Perspiration, or sweat, is a clear, salty liquid produced by glands in your body to cool itself. When sweat evaporates from your skin, it cools your body down.

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You perspire mainly under your arms, on the palms of your hands, and on the soles of your feet. When sweat mixes with bacteria found on your skin, it may cause an unpleasant odor. Bathing regularly and using an antiperspirant or deodorant can reduce or prevent this odor.

It is normal and healthy to sweat more heavily when it’s hot, when you’re exercising, when you’re anxious, or when you have a fever. Menopausal women may perspire a lot, as well.

However, some people sweat too much, in a condition called hyperhidrosis. This may stem from low blood sugar or a disorder of the thyroid or nervous system. Other people sweat too little, which is called anhidrosis. This can be life threatening, because your body may overheat. Anhidrosis is caused by dehydration, burns, or a disorder of the skin or nerves.

Your skin has two kinds of sweat glands: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. You have between 2 million and 5 million eccrine glands, which can be found all over your body and open directly to the surface of your skin. When you get hot, your autonomic nervous system stimulates these glands to secrete sweat onto the surface of your skin.

Apocrine glands secrete a fatty sweat into the tubule of the gland. When you’re emotionally stressed, the sweat is pushed to the surface of your skin. Usually, it is apocrine sweat that produces the worst odor when it comes in contact with the bacteria on your skin.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. It is normal to lose several quarts of fluid through perspiration when it’s hot or you are working out.
  2.  A bead of sweat the size of a pea can cool approximately 1 quart of blood by 1°F.
  3. The way your sweat smells can be influenced by your mood, diet, medications, medical conditions, and hormone levels.