Why do people sweat when they're nervous?

Nervous about that big meeting, meeting new people or having a difficult conversation? It’s enough to make a person break out in a cold sweat.

The sweat you produce when you’re nervous is different than the sweat you produce when your body needs to cool down. Here is some information about how it works and what you can do about it.

Sweat that cools you off

When you’re outside on a hot summer day, exercising or playing a game that requires a lot of running, your body responds by sweating to cool you off. As the sweat evaporates, it cools the surface of your skin.

When your brain receives the message that you are getting too hot, it stimulates the set of sweat glands called the eccrine glands. These glands are located pretty evenly all over your body. They release a kind of sweat that is about 90% water. This kind of sweating usually starts slowly and gradually gets more intense.

Nervous sweat

In contrast, nervous sweating usually starts all at once when you become excited or scared. Your body releases adrenaline and cortisol – hormones related to stress. Your heart may start pounding.

Those hormones send a message to the eccrine glands and also to the apocrine glands, which are a second set of sweat glands. Apocrine glands are located mostly in your armpits and your groin. They release sweat in a hurry which may make you feel drenched quickly.

The sweat released by apocrine glands is only 80% water and 20% fat and protein.

What can you do about nervous sweating?

Everyone has nervous sweat sometimes. When you know you’re going into a situation that may be a trigger for you, here are some tips for preparing:

• Dress in layers so you can take off a top layer to let sweat evaporate
• Wear absorbent natural-fiber clothing
• Use disposable underarm clothing shields to absorb sweat
• Try stronger antiperspirants
• Exercise to reduce the effects of stress
• Practice meditation or deep breathing to calm your mind and body

You can also see your health care provider for help with nervous sweating. You may have a medical problem or anxiety that needs treatment. Some of the dermatology tools doctors can offer include:

• Prescription antiperspirants
• Anxiety medications
• Stress reduction counseling
• Botox injections under the arms (can reduce sweating for up to six months)
• Surgery to remove the sweat glands

Use our online search tool to find the dermatology specialist who’s right for you.