Why Do Some People Sweat More Than Others (and What to Do If It’s You)
Some of us just sweat more than others, and while this can be a source of a lot of embarrassment and shame (trust me, I’m a sweaty person), it helps to understand why. This excerpt from The Science of Us explains the biology behind it and what you can do about it if it bothers you.
Except in the case ofhyperhidrosis (a condition characterized by abnormally heavy sweating), if you are one of those people who tends to sweat a little more than others, you can blame your parents or at least those around you for the first few years of life. Your life:
Explaining why some people sweat more than others, Rittier said, “[we] think this is due to the following interesting fact. Everyone is born with almost the same number of sweat glands, but sweat glands mature during the first two years of life. Not all sweat glands can produce sweat (it depends on the need during this time). Thus, people raised in warmer climates have more active sweat glands than people raised in controlled climates or colder climates. As adults, we retain all of the sweat glands, but only a fraction of them can produce sweat. This percentage varies from person to person. ”
I asked her if she knew of any genetic factors contributing to this and she said no. Thus, the environment in which you spend your early years becomes a major factor in how much you sweat later in life.
This explains why we sweat so much, but not what you can do about it if you have a tendency to sweat profusely even with little activity. The full text also contains suggestions on this, but here are some of the outstanding ones:
- Gradually accustom yourself to warmer temperatures . By increasing the thermostat temperature a few degrees at a time, you will first have to combat the discomfort of sweating a little, but over time your body will get used to higher temperatures. If you are frequently exposed to higher temperatures, your body will adapt – which is why at 65 degrees it is cold in autumn but warm in spring, the article says, – by the end of summer, your body will adapt, and you can do the same at home.
- Drink cold water and skip ice packs . Your body’s response to sweating depends on the internal temperature, not the external temperature, so sipping cold water will help lower the internal temperature, which in turn will help you cool down no matter how much you exercise or how hot it is outside.
The Slow Adaptation Rule also applies to exercise and activity. If you feel like you sweat even after a flight of stairs, even if you’re not out of breath and tired, keep pushing – after all, perhaps making this staircase part of your daily climb – your body will adapt and you can pick them up without sweating like that. strongly.
Blame your early childhood if you sweat too much | Science about us