Also called: Also called: Perspiration
Sweat is a clear, salty liquid produced by glands in your skin. Sweating is how your body cools itself. You sweat mainly under your arms and on your feet and palms. When sweat mixes with bacteria on your skin, it can cause a smell. Bathing regularly and using antiperspirants or deodorants can help control the odor.
Sweating a lot is normal when it is hot or when you exercise, are anxious or have a fever. It also happens during menopause. However, if you often sweat too much, which is called hyperhidrosis, it might be due to a thyroid or nervous system disorder, low blood sugar or another health problem.
Sweating too little, anhidrosis, can be life-threatening because your body can overheat. Causes of anhidrosis include dehydration, burns, and some skin and nerve disorders.
- Sweating and Body Odor(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/sweating-and-body-odor/DS00305/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
- More Sweat Equals Lower Risk of Exercise-Induced Asthma(09/08/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69029.html
- Excessive Sweating(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/excessive-sweating/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
- Antiperspirant Awareness: It's Mostly No Sweat(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2005/405_sweat.html
- FDA Approves Botox to Treat Severe Underarm Sweating(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/answers/2004/ANS01301.html
- Diminished Sweating(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec18/ch206/ch206d.html
- Excessive Sweating(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec18/ch206/ch206c.html
- Hyperhidrosis(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_hyperhidrosis.html
- Night Sweats: What Causes Them?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/night-sweats/AN01042/METHOD=print
- Smelly (Malodorous) Feet(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00171
- Sweating(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/mbc/content/mbc_2_3x_sweating.asp
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Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer
(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.gov/espanol/cancer/hojas-informativas/antitranspirantes-desodorantes -
What's the Big Sweat about Dehydration?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/er/dehydration.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/seguridad/dehydration_esp.html
- Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy - A Treatment for Hyperhidrosis(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=120
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Sweat(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Sweat%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: The war on sweat. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18756708&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Painful verrucous plaque on the right index finger. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18711085&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Perifollicular xanthomatosis as the hallmark of axillary Fox-Fordyce disease: an... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18711075&tool=MedlinePlus
- Sweat -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=sweat[majr]+OR+sweating[majr]+OR+sweat+glands[majr]+OR+sweating,gustatory[majr]+OR+sweat+gland+diseases[majr]+OR+sweat+gland+neoplasms[majr]+NOT+hidradenitis+suppurativa[mh]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(clinical+trial[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+review[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Academy of Dermatology - http://www.aad.org/
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/
- Keeping Your Cool(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bam.gov/sub_yoursafety/yoursafety_keepingyourcool.html
- What's Sweat?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/yucky/sweat.html
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Why Do I Sweat So Much?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/question/hygiene/sweat.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/cuerpo/sweat_esp.html
- Hidradenitis Suppurativa - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hidradenitissuppurativa.html
- Skin, Hair and Nails - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinhairandnails.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Sweat is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/