Sweat

Summary

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. If you often sweat too much, it’s called hyperhidrosis. Causes include thyroid or nervous system disorders, 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.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Patient Handouts

• Absence of Sweating Medical Encyclopedia
• Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy Medical Encyclopedia
• Hyperhidrosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Iontophoresis Medical Encyclopedia
• Sweating Medical Encyclopedia

Find an Expert

• American Academy of Dermatology American Academy of Dermatology
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Related Issues

• Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer National Cancer Institute
• Smelling Sickness: Body Odor May Be Sign of Disease National Institutes of Health
• What’s the Big Sweat about Dehydration? (For Kids) Nemours Foundation

Teenagers

• Body Odor (For Young Men) Boston Children’s Hospital
• Body Odor (For Young Women) Boston Children’s Hospital
• What Can I Do About Sweating? Nemours Foundation

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Hyperhidrosis National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Sweat Problems National Institutes of Health

Specifics

• Heat Rash (Prickly Heat or Miliaria) Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Hot Flashes and Sweating American Cancer Society
• Hyperhidrosis (Excessive Sweating) Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Hyperhidrosis: Overview American Academy of Dermatology
• Night Sweats Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Images

• Hyperhidrosis VisualDX
• Miliaria Rubra VisualDX

Journal Articles

• Sweat

Encyclopedia

• Skin – clammy Medical Encyclopedia
• Sweating Medical Encyclopedia

Start Here

• Sweating and Body Odor Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Children

• What’s Sweat? Nemours Foundation