Why do I sweat so much?

You sweat because you’re alive. Congratulations!!

If you sweat without exercising and are not in a hot or strenuous environment, you may want to visit the doctor.

Likewise, if your sweat is particularly pungent or way off your own personal normal, think it over. Have you been consuming anything unusual for you? If not, it might be worth a medical moment.

If you have been consuming something different, try skipping it and see if that helps, for science. For instance, that garlic oil supplement might be the wrong one for you, my stinky friend.

There are things the medical folks can do if it really is a medical issue, but usually, it is not.

What if I told you that being a “heavy sweater” means you’ll live much longer than average?

It’s not true, but wouldn’t you feel better about it then?

Like so many weird human things, accepting your own normal is a good place to start. Also, like a lot of weird human things, your normal level will vary. That is good news for you, recent excessive sweater, because what’s happening may just be hormonal and transient. You may just be in a drippy phase that will pass–just about the time you get used to it.

Remember, sweat is your friend. If you could not sweat at all, you would die. You would cook without sizzle. Very sad.

You might think that you could avoid all the sweating if you just take in less water. You might think again. People who are severely dehydrated can’t sweat, but that’s a very dire signal that systems are crashing and an emergency is on the way. It’s a biological woopa-woopa to be avoided. Just don’t.

Some pointers for the very sweaty:

• Drink your water and lots of it

• Stock up on plushy towels to take when you work out

• Keep a hankie in your pocket–as a bonus, people will think you are dapper and well-prepared and won’t even notice the subtle dabbing due to your amazing dapperness

• Think of how jealous the dogs are–they like many animals cannot sweat and envy you the personal schvitz bath of a good sweat

• If anyone points it out, understand silently that they are rude and say something like, “I’m not sweating, I’m glistening!!”

In other words, try to work around your sweaty episodes and make the best of it.

Love,
yermom