DON'T Sweat it; it's the pits! (Beyond) A Surface Level Understanding

So Grand, Gland on hand: Sweat glands, that is...cool! Underappreciated, but not under-represented, as you have 2-4 million of them, distributed all over your body (with the exception of your nails, ears, and lips)...in some areas found in such concentrations up to 370 per cm on your palms (go ahead, start counting, before you get sweaty palms and can't hold your phone to take a close-up...no wonder so many batting, golf, and truckloads of other athletic gloves are in demand)...ranging from the "eccrine" found in large numbers on the soles of your feet, forehead, cheek (and, of course, the pits!), all of which secrete an 'odorless' clear fluid that helps the body control its temperature by producing heat loss through perspiration, then evaporation (COOL again!)...or, as in the "apocrine" glands, found once again in the pits (go ahead and try to see which are which), groin area, and...even the eyelids (in the blink of an eye!), all of which produce a thicker liquid which, when it comes into contact with bacteria from the skin...produces BO! (not so cool)

A droplet here, a droplet there, on the surface: Or in the air, of course. We've been hearing and reading so much about how COVID-19 and its variant varmints are transmitted primarily via droplets that are spread through aerosols (especially heavy breathing, coughing, sneezing, any form or projection), and less often via surfaces, where you touch a surface a person infected with the virus has coughed or sneezed on and you in turn then touch your nose or mouth (rather than disinfect immediately after). But what about sweat, perspiration rather than respiration? Well, the IHhS has been working up a sweat itself on your behalf, to investigate this. That is, the "International Hyperhidrosis Society", which has been offering medical and scientific expertise on a full range of sweat topics for over 20 years, has been investigating this assiduously even prior to COVID-19 and the findings to date, the bottom line, which goes beyond the most surface level understanding, is that sweat itself, perspiration, does not transit these viruses unless perspiration becomes mixed with virus-laden respiratory droplets from an infected person, and is unintentionally absorbed by another person's mouth, nose, or eye mucous membranes, "...in order for a sweat-borne COVID-19 infection to occur...". They even found that sweat may have some viral protective qualities, that "...sweat has some inherent antimicrobial activity..." Gaseous nitric oxide, a byproduct of sweating, is actually being studied by the IHhS among other scientific groups as having potential in treating the more severe complications related to CV-19. (maybe super cool!). They carefully temper their findings by allowing for the fact that gyms, where such sweating is more profuse, may also have more inherent difficulties with social distancing and heavy breathing, the combination of which have, of course, been a dangerous duo we have been taught to avoid lately. 

Temperature, Anxiety Rising, Eccrine, Apocrine Surmising: Respectively, as both glands are activated, alerted by nerves, which are in turn responding to a variety of stimuli, including: messages from the brain indicating that things (i.e., your body systems) are heating up; hormones (no wonder early teens need more showers and deodorant/anti-perspirant); emotions (!); and physical activity, especially  rigorous exercise (if I'm not perspiring, a workout is not transpiring). In walks Goldilocks once again, as too much, you've got something called "hyperhidrosis" (excessive sweating, embarrassing, to say the least) and too little, "hypohidrosis"  (inability to sweat, which can eventuate in heat exhaustion, among other serious conditions). So, just like other emotional and physical states I've discussed here, we seek the sweet spot (or, in this case, the 'sweat spot'😅!).

Take Away, Under the Surface: So, in balance, in order to stay in balance and maintain a favorable homeostasis...Don't fret, go ahead and sweat!