Everyone's Health

Why Do I sweat So Much?

S. Seethaler

Why some people sweat more than others.

QUESTION: I have always sweated profusely. My normal body temperature is 96.8, and this is not a transposed figure. Is it possible that with my very low body temperature, I suffer more in temperatures that others find chilly?

Bob Steer, El Cajon, CA

ANSWER: Average normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, but temperatures as low as 95.9 degrees and as high as 101.2 degrees have been recorded in healthy people.

Maintenance of body temperature occurs through the balance of thermal energy generation from metabolizing food and the loss of thermal energy by conduction to other objects, convection due to air currents, radiation of infrared energy and evaporation of sweat.

At rest, conduction, convection and especially radiation account for most of the thermal energy transferred to the environment. The hotter a body is in relation to the environment, the more effective are these ways of getting rid of excess thermal energy. So someone with a low body temperature must rely more on sweating to cool down.

Temperature is tightly regulated in humans, and small increases in body temperature trigger sweating. Camels, on the other hand, can allow their body temperature to increase more than 10 degrees, which reduces the need for evaporative cooling through sweating and conserves water.

QUESTION: My daughter sweats when she eats regardless of the temperature of the food or weather. I have never seen anyone react the same.

B. B., Pristina, Kosovo

ANSWER:Gustatory sweating – sweating in response to food – has various causes. Spicy food can stimulate the nerves that control the sweat glands. Also, thermal energy is generated as a byproduct of the digestion, absorption and storage of food.

The amount of thermal energy generated in response to consuming an identical meal varies considerably among individuals. Gustatory sweating can also occur as a rare complication of diabetes.

Frey's syndrome is a special case of gustatory sweating that occurs when the nerve that controls the salivary gland is damaged by an accident or infection. The nerve's regrowth may be misdirected so that it connects with nerves that control the sweat glands. If this happens, stimuli that would normally cause salivation – eating, the smell of food or even the thought of food – can cause sweating on one or both sides of the face.

Prior | Tell us what you think | Next

Add to Your Social Bookmarks: Del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Simpy Spurl Y! MyWeb - Netscape - StumbleUpon StumbleUpon