Sweating under stress: peculiarities of occurrence and methods of treatment. Nervous sweating - how to overcome it

Sometimes people have to deal with such a phenomenon as excessive sweating during stress. The scientific name for this is hyperhidrosis. It can manifest itself for various reasons, one of which is the physiological characteristics of the body. Each person's sweat glands function differently.

The difference is observed not only in the amount of sweating, but also in their smell. The activity of the sweat glands directly depends on the internal state of the body. During stress and nervous strain, the amount of sweating increases, giving the person uncomfortable sensations. It is worth figuring out why it is during stress that a person begins to sweat actively?

Causes of heavy sweating in stressful situations

Excessive sweating under stress may be due to sympathetic hyperactivity. nervous system... It is generally not difficult to diagnose the disease, but there is also secondary hyperhidrosis, which has symptoms characteristic a huge number other diseases. It can be infectious diseases of various etiologies, tuberculosis, endocrine system pathologies, diabetes mellitus, pneumonia and many other diseases.

The causes of profuse sweating during stressful situations are a feeling of fear, anxiety, and malfunctioning of the nervous system. The correct functioning of the processes taking place in the body directly depends on the nervous system: heartbeat, digestion, respiration.

She also takes part in the processes of thermoregulation and controls the sweat glands, therefore being in a stressful situation and hyperhidrosis are closely interrelated. When a person worries, fears, worries, is in a state of depression, or, on the contrary, experiences vivid positive emotions, sweating begins, which affects not only the future life of a person, but also his well-being. Heavy sweating during stress can be accompanied by:

  • Insomnia;
  • Disorder of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
  • Loss of strength;
  • A characteristic unpleasant smell from sweat, which is quite difficult to remove with the help of cosmetics;
  • Lack of appetite;

Being in a stressful situation forces a person to correct body temperature, reacting to anxiety as a pseudo-anxiety. This is what is considered the main reason why the body begins to produce more fluid and, as a result, profuse sweating.

How to get rid of heavy sweating during stress?

Excessive sweating during stress not only causes discomfort in a person, but also has a rather unpleasant odor. This sweating is difficult to control, but there are methods that can help get rid of the problem:

  1. Try to listen to calm, relaxing music as often as possible.
  2. Practice yoga.
  3. Take anti-anxiety medications with permission.
  4. Find auto trainings that can help you relax and control your emotions.
  5. Start eating healthily by including foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals.
  6. Do your personal hygiene as often as possible.

It should be understood that in order to achieve the desired result, the above methods will not be able to give an instant effect. How quickly it will turn out to reduce sweating during stress will depend on the individual characteristics of the human body and its mental state.

If you cannot get rid of profuse sweating in any way, then it becomes necessary to use specially developed products sold in the pharmacy. However, there are such options:

  • Try to protect yourself as much as possible from stressful situations that make you anxious and depressed.
  • See a psychotherapist who can help you change your attitude towards hyperhidrosis and teach you how to try to stay calm during stressful situations.
  • It is also possible to use the methods traditional medicine, for example, herbal baths that dry the skin and relieve inflammation (string, chamomile, oak bark). Also, these herbs are used in the preparation of ointments and infusions. Don't expect an instant effect. Treatment with alternative methods can take place for several months.

It is impossible to completely get rid of perspiration, since it is a process that is natural for the human body. However, minimizing sweating during times of stress is possible.

If nothing helps to get rid of the problem, then you can do it using the achievements of modern medicine (for example, laser correction). This option for eliminating profuse sweating is considered reliable and effective, but not everyone can afford it due to the high cost of the procedures.

Sweating is an absolutely normal and physiological process that accompanies every healthy person. However, most people manage to suppress the main signs of sweating by following the rules of hygiene and the selection of good cosmetic products. However, there are times when the armpits sweat so much that it brings serious discomfort to the person. This is becoming a big aesthetic problem. Today we'll talk about the causes of excessive sweating, consider the rules of sufficient hygiene and learn many secrets about how to deal with wet armpits.

Why does a person sweat

Moderate sweating is common in every person. But in what cases does a person sweat especially badly?

  1. At high temperatures, sweat secretion regulates heat exchange processes in the body. This is necessary so that a person does not overheat in the heat.
  2. A person sweats especially strongly during various emotional shocks - stress, fright, during experiences.
  3. A person sweats during exercise to reduce the temperature of the warming body.
  4. Sweating is a necessary condition for recovery from fever, acute respiratory viral infections, etc.
  5. Failure to comply with basic hygiene rules leads to increased sweating, which is accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
  6. Many hormonal changes in the body are accompanied by sweating - menopause, postpartum and premenstrual periods, pregnancy, lactation, etc.
  7. Obese people suffer more from increased sweating, since their metabolic processes are impaired or slowed down.
  8. Often, increased sweating can indicate certain diseases of the body. It can be endocrine disorders, VSD, diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system, oncology.
  9. Certain medications, including oral contraceptives, can promote perspiration.
  10. A large consumption of spicy, spicy, smoked and salty foods provokes increased sweating.
  11. If you wear tight, too warm or synthetic clothing, this can also lead to persistently wet armpits.

