Why do I sweat a lot in summer?

Generally speaking, it is normal to sweat more in the hot summer. However, if you sweat too much, it can cause the flow of blood circulation in the human body to decrease, the circulation to slow down, and the heat dissipation of the human body to decrease. , resulting in an increase in body temperature. Excessive sweating can also cause the body to lose salt, causing cells to suffer from heat cramps due to sodium deficiency.

What are the dangers of excessive sweating?

1. Loss of nutrients. When you sweat a lot, essential trace elements such as zinc, selenium, manganese, iron, and copper are gradually lost from the human body, causing growth retardation in children and decline in adult physical fitness.

2. Decreased immunity. People who sweat a lot are more likely to catch colds and often suffer from sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose or indigestion and diarrhea.

3. Digestive function is weakened. Manifested in poor appetite, anorexia, weight loss, etc.

4. Restricted intellectual development.

As children sweat for a long time, essential elements in the body are slowly lost, the development of the nervous system is affected, the concentration is poor, and the intellectual development is impaired. There is a group of people who do not shed a drop of sweat even on hot days. This symptom is called "anhidrosis."

Why do you sweat so much in summer?

1. Classified by physiology and pathology

(1) Physiological sweating. Sweating in hot weather and after heavy exercise is a physiological phenomenon. It is a physiological function of the human body to excrete and regulate body temperature. It is controlled by the sympathetic nerves in the autonomic nervous system. When the ambient temperature or body temperature exceeds the human body's own body temperature set point, in order to prevent the body temperature from rising further, the sympathetic nerve is excited and controls the secretion of sweat glands. The sweat evaporates and takes away heat, thereby lowering the body temperature. Sweat gland secretion is closely related to exercise intensity, and there are individual differences in how much you sweat.

(2) Pathological hyperhidrosis.

① Night sweats occur when sleeping at night and sweating involuntarily.

② Spontaneous sweating occurs during the day and does not occur naturally due to labor, heavy clothing or heat, or sweating profusely due to slight exercise.

2. According to primary and secondary classification

Primary hyperhidrosis refers to a state of hypersecretion of sweat glands without obvious reasons. It is an autonomic nervous system disorder caused by excessive secretion of sweat glands. . Secondary hyperhidrosis is a symptom of hyperhidrosis caused by some neuroendocrine and other systemic diseases (such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes, hypoglycemia, cardiovascular disease, respiratory failure, etc.).

3. According to the location of sweating

Hyperhidrosis can be divided into generalized hyperhidrosis and localized hyperhidrosis. Generalized hyperhidrosis is mostly secondary hyperhidrosis, while localized hyperhidrosis is mostly primary hyperhidrosis.

Sweating is a physiological function of the human body to excrete and regulate body temperature. However, if the way of sweating, the amount, color and smell of sweat change, it can be a precursor to certain diseases and should be attract attention. The following is an explanation of some common sweating phenomena from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine:

Spontaneous sweating

Frequent sweating is not caused by taking diaphoretic drugs and other irritating factors due to the hot weather, which is called "spontaneous sweating". sweat". Spontaneous sweating is often caused by weak lung qi, insufficient defense yang, and leakage of body fluids. Therefore, it is often accompanied by symptoms of yang qi deficiency such as mental fatigue, fatigue, shortness of breath, and chills. It is more common in children with rickets and patients with hyperthyroidism.

Night sweats

Sweating occurs when you fall asleep and stops when you wake up. Night sweats are mostly caused by yin deficiency. Yin deficiency results in hyperactivity of yang, and yin does not control yang. The body fluids are sweated, so they are often accompanied by symptoms such as five heart upsets, heat, insomnia, and dryness of the mouth and throat. Commonly seen in patients in the infiltrative stage of pulmonary tuberculosis.

War sweat

That is, sweating after the whole body trembles, which is a manifestation of the struggle between good and evil in the process of febrile STD. For example, after sweating, the fever subsides and the pulse is quiet and the body is cool, which means that the evil spirits have been eliminated and the vitality has been restored, which is a good sign. If the limbs feel cold and irritable after sweating, it means that righteousness cannot overcome evil. If righteousness decreases as the body becomes weak, it is a sign of critical illness. War sweats are more common in the early and middle stages of various infectious diseases.

Absolute sweating

Refers to the condition of critical illness, weak righteousness and loss of yang energy, and continuous sweating, which is often accompanied by shortness of breath, cold limbs, weak pulse, and sometimes no waits. Critical disease is a sign that Yang Qi is about to die, and it is more common in patients with heart failure and collapse.

Head sweat

Sweating is limited to the head. It is mostly caused by evil heat in the upper burner or damp heat in the middle burner, and is more common in Yangming fever and damp heat syndrome. If it is seen after a serious illness, or if the elderly are asthmatic and sweat on their foreheads, it is mostly a deficiency syndrome. For example, in the late stage of a serious illness, sudden profuse sweating on the forehead is a sign of a crisis in which Yin deficiency is rising, Yin deficiency cannot attach to Yang, and Yin fluid is detached along with Qi. However, children often sweat on their heads when sleeping. If there are no other symptoms, it is not a symptom of the disease.

Partial sweating

Commonly known as "half-body sweating". It occurs on the left or right side, on the upper or lower body. They are all caused by wind phlegm or rheumatism blocking the meridians, poor health, or disharmony between qi and blood. It is more common in patients with rheumatism or hemiplegia. If an elderly person suffers from excessive sweating, it may be a sign of stroke.

Cold sweat

Refers to fear of cold and sweating due to cold limbs. There is no fever before sweating, and there is no thirst. It is often accompanied by cold symptoms such as listlessness, pale complexion, loose stools, clear and long urine, slow and heavy pulse, and pale tongue. It is mostly caused by usual Yang deficiency and insufficient Wei Qi, but it can also be caused by being frightened.

In addition, sweaty palms are often a sign of being too nervous; sweating on the chest is a sign of overthinking; those who often sweat at the slightest movement are either too obese or too weak; diabetics' sweat is slightly fragrant; liver The sweat of cirrhosis patients has a special liver smell.