Disorders of sweating
The sweat is produced by sweat glands and transported to the surface of the skin through conduits. The sweating helps keep the body cool. For this reason, people sweat more when it’s hot. So do when they’re nervous or stressed. The sweat is composed primarily of water but also contains salt (sodium chloride) and other chemicals. When a person sweats a lot, the loss of water and salt should be replaced.
Sudamina
The sudamina is a rash that occurs when the sweat is retained. When the narrow conduits that carry sweat to the skin surface become blocked, the sweat trapped cause inflammation, which causes irritation (rash) and itching. The sudamina normally consists of an eruption characterized by tiny blisters, but also can appear as large areas of skin redness.
The sudamina is more common in hot and humid climates, but the people who harbor too much in cold weather can also develop it. The areas most frequently affected by the eruption are the torso and thighs.
Reducing the sweating is often control the problem. It is important to keep the skin fresh and dry, and avoid conditions that may increase the sweating: the air conditioning is ideal. They are often used lotions with corticosteroids, to which they are sometimes adds a bit of menthol, but these topical treatments are not as effective as changing the environment and the use of an adequate clothing.
Excessive sweating
The excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) can affect the entire surface of the skin, but generally is limited to the palms, soles, armpits or English. The affected area is often pink or bluish-white and in severe cases the skin can present cracks, scaly and soften, especially in the feet. Sometimes the affected area shows a fetid odor (bromidrosis), caused by bacteria and yeast that break down the sweat and skin wet.
The sweaty hands and feet are a normal response to anxiety and it is also customary for a person sweat a lot when you have a fever. However, a frequent and abundant sweating all over the body requires medical attention because it may be a sign of hyperactivity of the thyroid, a low concentration of sugar in the blood or an alteration in the region of the nervous system that controls sweating. Blood tests can determine whether the thyroid function or the concentration of sugar in the blood are abnormal.
