Did you know that sweat can tell you more about your fitness level and mood than you might think? Read on to find out...
health
Did you know that sweat can tell you more about your fitness level and mood than you might think? Read on to find out...
After going for a run or spending some time in the sun, your body naturally responds to the temperature of your environment by providing you with your own cooling system known as sweat or perspiration. Many of us tend to get irritated when we sweat a lot but the fact is that sweating can actually teach you something about your health and be a useful indicator of your body needs. Read on to find out more...
You’re stressed
If you keep catching yourself sniffing and wondering, ‘is that me?’ take a sec to reflect on what’s been on your mind lately. If you are stressed or anxious, your pits are probably to blame. The sweat we produce when we are hot is made by eccrine glands all over the body and contains mostly water and salt. But when we are stressed, sweat is produced by apocrine glands, which are found only in certain areas like the armpits. That type of sweat contains fat and protein that mix with the bacteria on our skin, producing a stench in the process.
Your blood sugar’s low
Normally, your blood sugar should be between 70 and 100 milligrams per decilitre, if measured when fasting. But if it drops below the 70 mark, due to strenuous exercise or diabetes, you may start to feel the effects. One symptom can be excessive sweating, or cold, clammy skin, particularly at the back of your neck at your hairline. Luckily, you can bring your blood sugar back up to normal by eating or drinking something sweet. But if this is a frequent thing then make sure to consult a qualified doctor.
You’re eating the wrong foods
If you have been cursed with particularly fishy smelling body odour, you may have a rare genetic disorder called ‘Trimethylaminuria’. This means your body can’t break down the chemical compound trimethylamine, which is produced during digestion of foods like eggs, legumes, and fish. Instead, your body sheds excess trimethylamine via sweat, urine, and breath - often producing a fishy stench. If you think you may have Trimethylaminuria, consult your doctor to come up with the best treatment plan.
You might need more to drink
Ever had sweat drip into your eyes, only to find yourself in searing, stinging pain? Does dried sweat leave a gritty feeling or white streaks on your cheeks, too? You are probably a salty sweater, common among people who get lots of water during the day and keep sodium pretty low in their diet. You will probably need to increase your sodium intake.
You could have hyperhidrosis
If you are sweating excessively, you may have a medical condition called primary focal hyperhidrosis. Primary focal hyperhidrosis is typically marked by sweating so excessive, it interferes with your daily activities. People with primary hyperhidrosis sweat even in a cool room, sitting perfectly still. Experts aren’t entirely sure why it happens, but they do know that hyperhidrosis runs in families and is the result of too much stimulation from the nerves that trigger the sweat glands.
You’re pregnant or hitting menopause
Anything that toys with your endocrine system (your body’s collection of hormone-producing glands) can leave you feeling sweatier than usual. Of course, there’s the dreaded hot flash, which as many as 85% of women have in the years right around menopause, but pregnancy may also trigger sweating. That is because hormonal changes seem to mess with the brain’s thermostat, mistakenly making you think that you are overheating - and triggering the naturally cooling sweat response.
You’re at risk for heatstroke
Have you ever felt that you have stopped sweating and you are starting to get dizzy during your summer walk? Anhidrosis, or the inability to sweat normally, can be dangerous, since it prevents your body from naturally cooling off. If you continue without rehydrating yourself, you risk heat illnesses like heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Move to a shady or air-conditioned space and have something cool to drink (avoid caffeine). If you don’t feel better quickly, call for emergency medical attention.
Sweaty facts
Sweat can reveal the health of many bodily functions: Doctors frequently use the blood levels of electrolytes and other substances to test for healthy levels of body functioning. This includes kidney function, dehydration, muscle fatigue, management of diabetes and more.
Sweat might mean that you’re lying: Lying isn’t necessarily part of your physical health but it could help with understanding more about your psychological health. Lying often produces similar sweat responses as being anxious does, because the brain knows that the words spoken do not match the event as it happened in the mind. The difference between the two creates stress and can cause sweating.
You need a snack: When your body is in need of a lil pick me up, it will send you signals. Excessive sweating, slight nausea, and cold, clammy skin at the nape of your neck means that you need to have a snack immediately.
