Sweating

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Skin layers

Sweating is the release of a salty liquid from the body's sweat glands. This process is also called perspiration.

Sweating is an essential function that helps your body stay cool. Sweat is commonly found under the arms, on the feet, and on the palms of the hands.

Perspiration

How much you sweat depends on how many sweat glands you have. A person is born with about two to four million sweat glands. The glands start to become fully active during puberty. Women have more sweat glands then men, but men's glands are more active.

Because sweating is the body's natural way of regulating temperature, people sweat more when it's hot outside. People also sweat more when they exercise, or in response to situations that make them nervous, angry, embarrassed, or afraid.

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Excessive sweating may also be a symptom of menopause.

See also:

• Sweating - absent
• Sweating - excessive

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Cancer
• Certain medicines, including thyroid hormone, morphine, drugs to reduce fevers, and medicines to treat mental disorders
• Emotional or stressful situations (anxiety)
• Exercise
• Fever
• Infection
• Low blood sugar
• Menopause
• Overactive thyroid gland
• Spicy foods (known as "gustatory sweating")
• Warm temperatures
• Withdrawal from alcohol or narcotic pain killers

Review Date: 05/03/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).