Perspiration

From Anvita Health Wiki

Contents 1 More Specific Terms 2 Introduction 3 More General Terms 4 Additional Terms 5 References

More Specific Terms

• anhidrosis (adiaphoresis)
• hyperhidrosis

Introduction

• Production of sweat by sweat glands.
  
• Perspiration functions as a means of thermoregulation.
• Evaporation of sweat from the skin surface removes heat from the body.
• Perspiration itself may decrease core body temperature. [3]
• Perspiration is a normal compensatory response to increased body temperature as from warm weather or exercise.
  
• Thermoregulatory center(s) in the preoptic nucleus of the anterior hypothalmus regulate perspiration.
• Sweating occurs with activation of heat loss mechanism or with removal of a febrile stimulus.
  
• The average daily quantity of perspiration is 1500 grams.
• The range is quite variable 100-8000 grams/day.
  
• Sweat itself contains salts as well as lactate & urea, but is has a lower osmolality relative to plasma.
• Representative content of minerals in sweat include:

• sodium 39 mmol/L, potassium 5 mmol/L, calcium 0.37 mmol/L, magnesium 54 umol/liter[3,4]
• many other trace elements are excreted in sweat:

• zinc 0.4 mg/L, copper 0.3 -0.8 mg/L, iron 1 mg/L, chromium 0.1 mg/L, nickel 0.05 mg/L, lead 0.05 mg/L [3,5]
  

• Excessive perspiration is hyperhidrosis.
• Absence of perspiration is anhidrosis.

More General Terms

• sign/symptom

Additional Terms

• diaphoresis
• night sweats
• sweat gland

References

1. Stedman's Medical Dictionary 26th ed, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 1995
2. Prescriber's Letter 13(7): 2006 Medication induced sweating Detail-Document#: [1] (subscription needed) [2]
3. Wikipedia: Perspiration [3]
4. Montain SJ et al Sweat mineral-element responses during 7 h of exercise-heat stress. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2007 Dec;17(6):574-82. PMID: [4]
5. Cohn JR, Emmett EA The excretion of trace metals in human sweat. Ann Clin Lab Sci. 1978 Jul-Aug;8(4):270-5. PMID: &dopt=Abstract

perspiration (sweating)