Potenie

Potenie, or perspiration, is the production and excretion of sweat by the skin's sweat glands. In humans and other mammals, sweating serves primarily to regulate body temperature and maintain skin moisture. Humans have two main types of sweat glands: eccrine glands, distributed over most of the body and responsible for most sweat, and apocrine glands, concentrated in the armpits and groin and producing a thicker fluid that is later metabolized by skin bacteria to produce odor.

Potenie is governed by the autonomic nervous system. Eccrine glands are innervated by cholinergic sympathetic fibers; activity increases with heat, exercise, fever, and emotional stress. Apocrine glands respond to hormonal and adrenergic stimuli and are active at puberty, contributing to body odor. The rate and pattern of sweating vary with environmental conditions, physical activity, hormonal state, and individual genetics.

Composition of sweat is mostly water, with electrolytes such as sodium and chloride, as well as small amounts of urea, lactate, and amino acids. The evaporation of sweat from the skin cools the body and helps maintain thermal balance. Sweat also plays a minor role in skin hydration and waste excretion.

Clinical aspects include disorders of sweating. Hyperhidrosis refers to excessive sweating that can affect the palms, soles, axillae, or face and can impair quality of life. Anhidrosis or hypohidrosis denotes reduced or absent sweating, which can increase the risk of overheating in hot environments. Diagnosis may involve patient history and tests such as the Minor starch-iodine test or thermoregulatory sweat testing.

Management includes topical antiperspirants containing aluminum salts, anticholinergic medications, botulinum toxin injections for focal areas, iontophoresis for hands and feet, and, in selected cases, surgical sympathectomy. Trigger avoidance, breathable clothing, and addressing underlying conditions can help reduce symptoms.