Sweating

This is the process during which fluids are eliminated through sweat glands located in the skin. Sweat is a response to heat and intense physical exertion. Sweating is a normal phenomenon. It helps the body defend itself against excess heat. Excessive sweating is called hyperhidrosis and is a pathological condition that needs to be treated. Especially if cold sweat pours out at night, there is cause for concern: possible infectious diseases, medications, cancer, hypoglycemia, hormonal changes, neurological causes. In our geographical zone, about 500 ml of water is lost daily through breathing, 300–500 ml of water is excreted daily with sweat, and 100 ml with feces. These numbers are not fixed. For example, a person working near a furnace can excrete 20 liters of sweat per day, while a patient with diarrhea can lose several liters of intestinal juices daily. The amount of water excreted is compensated by absorbed water. The body receives about 60% of the necessary water amount from food. By eating a mixed diet, a person gets about 1 liter of water daily. Additionally, about 300 ml of water is formed during oxidative processes. The missing water amount is obtained by drinking.

Sweat is the specific odor secreted by sweat glands, a salty, clear fluid containing mostly water (about 99%) and metabolic products, mainly urea, salts, etc. Thus, sweat glands act as a thermoregulator because the moisture evaporating from the skin surface cools the body.

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė