Types of sweat. Volatile substances in sweat
sweating- is normal physiological function of the human body, which regulates metabolism, maintains water-salt balance, removes metabolic products of the body and participates in thermoregulation. People sweat more during the summer months than during the winter. In the heat, for example, the blood flow in the vessels of the hands is 30 times more intense than in extreme cold. People living closer to the equator have more functional sweat glands than people living in cold climates.
Normally, sweating increases with sports, with high temperature environment, when using hot food and under stress. Women in menopause and girls during puberty sweat more. Also profuse sweating can be observed in overweight people.
Sweating provides skin protection and hydration - mixing with secretions sebaceous glands, sweat forms a thin film of water-fat emulsion on the surface of the skin.
Types of sweating.
Thermoregulatory sweating- It has great importance for cooling during an increase in body temperature, physical activity or during emotional tension, stress. talking scientific language our body supports constant temperature body through heat generation and heat transfer. Activity internal organs And skeletal muscle form heat that needs to go outside, otherwise the entire system is threatened with overheating, so getting rid of excess heat occurs through the surface of the body, mainly by evaporation of sweat. Evaporating from the surface of the skin, water passes from a liquid state to a gaseous state and absorbs energy. Thanks to this, the skin, and with it our body, cools down.
Our heat and cold receptors are located in the skin and internal organs, and the signals from them pass to the central nervous system along the nerve fibers. The central thermosensitive fibers are located in spinal cord, brain stem and hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the main integrative center of the thermosensory pathways. The function of the hypothalamus is to maintain body temperature at or above 37 degrees Celsius. high level when the temperature rises. Depending on the required and available temperature level, either the mechanism of thermogenesis (warming) by muscle trembling and spasm of skin vessels, or heat transfer (cooling) by sweating and expansion of skin vessels are switched on. IN real life given state everyone knows - in the cold, trembling in the muscles naturally develops, the skin becomes dry, cool and pale. Arbitrary temperature increase can be achieved in frost increased physical activity, up to the need to cool the body through the release of sweat. Perverse, based on the pathophysiology of heat transfer, is the method of warming with the help of alcohol intake. Thus, the expansion of skin vessels, although subjectively leads to warming, in fact contributes to further loss of heat and cooling of the body. On the other hand, when the body temperature is elevated due to high ambient temperature or when muscle activity is high, the body responds by sweating and expanding blood vessels skin - the skin becomes moist, warm and reddened to the touch. Thermoregulation is a complex relationship between the rate of sweating and body and skin temperature. This also explains the significant differences in sweat patterns between individuals.
Psychogenic sweating- Occurs when emotional or mental stress and is not associated with the need to cool the body. Physiologically, it reflects a response to emotional processes associated with behavior and response to the world. However, unlike thermoregulatory sweating, which activates the glands of all skin, under stress, emotions and other stimuli are activated mainly sweat glands located on the face, in the armpits, on the palms and plantar surfaces of the feet. Moreover, stress leads to vasoconstriction (spasm of skin vessels), while thermoregulatory sweating is accompanied by vasodilation (expansion of skin vessels). Numerous studies show that excessive sweating armpits, legs and arms are indicators of stress. The sweat glands of these particular zones respond to adrenaline with wet palms, legs, and armpits. Therefore, the stabilization nervous system is a step towards overcoming excessive sweating.
Nutritional sweating- observed when eating at any temperature, increases with the use of spicy and rich in extractive substances dishes, alcohol. Compliance with certain rules of nutrition and drinking regime- This excellent facilities against sweat. In the hot season, it is recommended to drink more clean and cool water, giving up strong tea and coffee. The use of any drinks and foods containing caffeine stimulates sweating. The unpleasant smell of sweat is increased by spicy, fried, fatty and smoked foods. These same products often lead to irritation and inflammation appearing on sweat-dampened skin.
The amount of sweat.
A healthy person sweats constantly, but with varying intensity. Even at rest of the body and at low air temperatures, 500-700 ml of sweat is released per day, while part of the sweat glands does not work. But in the heat or during physical exertion, sweat secretion increases - the glands are capable of producing up to 10 liters of fluid per day. In a tropical climate, sweating can reach 12 liters per day. At an ambient temperature above 50 ° C, up to 2 liters of sweat can stand out in 1 hour. At maximum functionality of the sweat glands, up to 3 liters of sweat per hour can be released, which can lead to dehydration. During a lifetime, a person emits about 20 thousand liters of sweat.
Sweating in women and men.
Women sweat less than men. Women at the same load with men sweat 2 times less. Scientists have found that this is due to differences in the evolutionary process of both sexes. At the dawn of human development, the main activity of men was hunting, which required more activity. That is why nature ordered that the ability of a man to sweat was higher than that of a woman, as this helps the body to cool faster after physical activity. The second reason for increased sweating in men is the body mass factor - men themselves are larger than women, respectively, in them more water. Men's armpits often produce more intense odor than women's because the male apocrine glands are more active.
How the sweat glands work.
The work of the sweat glands is regulated by the nervous system. Thermoreceptors of the skin, internal organs and muscles react to high air temperature, hot or spicy food and fluids, overheating of the body during heavy physical work, fever or emotional distress. The signal received from these receptors passes through complex neural pathways through the brain and finally reaches nerve fibers, which stimulate the secretion of sweat in the gland, in other words, a nerve impulse enters the sweat gland, causing its ducts to contract and throw out sweat. All this activity occurs without the conscious participation of a person. He cannot force the sweat to flow or dry with the power of thought.
Location of sweat glands in the body.
Sweat glands are located in the middle layer of the skin, the dermis. The ducts of the sweat glands open on the surface of the skin and secrete a special secret - sweat. Sweat glands are found in almost all parts of the skin. Their number reaches more than 2.5 million. The skin of the forehead, face, palms, soles, axillary and inguinal folds. In these places, more than 300 glands open per 1 sq. cm of the skin surface, while in other areas of the skin - 120-200 glands.
Types of sweat glands.
There are two types of sweat glands - eccrine and apocrine. They form sweat of various composition.
eccrine glands are located throughout the body (75%) and are active from the moment of birth. Their main function is thermoregulatory, they regulate body temperature: when water evaporates, the surface of the skin cools and protects the body from overheating. The sweat they produce is a clear liquid containing salts and various body toxins. The eccrine glands produce much more sweat than the apocrine glands, and the sweat they produce plays a key role in keeping the body cool. The sweat produced by the eccrine glands is brought to the surface of the skin through special ducts and pores.
Apocrine glands(25%) are larger in size compared to eccrine and are found only in certain places of the skin, for example, in armpits ah, forehead skin, genitals, perineum. They become active only during puberty and do not take part in thermoregulation. The secret of the apocrine glands is not secreted directly on the surface of the skin, as in the eccrine glands, but in hair follicles. Apocrine glands produce sweat when we feel powerful emotions, stress, pain or perform physical exercise. Their secretory activity continues throughout life, physiologically fading away with the onset of menopause. They secrete sticky milky liquid containing fats, proteins, hormones and volatile fatty acids. The secret of the apocrine glands is richer in organic substances, which, when decomposed on the surface of the skin, give it a special, Strong smell. It is believed that it is the apocrine glands that determine the individual smell of sweat. Their secret has the ability to sexually affect the opposite sex, so the apocrine glands are also called the glands of the sexual smell.
Sweat composition.
Sweat is liquid complex composition. By itself, sweat does not have a pronounced odor (unless you abuse garlic, alcohol, spices). Almost 99% of sweat consists of water, but also contains nitrogenous substances - urea, uric acid, creatinine and ammonia, which are formed in the body during the breakdown of proteins, as well as the amino acids serine and histidine, volatile fatty acid and their compounds, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, chlorine, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, copper, manganese and iron ions, urocanic acid, glucose, vitamins, steroid hormones, histamine and several other organic substances. In total, about 250 chemical substances, which make up the individual smell of human sweat.
Sweat color.
The eccrine glands secrete a clear, colorless fluid, while the apocrine glands secrete a whitish one. But sweat under the arms can also be colored: yellow, reddish, bluish or greenish. Sweat is stained by color-forming bacteria, as well as substances arising from metabolic disorders, or taken orally. Color, for example, is influenced by copper, iron or iodine introduced into the body. Ferrous oxide phosphate turns sweat blue.
IN different glands different sweat.
In a healthy person, the composition of sweat is not the same for different areas skin. For example, on the neck it is more salty, and on the hips, shins and back side brushes almost bland. The sweat of the axillary glands contains more lipids and cholesterol, its pH ranges from 6.2-6.9, that is, it is close to neutral. The sweat of the eccrine glands is sour: 3.8-5.6. The content of mineral and organic substances in sweat depends on the state of human health and what he eats. For example, if a person does not salt their food, their sweat will become less salty. Activity thyroid gland affects the iodine content. With diabetes, the glucose content in sweat increases, and with liver diseases - bile acids. With a lot of physical exertion, a large amount of lactic acid is released with sweat.