The pores through which sweat is released are located throughout the body. However, their greatest concentration is located in the armpits, palms and feet. That is why these areas of the body are most affected by moisture. We will show you some simple hygiene practices to help you suppress perspiration.

If your armpit sweat makes you blush in front of others as summer comes, try our tips.

  1. Take a shower every morning and evening. Sweat is 99% water, the rest is salt and toxins. Does not leave sweat on a clean body bad smell... However, if you do not shower in time, bacteria begin to multiply on the surface of the skin, which become the source of the stench.
  2. Be sure to wear clean and ironed shirts every day, even if you think yesterday's clothes are fine for re-wearing.
  3. After showering, wipe off underarms thoroughly before applying cosmetic product... When buying an antiperspirant, pay attention to its name - it should be an antiperspirant, not a deodorant. The former suppresses the activity of the sweat glands, while the latter simply hides the unpleasant odor.
  4. When choosing an antiperspirant, give preference to medicinal products that are more potent. Among them are Dry Dry, Purax. Some of these medicinal antiperspirants are so powerful that one application every few days is enough to keep your underarms dry.
  5. Wear clothes made only from natural fabrics - cotton, linen, etc. It should be spacious and comfortable enough. Dress for the weather - avoid overheating.
  6. If possible, try to stay in an air-conditioned room during the heat.
  7. If you are embarrassed about wet spots, you can use special liners that are attached to the clothes from the inside. They are very similar to feminine sanitary pads - on the one hand the Velcro, which is glued at the level of the armpits to the clothes, and on the other hand, a soft cotton surface that absorbs sweat and prevents it from spoiling appearance clothes.
  8. In order for the pores to get used to the heat and react less to it, they need to be trained. Do a contrast shower for your armpits twice a day - water them either cold or hot water... This will allow the capillaries to shrink and enlarge faster, adjusting to the external environment.
  9. In the morning and in the evening after a shower, you need to wipe the skin of the armpits with antibacterial compounds - alcohol lotion, medicinal solutions.

These simple tips help you cope with increased sweating, if it is caused by external factors. If the reasons lie within the body, you can try using safe and effective remedies that are sold at the pharmacy.

Medicines for underarm sweating

These are popular pharmaceutical preparations that disinfect, deodorize and suppress the activity of the sweat glands. The most popular remedy is Teymurov's paste. It contains boric acid, zinc oxide, salicylic acid, lead acetate, formaldehyde solution and many other substances that actively cope with excessive sweating. The paste should be applied to clean and dry underarm skin. Prolonged and frequent use of the paste can lead to individual intolerance to the agent, which is expressed in a rash and headache.

One more effective remedy from sweating - Lassar paste. It has a disinfecting and drying effect. You can use Formagel, which acts specifically on the sweat glands and suppresses their activity. Formidron works very well against sweating. It is applied to the armpit skin with a thin, indelible layer, due to which the activity of the sebaceous glands is suppressed. Galmanin powder is also very effective. It contains salicylic acid, talc, starch. It not only deodorizes and dries, but also prevents the formation of prickly heat and various rashes. However, remember that any product must be used strictly according to the instructions, not exceeding the permissible doses and period of use.

If you constantly think about moving your hands so that wet spots do not open up to others, if wet armpits do not allow you to live normally, you can get rid of them with the help of improvised means and folk recipes.

  1. Lemon. Every day after showering, wipe dry underarm skin with lemon juice. It will inhibit the activity of bacteria, give the skin a pleasant citrus scent and reduce the amount of sweat produced.
  2. Soda. A strong baking soda solution can also kill microorganisms that are the source of bad odors. Add two tablespoons of baking soda to a glass of water. Wipe the armpits with this composition three times a day and after a couple of days they will sweat much less.
  3. Oak bark. A decoction of oak bark contains many tannins, which have a drying and deodorizing effect. A tablespoon of chopped bark should be poured with a glass of boiling water and cooked over low heat for about half an hour. Then the broth should be covered with a lid, wrap and let it brew. Wipe the armpits with the strained composition twice a day.
  4. Alcohol. You can wipe the skin of the armpits with resorcinol, boric or plain medical alcohol diluted in half with water.
  5. Hydrogen peroxide. It will get rid of moisture and sweat odors. Dilute the peroxide in half with water, soak cotton pads in the composition and apply to the armpit area as a compress. Dilute the peroxide in rinse water to kill microorganisms on the fabric.
  6. Apple vinegar. Apple cider vinegar also perfectly suppresses the activity of the sebaceous glands, but to get the result, vinegar should be used regularly, twice a day for a month. Dissolve a spoonful of vinegar in a third of a glass of water and wipe the armpit skin with this composition. Don't wear clothes until the vinegar on your skin is completely dry.
  7. Alcohol tinctures. it wonderful way, both for systemic use and for instant results. If you have an important performance, just wipe your armpits with alcoholic herbal tinctures and in the next couple of hours you will be protected from wet spots by armpits. So, to prepare the tincture, you need to put green horsetail, leaves in a dark glass bottle walnut and oak bark. Pour over with vodka or alcohol, leave in a cool dark place for three weeks. Then the composition must be filtered, diluted in half with water and wiped under the armpits three times a day.
  8. Chamomile. Add chamomile tea to the water every time you take a bath. This will dry out the skin, soothe it and reduce the activity of the sweat glands.

