This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Physiology of sweating

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

There are three main types of eccrine gland sweating:

  • thermoregulatory sweating
  • emotional sweating
  • gustatory sweating

Sweat is formed by active secretion deep within the dermis. Its composition is initially near to that of plasma but with minimal protein. During passage along the sweat duct, reabsorption of sodium and chloride ions occurs until their concentrations are less than half of their plasma values e.g. 60mmmol and 50 mmol respectively. Conversely, potassium is secreted to give a value of 7-8 mmol in sweat.

The control mechanism for sweat secretion is both neural - cholinergic fibres of the thoracolumbar sympathetic nervous system descending from the anterior hypothalamus - and hormonal - adrenaline. If the rate of production is high, excessive amounts of solute may be lost and so aldosterone stimulation is triggered. As well as its renal reabsorption role, it also enhances sodium and chloride reabsorption along the duct of the sweat gland.


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.