excreted from the sweat glands onto the surface of your skin. When the fluid is evaporated from your skin's surface, it cools you down. Pretty cool, eh?

Why do some people sweat more than others?

As mentioned before, everybody sweats. Some people sweat to such a little extent that they may never need to wear an antiperspirant. Other people may need to wear an antiperspirant, however the amount they sweat is fairly normal and doesn't worry them. Then, of course, you get the lucky bunch who sweat so much that the thought of moving to Antarctica sounds fantastic, although realistically you'd probably still be sitting with your excessive perspiration and freezing your butt off. 

The amount you sweat depends on various factors:

  • How many sweat glands you have
  • Genetics
  • Diet
  • Health
  • Climate
  • How active you are
  • Your emotional state

If you find yourself struggling with excessive perspiration that is not caused by the above-mentioned list and you're fairly healthy, both physically and mentally, you may have what it called hyperhidrosis.

If you'd like FREE advice from our team, please send us an email and we'll be in touch shortly.

What is Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis is a common disorder where people perspire a lot more than their body actually needs to. The excessive sweating commonly takes place under the arms, on the palms of their hands or soles of their feet. Those who have hyperhidrosis sweat excessively nearly all the time, even throughout Winter, when they're relaxing or have just taken a cold shower! The cause of hyperhidrosis is unknown, but doctors can narrow it down to a few culprits:

  • Hormonal imbalance
  • Overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) 
  • Certain medication
  • Overactive sympathetic nervous system

Excessive sweating is not harmful, but it can be quite embarrassing for people who have hyperhidrosis - imagine sweating 5 times more than the average person!

Tips to manage hyperhidrosis

Avoid spicy food

Unfortunately, spicy foods stimulate your sweat glands. If you're serious about managing your excessive sweating this Summer, lay off the chili poppers and curries. 

Drink plenty of water

While drinking water may not stop your excessive sweating, it replenishes your body's fluids and helps to keep kidneys and all body organs well regulated. Drinking water also cools your system down and may reduce the amount of sweat your body produces.

Be aware of your emotional state

Anxiety and stress certainly affect your sweating. When you're in a wound-up emotional state, your adrenal glands release epinephrine which in turn stimulates your sweat glands. Bring yourself to a level head space by doing yoga, meditation, deep breathing techniques or listening to soothing music. A good dose of PureCalm which is a herbal remedy to calm and relieve anxiety, stress and nervousness works like a charm! 

Use natural deodorants and soaps

People suffering from excessive sweating are likely to try almost anything to find a solution. They end up using inadvisable products like Botox and store-bought deodorants containing harmful ingredients. Rather use natural and eco-friendly products which are safer and healthier for you, such as this natural and organic roll-on deodorant or Sweat-Less which is a natural remedy to reduce excessive perspiration. Soap also affects your sweat glands, as you apply soap directly to your skin where your sweat glands are located. We recommend any of these pure organic soaps.

If you'd like FREE advice from our team, please send us an email and we'll be in touch shortly.

Go ahead and try out our tips for managing excessive sweating. We want you to have a stress-and-sweat-free Summer! Let us know how your Sweat-Less journey goes in the comments below. 

Saskia Michele natural holistic health blog

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