TYPES OF SWEAT
For people dealing with excessive sweating also known as hyperhidrosis, summer can be a nightmare. However, excessive heat and humidity are not the only causes of sweat in humans. In fact, there are several different types of perspiration, including thermal, emotional, and gustatory sweating.
THERMAL SWEATING
The first and most common type of sweating is thermal sweating or thermoregulatory sweating. This type of sweating is produced by the eccrine sweat glands, which are found throughout the entire surface of your body. This is an essential type of perspiration as it helps cool the body and maintain the average temperature of 37°C (98.6°F), although this number could vary depending on where the temperature is taken.
The hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that acts as your body’s thermostat and senses any increase in temperature. If there is an increase in your body’s temperature, the hypothalamus instructs the nervous system to send signals to the heat fighting mechanisms in the form of vasodilating surface vessels. If this is not sufficient, signals will be sent to instruct sweat glands to start producing sweat, which is the most effective cooling mechanism in humans.
Dilation of the surface or skin blood vessels also contribute significantly to reducing body temperature. Hyperthermia is a potentially life-threatening condition whereby these cooling mechanisms fail.
EMOTIONAL SWEATING
Another common form of sweating is emotional sweating. This occurs in response to several emotive stimuli, including fear, anxiety, stress, and pain. This type of sweat can occur over the whole body, although it is most common in your armpits and on your palms, soles, and forehead. Unlike thermal sweating, emotional sweating has nothing to do with temperature.
Emotional sweating starts early in life, soon after birth. Babies experience emotional sweating on their palms and soles, while underarm sweating due to emotional feelings only occurs after puberty. Other mammals, like dogs and rats, also experience this type of sweating.
The apocrine sweat glands are associated with emotional sweating, although scientists and biologists do not fully understand the reason.
GUSTATORY SWEATING
Gustatory sweating is induced by ingestion of food or drink and occurs following consumption. This type of sweating generally occurs on the face, neck, and scalp and is usually triggered by eating or drinking anything hot or spicy.
Gustatory sweating can be triggered in two ways:
- Ingestion causes an increase in your metabolism, which results in elevating the body temperature.
- The substances found in spicy foods set off specific chemical receptors, which trigger the reflexive cooling reaction that causes sweating.
Both of these processes trigger a thermal sweating response. Additionally, gustatory sweating can be triggered due to complications in individuals with diabetes. In this case, there are several treatments available.
Whether your sweating is caused by thermal, emotional, or gustatory reactions, one of the most effective antiperspirants like DRYSOL®® can prevent the embarrassing and uncomfortable situations caused by excessive sweating called hyperhidrosis.
Using a strong antiperspirant is not only practical, but one of the most convenient, affordable, and non-invasive options to prevent and treat excessive sweating.
To know about tricks to reduce sweating, please click here.
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