1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio. Hey, 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren Vogel Bomb here with a classic episode 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: from our archive. We all have things that make us nervous. 4 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: Performance is actually one of mine. It took me like 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: three years of weekly podcasting before I stopped pit sweating 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: every time I sat down at the mic. But so 7 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: that's a weird bodily reaction to anxiety. This episode delves 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:33,480 Speaker 1: into why it happens. Hey, they're brain stuff, Lauren vogel 9 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: bomb here. So you're sitting in a large table in 10 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: a conference room with several of your colleagues, or maybe 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 1: in a crowded classroom. Soon your manager or teacher will 12 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 1: call you to the front of the room to give 13 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: a presentation. All you can think about is how nervous 14 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: you are. Your heart pounds, you feel tense, and now 15 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: there's that unmistakable wetness under your arms. Why just feeling 16 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: anxious about something like public speaking make your under arms 17 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: so sweaty. Anxiety can evoke a body response called fight 18 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: or flight, your body's way of readying you to deal 19 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,279 Speaker 1: with a potential threat. While public speaking isn't really a threat. 20 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: The lower part of your brain, which controls basic body functions, 21 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: doesn't know that. Ultimately, you can blame your hypothalamus, a 22 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 1: part of the autonomic nervous system, for your anxious sweating. 23 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: When faced with a stressful situation. It tells your adrenal 24 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 1: gland to release dozens of hormones, including epinefrin or adrenaline. 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: Epinefrin is responsible for putting your sweat glands to work. 26 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: The idea is that your body will need to remain 27 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: cool and slippery during your supposed confrontation. Not everyone has 28 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: the same fight or flight responses. Some of us sweat 29 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 1: mostly from our apocrine glands when we're anxious, such as 30 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: those in the armpits in genital areas, while others sweat 31 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: more from the ecrine glands found on the rest of 32 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: the body. Ecrine sweat is bad enough because it can 33 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,639 Speaker 1: mean sweaty palms, but in addition to potential pit stains, 34 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: apocrine sweat can make you smell bad because it's full 35 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: of protein and fatty acids. This makes it prime fuel 36 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: for bacteria that live on this skin, which eat your 37 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: sweat and excrete the stinky compounds that we know as 38 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: a body odor. Anxious sweating can be a vicious cycle. 39 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: Worrying about whether others can see sweat or smell body 40 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: odor on you may make you feel even more anxious. 41 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: For most of us, the fight or flight response that 42 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: occurs when we're anxious goes away fairly quickly. We calm 43 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: down as we warm up to the stressful situation, or 44 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:24,799 Speaker 1: at the very least, we feel better once it's over, 45 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: and we can better control this anxiety through repeated exposure 46 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,799 Speaker 1: to it. The more practice we get, the less scary 47 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: it seems. But some people have an extreme reaction to anxiety, 48 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: including excessive under armed sweating that can last for hours. 49 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: A stronger antiperspirant can help deal with the sweat, but 50 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: sometimes an anxiety disorder is at the root of the problem. 51 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: If sweaty symptoms never seem to ease, don't worry. A 52 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: doctor can help find a therapy that works for you. 53 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: Today's episode is based on the article why does anxiety 54 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: cause under arm sweat? On how stuffworks dot com written 55 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 1: by Shanna Freeman. Brain Stuff is production by Heart Radio 56 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: in partnership with how stuffworks dot Com, and this episode 57 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: was produced by Tristan McNeil and Tyler Klang. Four more 58 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, 59 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.