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Sweating is a perfectly normal bodily function, but it can cause embarrassment in excess.
It's a fact of life: Everybody sweats. Sweating is a natural body function that helps to regulate temperature, especially during exercise or hot weather. As sweat evaporates from the surface of your skin, it removes excess heat and helps to cool the body down.
Whether you work indoors or outdoors, live in Bangor, Maine, or Palm Springs, Fla., enjoy lounging by the pool or training for a marathon, you've probably experienced that icky feeling of wetness under your arms -- and the distinctive scent that sometimes accompanies it.
Some people sweat more than others, and it can be an embarrassing problem. Often, problem sweating is driven by emotion: You may sweat as a reaction to a situation that causes nervousness or anxiety, like speaking in public or meeting new people. If you've ever been in the middle of making a presentation to a group, or getting ready to meet your future in-laws, and discovered your shirt is soaked under the arms, you know the feeling.
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Why does this happen underneath the arms? The apocrine glands are located in the armpits. The sweat produced by these glands contains proteins and fatty acids, which make it thicker and give it a milky or yellowish color. That's why underarm stains in clothing appear yellowish. The sweat itself is odorless, but when bacteria on the skin and hair metabolize the proteins and fatty acids, they produce an unpleasant scent.
Preventing or controlling underarm sweating is important to good hygiene and comfort. Fortunately, there are several ways to prevent or minimize this condition, along with the annoying wetness and potential odor that accompanies it. Read on to learn more about the top five ways to prevent underarm sweating.
Learn more about what ails you. Here are some common symptoms.
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