Take advantage of these recipes, they are not only effective, but also safe. In addition, the cost of such "medicines" is very low; the ingredients for some of the recipes you probably already have at home.

If all of the above tips do not help you to get rid of excessive sweating, you should see your doctor. Perhaps the hyperhidrosis is caused by a disease or malfunction of the body. If the cause is treated, the symptom (active sweating) will go away with the disease.

However, it happens that after a thorough examination, no pathological conditions are detected. In this case, the doctor does not associate hyperhidrosis with any diagnosis and concludes that it is individual feature organism. But in this case, you can find a way out. Botox can be injected into the underarms. They block the sweat glands and you just stop sweating in this area. You can use a medical operation, during which the nerve nodes that feed the sweat glands are destroyed. Due to this, they stop receiving a signal from the body and do not secrete a secret. Another popular procedure is Curettage. During this medical intervention, the sweat glands are simply removed. That is, no glands, no sweat. However, the effect is not permanent - after a few years sweating is restored and the operation must be repeated.

Sweating is a vague concept that can be both a physiological norm and a symptom of a serious illness. In each case, a doctor must understand. If you suffer from underarm sweating that you cannot deal with on your own, see a therapist. In the future, he can send you to narrow specialists - a gynecologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, etc. Watch your body, react to its signals in order to maintain health for many years.

Video: methods of treating hyperhidrosis

Emotional hyperhidrosis- this is a condition in which increased sweating is caused by strong emotions, and not only negative emotions can cause hyper-persistence, but also positive ones (great joy, an overabundance of feelings, admiration). Excessive sweating is usually observed in naturally emotionally excitable people (without the presence of serious health problems) and serves as a manifestation of a violation of the autonomic nervous system at various levels. An increase in sweating can be of varying intensity, intensifying both in limited areas (armpits, palms and feet) and on the entire surface of the body.

It's no secret that emotional stress lies in wait for us literally at every step. You quarreled with your wife - the emotion of anger is overwhelmed, the boss scolded - the emotion of resentment blooms, the car swept a step away from you - please, the emotion of fear. Often, even the mere thought of a possible stressful situation causes profuse sweating. Considering that our whole current life is a series of stresses, one can imagine the emerging problems.

The mechanism of sweating is activated during excitement, nervous tension, fright, physical stress, but normally a person's sweating is adequate and not too abundant. Unfortunately, to date, the exact causes of dysfunctions of the sympathetic nervous system and sweat glands, leading to severe sweating, have not been determined. Excessive irregular sweating is usually inherent in overly emotional people suffering from vegetative-vascular dystonia, neuroses, as well as women with menstrual irregularities.

The cause of emotional hyperhidrosis.

The reason increased level sweating with different emotions is a violation in the work of a certain part of the autonomic nervous system, namely the sympathetic nerve. It regulates such functions of the body that do not lend themselves to the conscious control of a person. These include vascular tone, heart rate, pupil size and, of course, sweating.

It is not known what exactly makes some people sweat at the slightest excitement. According to one of the most popular theories, this is due to the increased sensitivity of the sweat glands to high concentrations of adrenaline entering the bloodstream in response to emotional stress. Other experts believe that emotional hyperhidrosis is based on hereditary dysfunction of specific autonomic centers in the brain that regulate the work of the sweat glands.

The mechanism of emotional hyperhidrosis.

The sweat glands and nervous system are responsible for the process of perspiration in the human body. The nervous system is a set of organs formed by the nervous tissue that control all physiological functions and metabolism of the body and communicate with its external environment. The human nervous system is divided into somatic and autonomic. The somatic is responsible for the implementation of functions that we ourselves can control - flexion of the limbs, walking, speech, and the vegetative is responsible for those functions that we cannot control - heartbeat, pulse, and so on. We are interested in the autonomic nervous system, which consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic. It is the sympathetic nervous system that regulates perspiration.

Sympathetic autonomic nervous system provides the body's response to stress, including controlling the function of sweating, and is the module that prepares the body for stress, it is responsible for the mobilization effect, which is important for stressful situations. In practice, this happens as follows - the center of the sympathetic nervous system, located in the thoracic spinal cord, receiving information from the brain about the presence of a stressful situation, sends signals along the sympathetic nerves to the sweat glands. But before reaching the glands, the signal travels through a series of intermediate structures called ganglia (nodes), which are located along the spine, one to the right and left of each vertebra. From each ganglion, a nerve fiber leaves to the side to a specific area of ​​the body. Further, it branches into smaller branches, which go directly to the sweat glands and regulate sweating. When the sympathetic nervous system functions excessively, then there is increased sweating of certain areas, in particular, the armpits - at the slightest excitement, a person immediately sweats.

