Why Do I Sweat So Much?

If you always end up soaked while your friends are barely glistening, you might have wondered why your sweat glands are so… sweaty.

Hosted by: Hank Green

----------
----------
Dooblydoo thanks go to the following Patreon supporters: Lazarus G, Sam Lutfi, D.A. Noe, سلطان الخليفي, Piya Shedden, KatieMarie Magnone, Scott Satovsky Jr, Charles Southerland, Patrick D. Ashmore, Tim Curwick, charles george, Kevin Bealer, Chris Peters
----------
Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?
----------
Sources:

Images:

[Simte]

When people call you a goth for using black clothing but you know the true reason.

[sebastianelytron]

The real question is why does the body choose to sweat at the worst moments, like when meeting people?🤔

[Master_Therion]

My friend has hyperhidrosis and I worry about his safety.
He's always visiting the shady parts of town.

[savannah]

I can be cold and shivering and still sweating in the armpit region. It sucks. It even influences the clothes that I buy/wear. Whenever I have to wear bright colors, I spend the whole time paranoid that my sweat is showing through (it usually does), which I’m sure isn’t helping to sweating situation either. Plus, I swear antiperspirants make me sweat even more (on days where I delay putting it on, I don’t sweat nearly as much - it’s like my body wants to clear the clogged glands by flushing it out with even more sweat). It never stinks though, so at least there’s a silver lining.

[jaredgarbo]

Walk onto a train, start sweating, walk into my house, start sweating, walk outside my house, start sweating, walk into class, start sweating. I probably have this.

[Twisted_Rose]

As a girl with a sweat problem, I was so scared to see a doctor about it. I'm so glad I did though, as I now have botox injections under my arms every 6 months, and it's literally changed my life. I can now wear whatever colours I want without worrying about it. The injections are VERY painful, as I'm sure you can imagine, being stabbed 15-20 times with a needle in each armpit.. But it's been so worth it. I'm so glad you guys did a video about this, as people who sweat too much are often ridiculed for it, but it's a genuine condition and people need to understand this. It's not just 'bad hygiene', which I've heard way too much.

[Nadiki]

I sweat profusely from my forehead in even slight heat or after minor labor. It's annoying as hell. Everywhere else is normal though.

[kditty]

I have hyperhidrosis. It's embarrassing lol.

[keriezy]

Hyperhidrosis and caffeine sweats combined suck. I doubt the number is as low as 3%.

[LittleBitVic]

For those who have frequent excessive sweating on your hands, feet, and underarms, you might want to check with a doctor to see if there's a dysautonomic cause. In my case, I experience the aforementioned symptoms as well as sudden blood pressure spikes or valleys, tachycardia, dizziness, vomiting, blacking out, and fainting. I received two tests--a powder sweat test on the hands and a tilt table test--and found I had a genetic disorder called Neurocardiogenic Syncope.

When I was diagnosed, no one in the U.S. had studies on it, and it was a fairly newly discovered disorder. It's still not as well known, but what research is now conducted by the Mayo Clinic shows that this is very common, but due to it affecting mainly women and the old trope that women faint in all stressful events, people think it's normal and harmless until it's too late!

There are many dysautonomias aside from NCS, and I encourage everyone to talk to their doctor if they experience two or more of the listed symptoms for years at a time.

[areallyrealisticguyd]

Omg this video helps so much!! I always wondered why I'd sweat so much in the middle of winter while just standing still when my friends were completely fine

[micahphilson]

*OH MY GOD, IS THIS ABSOLUTELY ME!* Today, just playing pool and ping pong, I was sweating!
I've always been the sweatiest one, it's just something about me. Some think at first that it's just because I'm overweight, but as a kid, I was one of the skinniest, and I can tell you, it was the same. Plus, I sweat more sometimes just walking for a long time than a seriously overweight person does doing stairs!

It also doesn't help that I love the cold so much. My ideal room temperature is like 50 F. 45-60 (8-15 C) is perfect for me, possibly as a reaction to how I tend to sweat. I also don't hate heat, but only dry. Humidity is what kills me, I sweat like 3 times as much then!

[checkmyplaylist]

You're not sweating, your head is just crying because they are burning

[DankMatter]

The most I sweat is when I'm near a girl and get nervous

[XamiNaxamis]

Alright, then why do I overheat and sweat so much only at night or sleeping?

[SneakySalamander]

My husband has this issue. He can step outside and be suddenly soaked all over. Dripping into his eyes. There is a reason I do all of the yard work and he cleans the kitchen.

[TrentDonelson]

I've had a lot of luck with iontophoresis. Years ago I bought a set of Drionic underarm devices, which worked. After their proprietary ($$$) batteries died (which were just 9v in a unique shape), I decided to make my own. I also made them more comfortable to wear. They worked great! Now there are YouTube videos on how to build your own using cheap common parts.

There's debate on why it works. A popular theory is that ionized water molecules plug your pores like the alluminum in antiperspirants do. I'm in the camp that thinks the process just numbs the nerves that activate the sweating.

Each session (15min/day over 3 days) keeps me dry 2-3 weeks, and then when I notice the sweat start to return, I repeat. This has been working for over a decade.

[rossrobson]

It's hard for me to even do the basic things like going to the shop, getting a haircut, going to the dentist without sweat pouring out of me, it's so frustrating as inside I'm not even nervous but because I know it's going to happen that's what makes me nervous

[F_L_U_X]

I went to a dermatologist and was prescribed Oxybutynin. It's a bladder control medicine but one of its side effects is that it makes you sweat less. It didn't help me, but it might help for some of you guys.

[SweetTacos]

I hate my hyperhidrosis.. I used to wear two sweaters to school as well as a t-shirt to try and cover it and it would all be soaked through by the end of the day. Going to the bathroom every half hour to try and dry my sopping armpits. Drysole (one of those dab on sweat blockers) did nothing for me. Finally after dealing with it for soooo long, I found out a clinic near me does botox for that exact purpose! Best decision I ever made. I can wear whatever i want without the fear of being soaked in sweat within minutes