Sweat and personality.
Each person smells differently. Sweat contains antigens that correspond to a person's blood type. Therefore, sweat stains left on clothing can serve as material evidence.
How does an unpleasant smell under the armpits appear?
The presence of sweat on the surface of the skin triggers the mechanism of odor formation. By itself, the sweat of the apocrine glands is odorless, but it contains relatively high levels of lipids. Oily and viscous liquid serves nutrient medium for bacteria, most often staphylococci, which live on the surface of the skin, feed on softened proteins and fats, multiply in sweat and decompose organic matter sweat, as well as dying cells on the skin near the sweat glands. IN armpit there are about 150 various kinds bacteria and each square centimeter Armpits are home to millions of bacteria. As a result of their activity, unsaturated fatty acids and ammonia compounds are formed, which smell unpleasant. It is with this smell that you have to fight, because the sweat itself can be removed from the body with a damp cloth or by taking a shower. And if a person consumes a lot of spices, onions and garlic, then his sweat will smell even sharper. Bad smell some drugs can also cause, for example, drugs that contain sulfur.
After sweat breaks out on the skin, it becomes salty. This means that other substances are released along with water. Even thousands of years ago, people knew that sweating is useful in some cases, since the body is cleansed. What comes out with sweat?
Composition of sweat
Depending on the characteristics of the body and environmental conditions, the composition of sweat may vary. The amount of moisture evaporated through the skin also changes. The higher the ambient temperature and the lower the humidity, the stronger man sweats. This is no coincidence, because the liquid, evaporating, takes away part of the thermal energy and cools the body. The composition of sweat is also affected by the quality of kidney function and metabolic processes.
Doing heavy physical work, straining, a person can lose more than 1 liter of water per day. But in addition to water, which is about 98-99%, sweat also includes other substances:
- protein breakdown products (ammonia, urea, lactic acid);
- sodium and calcium salts;
- potassium salt;
- phosphates;
- some fatty acids;
- some amino acids;
- compounds of iron, magnesium, sulfur;
- vitamins.
- antigens that can be used to determine the blood group.
In total, there are about 250 chemical compounds that come out through the pores on the skin during sweating. In patients diabetes in a sweat increased content glucose. If a person actively uses muscle strength, then lactic acid is released. Through the pores, iodine and quinine compounds obtained with medicines. Of course, the amount of all these substances is small, but with prolonged profuse sweating, it gives its effect.
Cleansing the body
Baths, saunas, steam rooms exist among many peoples. Their purpose is not only to cleanse the surface of the skin, but also to cleanse the body from the inside. It has been observed that after a person sweats heavily, he begins to feel better. This is due to the fact that together with sweat through the skin are excreted harmful substances and the blood is cleansed. Harmful elements such as mercury and arsenic are released. The body relaxes, the muscles rest, and the body becomes healthier.
With intense and prolonged sweating, dehydration of the body occurs, so the lack of moisture must be replenished. Drinking in dry saunas is good Herb tea and plain clean water.
With a cold, a person can sweat a lot, so they give him a drink. The perspiration that forms on the body cools it, lowering the temperature.
Together with sweat, phenols, acetone and ethanol therefore, it is believed that after an excessive libation it is useful to sweat. However, it will not be possible to completely free the blood from alcohol in this way.
Color and smell of sweat
There are two types of sweat glands on the human body. Apocrine glands begin to work only from the moment of puberty of a person and are not located throughout the body, but only in some of its areas. They secrete a whitish liquid.
In contrast, the eccrine glands cover almost the entire body, work from birth and secrete an almost completely transparent liquid.
In a healthy person, sweat is colorless and odorless. The smell appears only after a while, when bacteria begin to actively multiply.
When kidney function is impaired, sweat can smell strongly of ammonia. The odor is affected by spicy, fatty food and some medications taken by a person (especially with sulfur).
In case of metabolic disorders, taking toxic foods or drugs, sweat in the armpits may change its color to yellow or some other shade. The color can also be affected by bacteria living on the body. A bluish tint is given to sweat by iron compounds, which greatly affect the color of copper and iodine compounds.