Sweating is normal when we are experiencing intense emotions or stress, regardless of the temperature. This type of sweating is often referred to as "cold sweat". Emotions such as fear, anxiety, or stress trigger the release of the hormone adrenaline, which in turn starts whole line actions in the body, one of which is sweating. Any mental stress, be it anxiety, fear, anger or pain, makes the nervous system come to a state of readiness for action. Internal regulation systems respond to emotions by increasing the heart rate, increasing pressure, and toning the muscles. And although we can continue to quietly sit still, the body considers options for "escape" and at the same time turns on the "emergency" cooling system - it produces sweat.

Nervous tension and hyperhidrosis.

Under normal conditions, in addition to high temperature air, a factor-provocateur of sweating can become nervous tension... We are worried, nervous, worried, frightened - both palms and armpits immediately give out our emotions to others, as well as a pungent smell. Excessively emotional people are especially unlucky in this regard - they start sweating instantly, and in general it happens very often, especially armpit sweating. In such people, nerve cells give impulses to sweat glands regardless of temperature fluctuations - now they react instantly increased sweating to fear, excitement, confusion, in a word, to any adrenaline rush. The effects of stress can be immediate, but very strong (for example, fear) or long-term (constant conflicts at work, in family life, dissatisfaction with oneself and others).

Diagnosis of emotional hyperhidrosis.

First of all, it is necessary to separate the excessive sweating as independent problem(primary hyperhidrosis) from hyperhidrosis, which is only a consequence of an already present disease (secondary hyperhidrosis). People with excessive sweating usually go to a doctor who treats skin diseases - a dermatologist.

If excess sweat production is caused by another disease, then it is necessary to be examined and tested. Blood must be donated not only for a general analysis, but also for thyroid hormones (their amount in the blood changes during illness). It is also necessary to undergo fluorography to exclude tuberculosis, because it also causes general sweating.

Be sure to do an electrocardiogram - in acute conditions of the cardiovascular system (myocardial infarction, shock, a sharp drop in pressure), the person is covered with sweat. In acute poisoning, in addition to sweating, vomiting and diarrhea are present.

When you go through a full examination and it turns out that you have no pathology, except for increased sweat production, then you need to start treating sweating.

Treatments for emotional hyperhidrosis.

1. Medical treatment.

Since we are talking about emotional hyperhidrosis, in this case, sedatives can help. These include both herbal preparations (tincture of valerian, peony, motherwort), and more serious sedatives and tranquilizers, which are prescribed by a doctor according to a special prescription. Prescribing medications of this group is advisable if emotions are too high and cause excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis itself becomes a source of psychological problems. By lowering the excitability of the nervous system, they help to cope with everyday stress as a factor in the onset of hyperhidrosis. Medicines called anticholinergic drugs (for example, propantheline, glycopyrrolate, atropine, klonopin, Prozac, etc.) prevent the stimulation of the sweat glands in the body. However, the use of these drugs can affect the stimulation of other important structures in the body, causing side effects such as dry mouth, drowsiness, constipation, tachycardia, visual impairment, etc. Thus, long-term use of such drugs is not recommended for the treatment of hyperhidrosis. The treatment period is usually 2-4 weeks. The selection of the correct drug and its dosage should be carried out by a doctor.

2. Aluminum chloride antiperspirants.

The invention of antiperspirants ushered in a new era in the treatment of excess sweating. These chemical compounds are based on aluminum chloride (aluminum chloride). It penetrates into the sweat canals, which run from the sweat gland to the surface of the skin. A safe chemical compound forms inside the tubules that narrows the tubule lumen. At the same time, sweat production is sharply reduced.

Etiaxil antiperspirant is not cosmetics in the literal sense of the word, like ordinary store antiperspirants and deodorants, but a therapeutic agent, because it has a long-lasting effect. The components of Etiaxil are not absorbed into the general bloodstream, do not accumulate in cells and do not have systemic action on the body, so this antiperspirant is safe for long-term use.

3. Injections of Botox, Dysport.

You can get the desired dryness in the armpits with the help of Botox and Dysport. In this case, the active substance is the paralytic poison of botulinum toxin, diluted to negligible doses. These doses are sufficient for a local pharmacological effect to occur, but they are too small to have a toxic effect on the body as a whole. Like any poison of this category, it acts on nerve and muscle fibers, blocking them, and temporarily paralyzes the sweat glands. These drugs suppress the secretion of a special substance - acetylcholine, which transmits commands from the nerve to the sweat gland. Not receiving signals from the nervous system, the sweat glands in the area of ​​botulinum toxin action stop secreting sweat. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and takes no more than one hour. The effect is achieved for 4-8 months, and then expensive injections (from 400 to 700 $ USD) must be repeated. The method also has a certain disadvantage in the fact that over time, injections reduce their effectiveness - the body can develop antibodies to the toxin and it will cease to work. After 3-4 courses, you need to look for something cardinal.

