Does excessive sweating after a sauna indicate heavy dampness in the body?

Oct 08, 2024 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Xiuhong
Introduction
Does sweating heavily after a sauna session mean excessive dampness in the body? If you frequently sweat profusely even under normal temperature conditions, especially night sweats, hot and sweaty palms and soles, accompanied by symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and loose stools, this may indicate excessive internal dampness. Excessive dampness may also be associated with weight gain, thick and greasy tongue coating, oily skin, and other symptoms.

Generally, excessive sweating after a sauna session does not necessarily indicate an accumulation of dampness in the body. If patients have concerns, they are advised to seek timely medical consultation. The detailed explanation is as follows:

During sauna sessions, the high ambient temperature causes the body to sweat as a natural mechanism for heat dissipation. This is usually a normal physiological response. Judging dampness accumulation solely based on heavy sweating after a sauna is inaccurate. Excessive sweating following a sauna is typically not due to dampness accumulation, provided there are no typical symptoms such as thick tongue coating or fatigue.

However, if a person frequently sweats excessively even under normal-temperature conditions—especially night sweats, hot palms and soles with sweating—and experiences additional symptoms like fatigue, loose stools, this may indicate excessive internal dampness. Other possible signs of dampness accumulation include weight gain, greasy tongue coating, and oily skin.

In daily life, it's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, improve dietary habits, adhere to regular作息 (sleep-wake cycles), enhance physical fitness, and reduce susceptibility to illness.