Not all sweat is good?

Last night I was thinking about my days in school and the wonderful friends I made. I refer to these friends as family because they fit that description perfectly. These memory lane thoughts brought an interesting book we read, The Lion And The Jewel by Wole Soyinka to the fore and one quote caught my attention; “…my child the monkey sweats it is only the hair upon its back that still deceives the world.” This novel makes an excellent read and the above quote is heavily loaded. I can link it to many things happening in the world today.

Almost everyone has had a bout with sweat; some leave us with good memories and in some instances we want to forget about it quickly. If you have been exercising to optimize your health, you certainly know what it feels like to break a good sweat especially if you are blessed to have an odour-free sweat day. You may also have realized that many other things cause you to sweat and some may not leave you with benefits. There are cases of people over sweating or barely sweating and both situations may require medical attention.


Sweating is the body’s natural way of keeping you cool. As the body temperature rises, sweat glands spring into action to produce sweat. As the sweat evaporates from your body it keeps you cool. When external conditions are not exactly right a lot of this sweat will simply drip down. Sweat also hydrates your skin and may help to balance your body fluids and electrolytes such as sodium and calcium.


You are in the majority if you sweat under the following conditions:


1. Exercising


a. When the intensity of exercise increases, we tend to sweat to cool the body down. This does not necessarily mean that the one sweating the most is exercising the best. Remember that conditions under which you exercise also contribute the sweating. Exercising in a cool well ventilated area may cause you to sweat less than someone sitting in a sauna but your benefits to the body will far-outweigh that of the sauna buff. The sauna has its benefits though.


2. Stress/Anxiety


a. Occasional short-lived anger may be a good emotion but when it becomes frequent and persistent then it is a major challenge. In addition to increasing your heart rate and blood pressure it can also heat up your body causing you to sweat excessively.


b. Anxiety, stress and nervousness have the habit of making you sweat especially in your palms and soles of your feet. I am sure you have experienced that before. When this happens we tend to avoid handshakes.

3. Certain Disease Conditions


a. Whenever we are ill especially as a result of an infection, the body raises its temperature to make it less appealing to the germs. Then at extreme levels we sweat to cool the body.


b. Some heart conditions, an overactive thyroid, diabetes, infections, cancer and tuberculosis may cause one to sweat. The sweat may in some cases be related to a particular time of the day.


4. Foods and Beverages


a. Excessive alcohol consumption causes the blood vessels of the skin to dilate and we tend to sweat. It’s not too difficult to tell when you meet someone who is sweating as a result of downing an extremely concentrated shot of alcohol or from having one too many drinks.


b. I am addicted to Spicy Foods and I can confirm the sweat that can result from such a meal. Reason? The spice stimulates the same nerve receptors that respond to heat.


c. That cup of coffee is making you sweat not only from the heat from the drink but also as a result of stimulating your brain. Good sweat?


5. Smoking

a. Nicotine eventually stimulates the sweat glands and cause beads of sweat to drip down your body. Then there is also the unpleasant sweating when you stop smoking. Fortunately if you hold out long enough, this withdrawal sweating will cease. Why do we even bother to smoke when we know the odds are tipped heavily against us?


6. Medication


a. Some painkillers, blood pressure medication, cancer treatment and drugs for managing diabetes and depression may cause us to sweat more than we usually do. Whenever in doubt talk to a healthcare professional.


7. Pregnancy


a. With all the hormone hikes and an increase in metabolism, it’s not surprising that one gets hotter during pregnancy and the sweat glands become more active.


8. Menopause


a. Menopause and andropause are saddled with many challenges and sweating and hot flushes belong to this group.


9. Falling in Love

a. The love I have for my family from school and other friends will not let me break into a sweat but when you fall in love it starts in the brain and causes the release of chemicals that cause the heart to race, the voice to quiver sometimes and your palms and the soles of your feet bear the brunt of the sweat. Does lust cause the same type of sweating pattern? Maybe not. So next time when you can’t determine if its love or lust check your palms for tell-tale signs when you are in the presence of that special someone.


Why that embarrassing odour sometimes? Sweat is normally odourless but when it comes into contact with bacteria on the skin, it may produce an unpleasant smell. How much you sweat and the way your sweat smells can be influenced by your mood, what you eat, certain medication and disease conditions and your hormone levels. It may even be hereditary.


Make an effort to avoid the sweat you produced by smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and disease states that you can prevent by adopting a healthy lifestyle. The good sweat from moderately intense exercising for instance is always a plus; break into a healthy sweat today!!


AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)


*Dr Essel is a medical doctor and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy and fitness nutrition.


Thought for the week – “One healthy choice is always followed by another; make a healthy choice today”


Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel


Moms’ Health Club

dressel@healthclubsgh.com


References:


1. WebMD – Exercises for pregnancy


2. www.mayoclinic.com


3. The Lion And The Jewel – Wole Soyinka