4. Psychotherapeutic method.

Psychotherapy helps with excessive sweating that occurs during stress, psychological stress. This method is not able to solve the problem of hyperhidrosis as such, but it helps to change the attitude towards it, relieve severe psychological problems, increase stress resistance, self-esteem and improve the psycho-emotional background. Excitement always leads to increased sweating. If a person with hyperhidrosis experiences constant anxiety, then he will not be able to reduce the amount of sweat produced until he stops worrying about or without a reason. In this case, it is necessary to apply different methods psychological relief, learn to switch your attention to something pleasant, exercise regularly. Consulting an experienced psychotherapist helps to break the vicious circle that is created in the patient: increased sweating causes fear of communicating with people - fear causes increased sweating - increased sweating increases stress.

5. Folk methods.

To prevent profuse sweating, you can use traditional medicine - baths of decoctions of oak, mint, chamomile, string and other herbs, herbal ointments, all kinds of infusions. Folk ways They are distinguished by their naturalness and economy, but their preparation, as a rule, takes a lot of time, and the course of treatment itself will take months.

6. Surgical treatment of sweating.

With a severe course of emotional hyperhidrosis, when at the slightest emotional stress the armpits get too wet, they are used surgical techniques treatment. These invasive procedures are extreme, can cause side effects (scarring, sweating imbalance) and are generally considered the last resort. Before choosing any of these procedures, you should consult with your doctor or other healthcare professional. For all types of local surgical operations The effect of reducing sweating is due to two factors: first, the nerve endings that regulate the function of the sweat glands are torn, and the second is that the glands themselves are destroyed. The first effect is temporary, after a few months or years, due to the regeneration of nerves, their connection with the sweat glands is restored and sweating resumes. At the same time, the sensitivity in the operation area is restored. The effect of reducing perspiration, achieved by destroying the sweat glands, lasts for life. But sweating does not completely disappear, since it is impossible to destroy all sweat glands during the operation.

a. Excision of the skin of the armpit:

It is the removal of an area of ​​the skin along with the sweat glands. This is a fairly traumatic operation, characterized by a long rehabilitation period and pronounced cicatricial changes. It is more often used in the presence of concomitant recurrent hydradenitis. May lead to limitation of movement in the shoulder joint.

b. Curettage:

It is the removal of sweat glands and nerve endings that go to them "from the inside", from the "back" side of the skin. Through a small incision in the skin, an instrument is inserted under it and its inner surface is mechanically "scraped out". In this case, the treated skin area is completely separated from the subcutaneous fat. Armpit curettage has two main goals - the destruction of nerve endings at the level of the subcutaneous tissue and the elimination of the sweat glands. Violation of their interaction helps to reduce the volume of sweat secretion, while the number of glands that produce sweat is also significantly reduced. After curettage, the likelihood of complete elimination of armpit hyperhidrosis is very high, but there is a likelihood of subsequent sprouting of nerves with a connection to the sweat glands and recurrence of hyperhidrosis.

v. Liposuction:

Liposuction of the axillary zone is quite traumatic - all subcutaneous fat is removed under the armpits with the concomitant destruction of the sympathetic nerves passing through it, which contributes to the destruction of the nerve nodes that go to the sweat glands and to reduce sweating. The efficiency of this method reaches 80%. Classical liposuction is a rather serious operation performed in a hospital and requires preparatory and rehabilitation periods. In addition, underarm liposuction cannot be performed in large volumes in one procedure.

d. Sympathectomy:

Sympathectomy is a traumatic and painful method of getting rid of heavy sweating, which can be reversible and irreversible. In the first case, the nerve responsible for perspiration in the desired area is clipped (pinched), and the clip can always be removed. In the second case, the nerve is simply cut off. As a result, nerve impulses to the sweat glands are blocked. The effect of a sympathectomy performed can last a lifetime. Relapses occur in no more than 5% of patients. However, in about half of patients, compensatory hyperhidrosis of other localizations (trunk, inguinal folds) of varying severity occurs.

Stabilization of the nervous system.

Modern life is full of various emotional stresses, which under unfavorable, stressful circumstances can turn into psychological breakdowns. Stressful situations lead to overstrain of the nervous system, and then this stress "hits" the body. As a result, hypertension, angina pectoris, neurodermatitis, myocardial infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, stomach ulcer, bronchial asthma, eczema, hyperthyroidism, diabetes and other ailments accompanied by increased sweating may develop. In short, the psychogenic factors of disease are too serious to be treated irresponsibly. So what do you do? How to avoid overstrain of the nervous system, and with it increased sweating?

1. Balanced daily routine, sleep duration 8-9 hours. Adequate sleep is vital for patients with dystonia. Otherwise, "lack of sleep" will cause rapid fatigue, irritability and increasing weakness. And this can lead to stressful situations, which will lead to an exacerbation of the disease. Moreover, sleep must be at night. Therefore, patients with vegetative-vascular dystonia are not recommended to work on a sliding schedule or on night shifts.

2. Adequate physical activity preferably outdoors. Walking, running, skiing, swimming, aerobics, dancing have a good effect. Persons with high blood pressure should exercise in a gentle mode. Cycling can be used: 10-20 minutes, course 30 days. Swimming or aqua aerobics train blood vessels and heart muscle, help normalize blood pressure, reduce fatigue, and give a boost of vivacity and good mood. Recommended exercise machines include a treadmill, bicycle ergometer, and stepper. Moreover, remember that the body must be kept in good shape all the time. And since he gets used to everything, you need to change the types of loads: light jogging (2-3 months) should smoothly turn into swimming (2-3 months), then into a bicycle and again - running.

