Also called: Perspiration
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Sweat
Sweat is a clear, salty liquid produced by glands in your skin. Sweating is how your body cools itself. You sweat mainly under your arms and on your feet and palms. When sweat mixes with bacteria on your skin, it can cause a smell. Bathing regularly and using antiperspirants or deodorants can help control the odor.
Sweating a lot is normal when it is hot or when you exercise, are anxious, or have a fever. It also happens during menopause. If you often sweat too much, it's called hyperhidrosis. Causes include thyroid or nervous system disorders, low blood sugar, or another health problem.
Sweating too little, anhidrosis, can be life-threatening because your body can overheat. Causes of anhidrosis include dehydration, burns, and some skin and nerve disorders.
It sits within Skin, Hair and Nails.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Sweat
514 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Familial Mediterranean Fever and Related Disorders: Genetics and Disease CharacteristicsNational Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
- A Study to Assess Change in Disease Activity and Adverse Events of Oral Upadacitinib in Adult and Adolescent Participants With Moderate to Severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa Who Have Failed Anti-TNF TherapyAbbVie
- Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Ruxolitinib Cream in Participants With Hidradenitis Suppurativa (TRuE-HS1)Incyte Corporation
- Proof-of-Concept Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Fezolinetant in Improving Vasomotor Symptoms in Men With Prostate Cancer Undergoing Androgen Deprivation TherapyShehzad Basaria, M.D.
- A 24-Week Real-World Study of Upadacitinib in Moderate-to-Severe Hidradenitis SuppurativaPeking Union Medical College
- Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Efficacy of Povorcitinib in Adolescent Participants With Moderate to Severe Hidradenitis SuppurativaIncyte Corporation
Research already completed
- Aviclear for Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS)University of Miami
- Comparative Efficacy of Apremilast and Acitretin in Moderate-to-Severe Hidradenitis SuppurativaHayat Abad Medical Complex, Peshawar
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Sweating and Body OdorMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Related Issues
- Smelling Sickness: Body Odor May Be Sign of DiseaseNational Institutes of Health
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: HyperhidrosisNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Sweat ProblemsNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Sweat. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Sweat, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.