Sweat contains substances that we perceive unconsciously (pheromones). They differ depending on the gender of a person and other features of his body. These substances, together with other factors, can influence the relationship of people and the choice of a sexual partner.
It turns out that sweat performs many functions, and its composition can determine the state of health. Sweating is useful, but in moderation, and trying to completely cleanse the body only with the help of sweating is useless, because percentage it contains few impurities.
Sweating of each person is purely individual and depends on body weight, frequency physical activities, as well as the degree of moisture in the body. This process is vital for us so that we do not faint from exposure elevated temperatures. Wise nature has equipped the human body with three million sweat glands, the largest concentration of which is located in the area of the palms. It is believed that the average person in an aggressive environment loses from 0.7 to 1.5 liters of fluid per hour.
Putting a volunteer on a treadmill, theoretically, running all the time, and keeping his body hydrated all the time would keep him sweating throughout the entire process.
The amount of sweat is related to activity
body most active people, when they exercise, excretes 1.5 to 1.8 liters of fluid per hour. By comparison, triathletes can produce up to 4 liters of fluid in the same amount of time. It is known that during the Iron Man competitions held in Hawaii, some participants lost up to 15 liters of fluid during the entire combined marathon (2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling and running).
Some interesting facts
Lawrence Sprit of the University of Ontario says that sweating is not always constant, and after a person's body has lost 3 to 5% of its mass, sweating starts to slow down.
Physiologist Lawrence Armstrong proved that human body continues to sweat regardless of the degree of dehydration. And while the hypothalamus sends nerve impulses To sweat glands we do it all the time. If sweating stops, then a disaster has happened to the person, and he needs medical help. 
What happens when body temperature rises to a critical point
If a person's body temperature rises above 40 degrees, the body overheats, which in turn leads to protein denaturation. Tissue membranes lose their integrity, the course of normal processes is disturbed, and the body plunges into shock, a person loses consciousness or even falls into a coma.
Conclusion
Thus, the importance of pot is difficult to underestimate. Its function is to maintain an acceptable temperature for the body. It is safe to say that as long as a person is alive, he will always sweat.
Many people feel great discomfort when sweating, even when the amount of sweat is very small.
They are trying in every possible way to prevent this process.
However, not everyone knows how important this process is in human life.
You can learn about what sweat is, its composition and what functions it performs from this article.
Letters from our readers
Subject: I got rid of hyperhidrosis!
To: site administration
Christina
Moscow
I have recovered from excessive sweating. I tried powders, Formagel, Teymurov's ointment - nothing helped.
The human body contains over 5 million sweat glands. They are located on different areas bodies:
- tip ;
- lips;
Sweat glands are absent only on the mucous membranes.
It has long been known that women sweat half as much as men. However, there are periods when the activity of the sweat glands increases in a woman:
- second half menstrual cycle when progesterone is actively produced;
- period of menopause.
The main function of sweat is thermoregulation. When the sweat glands begin to work actively, and moisture appears on the surface of the skin, which cools it.
In addition, profuse sweating is observed during illness at high body temperature. When the virus enters the body, the active production of antibodies begins, which are aimed at destroying it. The higher the body temperature, the more antibodies are produced. At this point, the person sweats a lot.
Together with sweat, waste products of bacteria are excreted from the human body, which accumulate in large quantities during illness. If they are not removed, then intoxication of the body may occur.
Sweat fluid helps cleanse the organs of accumulated toxins and toxins that do not come out with feces. Sweat also removes waste products from the human body. chemical compounds formed as a result of the use of various medications.
Sweat is a liquid containing various chemical compounds. Its basis is water, which perfectly dissolves in itself various substances and removes them from the human body.
The sweat fluid cleanses the body of a large number salt, which is why it may taste salty.
The composition of sweat largely depends on the age of the person and his lifestyle. hygiene, food, bad habits largely determine what components it consists of.
Sweat is usually odorless, but a person's nose can pick up a slight scent. This is due to the fact that pheromones are released along with sweat. Thanks to them, people have an inexplicable attraction to each other, or vice versa - disgust.
For effective treatment armpit sweating at home, experts advise complex "Dry Control". This unique remedy:
- Normalizes the psycho-emotional state
- Stabilizes perspiration
- Completely suppresses odor
- Eliminates the causes of excessive sweating
- Suitable for adults and children
- Has no contraindications
An unpleasant odor can also form in the armpits and groin area, since it is in these places that a favorable environment is formed for the reproduction of bacteria. The products of their vital activity form a sharp amber.