3. Proper balanced nutrition also plays a role. The main thing: people with vegetative-vascular dystonia should never go on strict diets or starve. Fasting aggravates the course of the disease and provokes another exacerbation. What you need to give up is alcohol, and not only strong alcoholic drinks, but also weak carbonated cocktails. The same goes for strong coffee, even with milk. Tea, juices, cocoa are preferred. The lion's share of products should be of vegetable origin (cereals, vegetables, herbs, fruits), less fat and sugar. All this has a beneficial effect on the metabolism. Fish is useful, especially sea fish. Meat should not be a staple food. You need food rich in vitamins, foods containing potassium - potatoes, eggplant, cabbage, prunes, apricots, raisins, figs, green peas, parsley, tomatoes, rhubarb, beets, dill, beans, sorrel. Part of animal fats should be replaced with vegetable oils (sunflower, corn, olive oils). Patients with high blood pressure need foods containing magnesium salts - buckwheat, oatmeal, wheat cereals, nuts, soybeans, beans, carrots, rose hips. Pickles, marinades should be excluded from the diet, salt should be limited to 4-5 g. Strong tea, coffee, chocolate are contraindicated.

4. Recommended physiotherapy and orthopedic measures include: a special complex of physiotherapy exercises for the cervico-shoulder region of the spine, non-intensive massage of the cervical-collar zone and scalp, wearing an orthopedic corrective collar, careful traction (traction) of the cervical spine, as well as the appointment of electrophysio-therapy using devices - Bernard currents, electrosleep, ultrasound, a new device for magnetic laser therapy - Terraquant, etc.

5. Herbal medicine: valerian, red viburnum, peony, motherwort are sedatives, quince, birch mushroom, poppy, almonds, carrots, mint, parsnips, licorice have the same effect and a mild diuretic. In the absence of normalization of blood pressure, periwinkle, butterbur, verbena, snakehead, magnolia, rauwulfia, black mountain ash, arnica, wild rosemary, shepherd's bag are added.

Eight healthy men in shorts and T-shirts. Their average age- 26 years.

All of them are covered with sensors, wires dangle near them, like vines around trees. Complete silence. The men are blindfolded. They have been waiting for the start for 10 minutes. This is psychological torture. This is a challenge.

The guys are part of an experiment that will study their sweating. In most cases, human sweat is a "heat" type of physical reaction during exercise or on a hot day.

But there is also psychological sweating, cold beads on your forehead, when the boss, for example, has to scold you for mistakes in front of the whole team at a meeting or when your sticky hands wipe yourself on your jeans before your first date with a girl.

Young guys in the role of laboratory rats are waiting for their fate.

So what kind of torture will they face? What will make them sweat nervous in a special laboratory? What task will they be offered? Performing in front of a crowd of onlookers? Stripping naked in front of a group of horny women with degrees? No. It's much easier!

"All they need to do is subtract, add, multiply and divide," says experiment author Nigel Taylor, Ph.D. from Wolongong University, Australia, who has been researching sweating in humans for over 20 years.

“Men have to make some mental effort to subtract numbers. This is their main problem to be solved, "says Taylor." The operations were, of course, within the capabilities of each subject. But when faced with such an example as 1654 + 73, each of them began to sweat! "

Sweating is a complex process. In the gym or on sports ground the person becomes covered with drops and streams of sweat in abundance. It is a normal physiological function of the body's cooling, but also an indicator of the level of tension and competitiveness.

Moisture-soaked shirt is a sign of the effort you put into specific action, proof that you are forcing yourself to do something special, making a demand on the body. So, one hour of exercise can provide 1½ liters of quite visible physical evidence that you did not spare yourself. But this is an average bottle of mineral water (!)

But the so-called psychological sweating is caused by a completely different factor. In this case, we are dealing with a physical reaction to avoid something, to hide from a problem, not to solve it.

“It's forced sweating, your body is giving away your fear,” says Karissa Perry Parrish, PhD, psychologist at the Hopkins Johns Center for Disorders in Baltimore. " Sweating is the language of our bodies, which thus respond to requests, giving out our true feelings with the "giblets".

Let's take a look at this process of body response to different puzzles. Let's take the first step in understanding the role of the source of moisture release. You have two types of sweat glands: apocrine and eccrine. The former are found mainly around the armpits and genitals. They produce denser and stickier sweat, made up of proteins and lipids. The latter cover the entire body and secrete mainly water and salt.

Scientific theories about the cause of sweating

Scientists are of the opinion that the eccrine glands are activated only when necessary, when the body needs cooling, while the apocrine glands serve for the physiological manifestation of psychoemotional stress. But Taylor and colleagues recently confirmed in a series of controlled experiments the suggestion that both types of sweat could be produced from the eccrine glands and under the control of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.

Which means, whether you're running the five-kilometer or trying to close a $ 5 million deal, both sets of glands are at work. While sticky hands are the most obvious sign of mental and emotional stress, sweat can sweat all over your body.

