Why do we sweat
Sweat is used to cool the body. When it is hot, from an external body temperature of approx. 37 degrees (98.4 degrees Fahrenheit), heat can only be dissipated via our body’s own air conditioning system, via sweating. Small children up to the age of approx. 4 years, the regulation of the body is still very high unstable. But it also gets worse in older people, from about 65 years of age.
Small amounts of liquid evaporate on our skin every day and prevent our body from overheating. When beads of sweat become visible on the skin, this is commonly referred to as sweating. Blood vessels dilate and the pores in the skin open. Everyone knows situations like this, when blood pressure and heart rate rise in exciting situations, when you are afraid or happy, and your palms, forehead or armpits become damp.
The regulation of body temperature via the autonomic nervous system
The autonomic nervous system is also called the autonomic nervous system because it functions without voluntary control. It regulates the inner workings of the body and controls, among other things, glandular activity, circulation, respiratory rate, blood pressure, heartbeat, metabolism, body temperature, elimination, activity, sleep, growth, maturation and reproduction.
The autonomic nervous system consists of two large nerve areas with opposing functions. While the sympathetic nervous system (sympathetic nervous system) is responsible for activity, energy reduction and exertion, the parasympathetic nervous system (parasympathetic nervous system) takes care of rest, relaxation and the storage of energy.
Sweating cleans our body and keeps the skin supple
When sweating, the organism not only excretes water with sweat, but also toxins and metabolic waste products such as urea, formic and acetic acid, lactic acid, mineral salts and toxins through the pores that have penetrated through food, air and water. Horny cells detach. The exits of the sebaceous glands open, keratinized sebum softens, excess water in the connective tissue is excreted and the skin is deeply cleansed. If the sweat and sebum glands are not working properly, the skin becomes dry, tends to form flakes and loses elasticity. The skin is often referred to as the third kidney because of its great ability to excrete salts and waste products.