What Your Sweaty Body Part Means

Are you one of the 3 in every 100 Australians who experience excessive sweating? There are plenty of reasons why your sweating might be out of the ordinary from time to time including anxiety, menopause and more. But you may notice only certain parts of your body are sweaty.

Here is what each sweaty body part is trying to tell you.

Hands

One of the most frequent areas that perspire are your hands, particularly your palms. Sweaty palms are common when faced with a stressful or nerve-racking situation. Sweaty palms might also could be a symptom of anxiety.

How to keep your cool: For anxiety sufferers, meditation or other relaxing activities can help to reduce the stressful feelings that may cause your sweaty palms. Therapy can also be a great way to learn more techniques to help you cope with anxiety.  

Feet

While wearing enclosed shoes on a particularly hot day might cause your feet to sweat (and smell), there might be another culprit that you may not know about. Hyperhidrosis is a condition that involves excessive sweating, with focal hyperhidrosis (which is only sweating in particular areas rather than all over your body) materialising in your armpits, hands, face and, yes, feet.  

How to keep your cool: Choosing appropriate shoes for the weather might be a no brainer to avoid sweaty feet, but if hyperhidrosis is your problem, seeing your doctor is the best thing you can do to find the best solution for you. Like with sweaty hands, anxiety might be a factor so they may recommend you try therapy.  

Head/neck

In addition to the laundry list of symptoms that go along with menopause, sweating is one of the most prominent. Beginning in your chest and rising to your head and neck, hot flushes can occur at any time of the day or night, multiple times a day.

How to keep your cool: Some of the things that may help you manage your hot flushes include changing your diet by removing foods that contain refined sugar and added salt and adding Omega-3 fatty acids like olive oil, exercising regularly, using less blankets at night and cutting down on alcohol.

Vagina

This might be a bit of a misunderstanding as your vagina doesn’t sweat, but all body parts around it do, such as your vulva. Sweating in your crotch area could be triggered by warm temperatures, intense exercise, stress or hyperhidrosis.

How to keep your cool: If excessive sweating in your crotch area tends to occur at night, give sleeping naked, or without underwear, a try.

Armpits

While armpit sweat is completely normal, excessive sweating may not be. This could be a sign of a medical condition, such as diabetes, low blood sugar or a thyroid problem. Warm weather may also cause armpit sweating to get out of control, as well as emotional stress.

How to keep your cool: Using the wrong deodorant or simply using the product incorrectly could be a factor in why you are sweating too much so consider re-evaluating those choices.

Breasts

Bras can already be uncomfortable in some cases, but add breast sweat to the mix and you could also get a nasty skin irritation. Women with larger breasts are particularly likely to experience breast sweat. Excessive breast sweat can also be caused from exercising or intense heat. 

How to keep your cool: There are a range of things that can help you get your breast sweat under control, such as keeping your skin dry, wearing the right bra or a bra liner and deodorant.

Now that you’ve read through our guide, you’re on your way to becoming a more confident you. If you are concerned about excessive sweating, make sure you consult a doctor or healthcare professional.