This is an explanation of why stress makes people sweat in moments of fear or embarrassment: if our skin becomes slippery in situations of struggle for survival, then it is difficult for predators to grab and hold us.

Another theory, noted by Daniel Lieberman, Ph.D. and evolutionary biologist at Harvard University, is that sweat helps a person quickly escape from danger. Most mammals, including those from which we evolved, have sweat glands on their feet.

“Imagine that you are a small fluffy animal in Africa, and you suddenly saw a predator hovering down from the sky to kill you,” says Lieberman. “The sticky moisture on your paws will help you rush around a tree or rock, creating a tiny vacuum under the pads. It works in the same way that licking your finger helps turn a page in a book. "

Do you need sweat to survive? Is this a kind of health indicator?

Nervous sweating can help us keep the human population alive. This is the assumption made by scientists. In one American study involving professional military personnel, scientists collected sweat from people for research. The groups performed two tasks: sprint on a treadmill and skydiving for the first time in their lives.

Each person from a specially selected group of volunteers had scanners connected to their brains and asked to smell the collected sweat. But nothing interesting happened as they sniffed the sweat collected from the group running down the escalator walk. Quite a different result came from the smell of sweat in the parachute jumpers. This is where the alertness part of the brain went into action. People literally smelled fear. In other words, sweat in a certain way warned everyone about trouble and danger to life lurking in the air.

It seems that our body odor can act as an indicator of health both for ourselves and for others, especially those close to us, according to Pamela Dalton, Ph.D., a researcher at the Monell Center for the Study of Chemical Sensitivity in Philadelphia (USA). Sweat itself does not have a persistent odor, but the way it interacts with bacteria living on the skin gives its results. This combination results in a certain musty odor that the individual identifies as his own.

However, your scent may change if you are battling an illness, for example. The findings of the study, published in the journal Psychological Science, suggest that people can detect a difference in body odor when someone is sick. Scientists assume that a sick person acquires a certain chemical spectrum that is different from that which he has in a healthy state. The body in this case adds activation signals immune system... This particular scent serves as a warning to others to keep their distance from the patient.

Antiperspirants

Advertisers started making money in the antiperspirant market for women as early as the late 1800s, but they weren't worried about men at all. Most males then did not think about it, considering their smell of sweat a sign of masculinity.

The situation changed in 1930 along with the development of industry in general and technology in particular. Manual labor in the fields began to be replaced everywhere by the technical process in the premises. And then marketers saw another opportunity to make money, because mostly men worked in the shops.

“If you’re a farmer and you work outdoors, nobody really cares if you’re dirty or sweaty.” Says Kari Castil, Ph.D. in history, a researcher at the University of Aurnburn who is studying the incredible topic - “Antiperspirants and deodorants and their promotion in the world market, -“ But if you work all day, apparently you have to reckon with the fact that this question worries the people around you. And you will be forced to do something with your armpits so that their smell does not kill your work companions. "

The very first ads for antiperspirants for men set the tone for the decades to come. This irrational conflict of "interests of the body" and society has not gone anywhere. We can still feel its aftermath. After all, the tone was set for the total destruction of sweat as such.

"Smell? Oh no!"

We see one person in two different scenarios. In the first, he looks like an athletic guy with a mountain of muscles, with a racket in his hand, and in the second - in the office, running his palm over a sheet of paper.

"Everything! Immediately to the dressing room! Everything is already there. What is wrong with me? "

Castille insists that such announcements from the very beginning implanted one thought in the minds of all people - you should never sweat anywhere, because it is disgusting.

However, controlling your sweating is much more difficult than just going to a specialty store and buying the most expensive and sophisticated antiperspirant there. After all, this still will not save you from the release of nervous sweat all over the body.

So what do you do?

“For most people, the most the best way getting rid of nervous sweating is working on oneself, strengthening the nervous system, training autonomic reactions, eliminating nervousness as an irritating factor, ”says Perry Parrish. Does Perry always ask his patients first to remember the last time they faced an unpleasant situation? How long ago did they start noticing excessive sweating?

"What were you doing and what were you thinking at the moment when your body began to work like a hydraulic mechanism?"

The key question, according to Perry Parrish, is whether it was really that bad then, really embarrassing, or was it all in imagination.

More often than not, the problem grows enormous by making it overly important. We tend to paint the worst-case scenario within ourselves, even if everything is going well so far.

Nothing has happened to you yet, but your mind is already in a hurry to report that it has commanded the body to start sweating. Perry Parrish advises the next time a similar situation occurs to analyze it soberly and take stock.

What is the real reaction of those around you?

If no one turns out to be unhappy or deprived because of your actions, it is likely that you are unnecessarily worried, and your thoughts have acquired a negative connotation, which must be discarded. Sober understanding of the situation will definitely reduce sweating, keeping it to a minimum.

In fact, this is a necessary brain exercise, invisible to anyone, but so powerful that it will help you get rid of the need to buy expensive deodorants.

If all the participants in the experiment with the addition of numbers were aware of the connection between the psyche and physiology in their body, they would force them to select only necessary minimum sweat. Instead of worrying about solving a few simple arithmetic problems correctly, they would, realizing that the rates are very low, simply and calmly add values ​​without worrying about the correctness of the results. And then the body would not react to stress, releasing streams of moisture.

