Scientifically speaking, the human body has between two and four million total sweat glands. They are found in the lower part of the skin otherwise known as the dermis. Sweat glands produce a secretion of watery substance that helps to control the temperature of the body. When you are exercising or doing certain activities that raise your body temperature, your sweat glands will activate and release sweat in order to help you to cool down.
There are basically just two types of sweat glands. Both types, the eccrine and the apocrine sweat glands, are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. Each distinct sweat gland contains a secretory section and an excretory duct. It is important to note that the average person produces 500 ml of water per day through their skin. Average adults produce around 100 ml of sweat every twenty-four hours. This is providing that they are engaged in activities that are normal for them. Activities that include strenuous exercise, excess heat exposure and others can cause the production of sweat to rise to more than ten liters each day.
The main function of sweat glands is to ensure that the body’s temperature never rises over 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. When you sweat, your body instantly begins to cool down. Without sweat glands, you would have no way to ensure that your body temperature stays regulated. Consider when a dog pants. They pant to release the higher temperatures in their bodies because they do not sweat.
Sweating is a common occurrence, although there are extreme cases of sweating that do lead some people to visit their doctor for relief. These people do not necessarily have more sweat glands than the average person does. They simply produce more sweat when doing average daily activities than those who simply sweat the average of 10 ml each day.
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