In addition to water and salts, sweat may include:
- lactic, citric, ascorbic acid;
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- ammonia;
- polyunsaturated fatty acids;
- urea;
- amino acids.
Despite such a large number of components, sweat fluid has no color, that is, it is transparent. Sweat can become colored for a variety of reasons. The appearance of yellow or blue sweat in the armpits may signal large cluster bacteria.
Their waste products are the cause of colored sweat, usually yellow. However, it may indicate various diseases Therefore, it is necessary to consult with a competent specialist and pass a series of tests.
It cannot be said with certainty that there is any specific norm for the amount of sweat. Office worker who spends everything work time sitting on a chair sweats much less than a worker in a factory. But still, on average, the sweat glands secrete half a liter of sweat per day. With active, the amount can increase to 1-1.5 liters per day.
Sweating is largely dependent on nervous state person. Many people face the problem of excessive sweating during the time. To do this, they are prescribed a reception sedatives. With a strong psycho-emotional disorder doctors prescribe tranquilizers or antidepressants.
If a person began to notice that he was sweating more than usual, and sweating continues even in calm state This is an excuse to visit a doctor. Increased sweating(hyperhidrosis) may signal possible diseases. Before you eliminate profuse sweating, you need to get rid of the root cause.
Sweating performs essential function protect the body from overheating. Sweat glands are located on the entire surface of the body, their work is regulated sympathetic department autonomic nervous system. Intensity normal discharge sweat gland fluids different people is not the same. Therefore, excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) is said only in cases where copious excretion sweat causes constant discomfort significantly reducing the quality of life.
Today we will talk about the conditions that cause hyperhidrosis.
Changes in the level of female sex hormones
Hyperhidrosis is often one of the manifestations of menopausal syndrome. A woman periodically experiences hot flashes to the face, neck and upper chest, accompanied by increased heart rate and sweating. This can happen at any time of the day or night. If attacks occur no more than 20 times a day, the situation is considered normal and does not require medical intervention. When Others Join Hyperhidrosis unpleasant symptoms(pain in the head or in the chest, increased blood pressure, numbness of the hands, urinary incontinence, dry mucous membranes, etc.), a woman should consult a gynecologist regarding compensatory therapy.
Excessive sweating of the whole body is also characteristic of the first two trimesters of pregnancy. It appears in the background hormonal adjustment and is considered normal. Hyperhidrosis in the third trimester is associated with an acceleration of metabolism, the accumulation of large amounts of fluid in the body, or a set of excess weight. warning signs may have an ammonia smell perspiration and the appearance of white marks on clothes, indicating violations of the kidneys.
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Pathology of the thyroid gland
Hyperhidrosis is one of the symptoms of abnormally high production of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). It occurs with the following diseases:
- nodular toxic goiter;
- Graves' disease (diffuse goiter);
- subacute thyroiditis.
Excessive sweating caused by wrong work thyroid gland, sometimes manifested in pituitary tumors. If hyperhidrosis is combined with a sharp weight loss on the background increased appetite, hand tremors, disturbances heart rate, irritability and anxiety, it is urgent to consult an endocrinologist.
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fluctuations in blood glucose levels
Excessive sweating often occurs with diabetes. In this case, it is associated with a violation of thermoregulation. Diabetes of any type leads to destruction nerve endings, as a result of which it becomes impossible to adequately transmit signals to the sweat glands. In diabetics, hyperhidrosis primarily affects upper half body: face, neck, chest and abdomen. Characteristically increased excretion fluids at night.
Hyperhidrosis can also indicate an insufficient amount of glucose in the blood (hypoglycemia). In patients with diabetes, the cause of the problem is usually a violation of the diet or an overdose of sugar-lowering drugs. medicines. Healthy people sometimes lack glucose after heavy physical exertion. With hypoglycemia, cold clammy sweat appears mainly on the back of the head and back of the neck. An attack may be accompanied by dizziness, nausea, trembling, and blurred vision. To quickly get rid of the ailment, you need to eat something sweet (banana, candy, etc.).
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Problems with the heart and blood vessels
Almost all diseases of cardio-vascular system to some extent accompanied by hyperhidrosis. Increased sweating is inherent in the following pathologies:
- hypertonic disease;
- atherosclerosis;
- obliterating endarteritis;
- angina;
- transient ischemic attack;
- vascular thrombosis.
In addition, sweat glands increased load work in people suffering from pericarditis or myocarditis.