A cool head plus a little perspective is all you need to overcome nervous excessive sweating. That's all the math.

Four solutions to the question

Use metal salt in an over-the-counter antiperspirant to fight sweat three times a day. The most best options Rx-strength deodorants may solve your problem, according to Mark Fergusson, M.D., a hyperhidrosis specialist at the University of Chicago. But you shouldn't get carried away anyway. Use this recipe for special occasions only.

Shock therapy

Place your hands or feet in a container of water. A weak current flows through the water using an electrical device. The procedure should take approximately 20 minutes. Scientists do not know exactly why this technique works, however, it can help you sweat much less for a whole week.

Botox injections

We offer this method as a guide only. Neurotoxin injections smooth wrinkles, but can also block nerve signals that stimulate sweat production. French scientists who have conducted studies on the use of Botox have published results, which indicate that their patients noticed the return of profuse sweating only after 4 ½ months after injections.

Pills

Experience shows that anticholinergic drugs also successfully block the perspiration of the human body. But there is also a problem. It consists, according to Dr. Fergusson, in side effects, manifested by dry mouth, constipation and blurred vision.

We try to provide the most relevant and useful information for you and your health. The materials posted on this page are for informational purposes and are intended for educational purposes. Site visitors should not use them as medical advice. Determining the diagnosis and choosing a treatment method remains the exclusive prerogative of your attending physician! We are not responsible for possible Negative consequences arising from the use of information posted on the site site

The main causes of sweating include stress and emotional distress. Often, people react with increased sweating of the palms, face, head when they are anxiously expecting something, as a result of excitement or because of the fear of communication. Sweating under stress can occur both in healthy people and in the presence of pathologies leading to increased sweating. In particular, with primary hyperhidrosis (increased sweating, not associated with diseases of other organs and systems), increased sweating often occurs as a result of emotional experiences. In such a situation, sweating is especially pronounced and causes a lot of problems.

Sweating is regulated by neuroreflex mechanisms. The secretion of the sweat glands increases in response to the increased release of neurotransmitters under stress - adrenaline and norepinephrine. These substances belong to the group of catecholamines. Adrenaline is produced in the adrenal medulla, and norepinephrine is released in response to stress by the endings of sympathetic nerve fibers.

The nerves of the autonomic system play a significant role in the development of stressful conditions. Conduction of impulses in them is carried out at a tremendous speed, therefore, such manifestations as increased sweating, trembling in the limbs, pallor occur within seconds after exposure to a stress factor. Compared to sweating caused by fever external environment, sweating under stress occurs an order of magnitude faster... The expression "sweaty" describes just such a situation.

Stress factors are not always associated with negative emotions and psychological experiences. Excitement or excitement before a long-awaited event can also increase sweating.

Features of Stress-Related Sweating

In people with stress sweating can be covered(it is also called). Sweating associated with stressful conditions can be both generalized and localized. Usually they sweat under stress, but sweating may increase both on and on the scalp, and in the area, back, chest,.

There are 2 types of glands on the human body that produce sweat secretions: eccrine and apocrine... The latter are not located everywhere, they are found in the armpits, in and on the chest, in areas with a large number of hair follicles.

In addition to increasing sweating at night may arise following symptoms:

  • sleep disorders
  • irritability,
  • palpitations
  • discomfort in the chest,
  • feeling overwhelmed after a night's rest.

Treating stress sweating

What to do if you sweat heavily due to stress? In such a situation, the approach to treatment should be individual and comprehensive.

The main measures to combat sweating:

  • psychotherapy,
  • hygiene measures,
  • topical antiperspirant treatment,
  • botulinum toxin injections,
  • drug therapy,
  • sympathectomy.

If hyperhidrosis is associated not only with stress, but also with other causes or factors, measures to eliminate them or reduce the impact should be included in the treatment complex.

Necessarily:

  • hygiene;
  • healthy eating;
  • wearing comfortable clothes and footwear made from natural materials;
  • overheating should be avoided;
  • eating foods that increase sweating;
  • rejection of bad habits is recommended;
  • abuse of coffee and tea.

Psychotherapeutic methods

Stress often occurs in situations in which a person feels insecure.... Therefore, one of the important areas of treatment is psychotherapeutic assistance. You can increase your resistance to stress using the following methods:

  • psychological counseling and training,
  • autogenous training,
  • hypnosis sessions.

Fighting with antiperspirants

In stressful situations, protective measures can help, which have a local effect and lead to a decrease in sweat production and elimination of odor. Antiperspirants have a therapeutic effect in local hyperhidrosis. Maximum effect are obtained using agents based on aluminum salts. They act by blocking the end sections of the gland ducts.

The percentage of aluminum compounds differs from product to product. The choice of a drug with a certain concentration depends on the severity of sweating and on the area of ​​the body that needs therapeutic effects. In the face area, preparations with a lower content of aluminum salt are used. They are highly effective, but their use is limited by a significant incidence of side effects - up to 23%.