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Excessive Sweating and Body Aromas

You perspire when you exercise. You may also perspire when you're overheated, stressed out or nervous. Perspiration is natural - it cools your body when your body temperature starts to rise.

You perspire through two types of sweat glands. Sweat from your eccrine glands rises to the surface of your skin. It is mostly made up of water and salt. Your body cools as this type of sweat evaporates from your skin.

Apocrine glands are found in hairy areas of the body, such as the underarm and groin areas. Sweat discharged from these glands is a fatty sweat. When bacteria on the surface of the skin break down this sweat, the result is body odor.

How much you sweat and how much your sweat smells depend on many factors, including your diet, medications, hormones, heredity, overall health, hygiene and the amount of bacteria that comes into contact with your sweat. For example, caffeine in coffee and tea can stimulate the apocrine glands to produce more sweat, increasing body odor. Constipation and kidney and liver disease can affect body odor, while other health conditions, including low blood sugar, diabetes, menopause and emotional stress can increase sweat production.

There are a number of natural remedies you can try. Dr. Andrew Weil, a noted expert on natural health and wellness, suggests using rubbing alcohol in the underarm area to reduce the bacteria that contributes to body odor. He also suggests using deodorants that contain antibacterial green tea extracts. These are available in health food stores.

Other suggestions include wearing natural fiber (cotton instead of synthetic), loose-fitting clothing that "breathes," modifying your diet to cut back on body odor offenders, such as caffeine, and taking certain supplements, such as magnesium, high-potency B vitamins and zinc in the proper combinations and dosages.

Excess perspiration and body odor are certainly not taboo subjects in our office. Please feel free to talk to us about them when you're in for your next chiropractic adjustment. We might be able to offer some additional suggestions for you to try!