Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy Is Sweat Salty?CausesSymptomsLow Sodium in the BloodDiagnosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Why Is Sweat Salty?
Causes
Symptoms
Low Sodium in the Blood
Diagnosis
Sweat is salty because glands release a small amount ofsodiumalong with water and other minerals when you perspire.
While sweating is a normal bodily function that helps keep you cool, excessively salty perspiration may be due to an underlying health condition such ascystic fibrosis, a genetic condition affecting body tissue, cells, and glands that produce mucus and sweat.Intense exercise and certain medications can also cause high salt concentrations in sweat. This can put you at risk forhyponatremia, in which you have low levels of sodium in your blood.
This article explains why sweat is salty, what you can do about high concentrations of sodium in your perspiration, and when you should visit a healthcare provider.
Thomas Barwick/Getty Images
All sweat is composed mostly of water that has a relatively small amount of sodium, proteins, urea, and ammonia. Research shows that the more quickly you sweat, the higher the concentration of sodium you’ll have in your sweat.This is because the glands that release sweat normally reabsorb some of the sodium before it is released to the body’s surface. If it passes through the gland too quickly, there’s less time for reabsorption, so the sweat on your skin includes more salt.
Causes of Extra Salty Sweat
Factors that increase the rate of perspiration or interfere with the glands' reabsorption of sodium may make your sweat extra salty.
Exercise Intensity
Studies show that increasing how hard you workout makes your body temperature go up. This forces your body to release more sweat faster, and that quickly released sweat will have a higher concentration of salt.In some cases, you may need to increase your dietary intake of sodium to balance this exercise-related loss.
Cystic Fibrosis
Salty skin is a hallmark symptom of cystic fibrosis. Those with cystic fibrosis have high salty sweat because of a dysfunction in the CFTR gene that prevents salt on the skin from being reabsorbed into the sweat glands.
Adrenal Disorder
People with Addison’s Disease or other disorders that affect the adrenal glands may experience excessive sweating, especially on the face and palms.As with other conditions that cause you to sweat quickly, this leads to a higher percentage of sodium in your perspiration.
Medication
Certain medications cause excessive sweating, a condition known as drug-induced hyperhidrosis. As a result of this side effect, you may also notice that your sweat is more salty than usual. These medications include the following:
Does Eating Salty Food Cause Salty Sweat?Although it’s often assumed that the food you eat affects the sodium concentration in your sweat, there’s little evidence that decreasing your dietary sodium intake prevents or reduces salty sweat.
Does Eating Salty Food Cause Salty Sweat?
Although it’s often assumed that the food you eat affects the sodium concentration in your sweat, there’s little evidence that decreasing your dietary sodium intake prevents or reduces salty sweat.
External Temperatures
High temperatures and humidity outside your body cause you to sweat more, and this may affect the concentration of sodium released through perspiration.
Symptoms of Salty Skin
Those who sweat heavily or have high concentrations of salt in their sweat may notice their skin tastes salty once their sweat dries.
People with salty skin may also notice dried white salt crystals on their skin or clothing.
Is Dehydration Related to Salty Sweat?Often, a person who is dehydrated will sweat less, which would mean they release less sodium than normal and salty sweat isn’t an issue. However, some studies have found a connection between dehydration and higher concentrations of sodium in perspiration.More research is needed to understand the possible link.
Is Dehydration Related to Salty Sweat?
Often, a person who is dehydrated will sweat less, which would mean they release less sodium than normal and salty sweat isn’t an issue. However, some studies have found a connection between dehydration and higher concentrations of sodium in perspiration.More research is needed to understand the possible link.
When Salty Skin May Be Cause for Concern
Salty skin itself is generally not a cause for concern. However, unchecked, excessive sweating and loss of sodium can cause hyponatremia—low sodium levels in the blood.
People with cystic fibrosis are at a higher risk of developing hyponatremia, especially during intense exercise and in the summer months.
Contact your provider if you experience signs of hyponatremia, which include the following:
Are There Tests to Diagnose the Cause of Salty Skin?
A simple, painless sweat test measures the amount of salt in a person’s sweat to determine if they do or do not have cystic fibrosis.
No needles are required, and it is considered the most reliable test to diagnose cystic fibrosis. The test measures the amount of chloride (a component of salt) in a person’s sweat.
During the first part of the test, a colorless, odorless chemical combined with a small amount of electrical stimulation is applied to the skin to encourage sweat production. The sweat is collected and sent to a laboratory to measure how much chloride is in the sweat. People with cystic fibrosis have more chloride in their sweat than those without it.
Scientists and fitness professionals also conduct similar sweat tests on athletes to help them personalize fluid and electrolyte replacement.
Summary
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Baker LB.Physiology of sweat gland function: The roles of sweating and sweat composition in human health.Temperature (Austin). 2019;6(3):211-259. doi:10.1080/23328940.2019.1632145National Kidney Foundation.Hyponatremia (low sodium level in the blood).American Lung Association.Cystic fibrosis symptoms.MedlinePlus.Acute adrenal crisis.Cheshire WP, Fealey RD.Drug-induced hyperhidrosis and hypohidrosis: incidence, prevention and management.Drug Saf. 2008;31(2):109-126. doi:10.2165/00002018-200831020-00002Columbia University.What to do about salty sweat stains.Hackensack Meridian Health.Why is my sweat so salty?Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Summertime tips.MedlinePlus.Low blood sodium.Stanford Medicine.The basics of CF.Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Sweat test.Baker LB.Sweating rate and sweat sodium concentration in athletes: a review of methodology and intra/interindividual variability.Sports Med. 2017;47(Suppl 1):111-128. doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0691-5
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Baker LB.Physiology of sweat gland function: The roles of sweating and sweat composition in human health.Temperature (Austin). 2019;6(3):211-259. doi:10.1080/23328940.2019.1632145National Kidney Foundation.Hyponatremia (low sodium level in the blood).American Lung Association.Cystic fibrosis symptoms.MedlinePlus.Acute adrenal crisis.Cheshire WP, Fealey RD.Drug-induced hyperhidrosis and hypohidrosis: incidence, prevention and management.Drug Saf. 2008;31(2):109-126. doi:10.2165/00002018-200831020-00002Columbia University.What to do about salty sweat stains.Hackensack Meridian Health.Why is my sweat so salty?Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Summertime tips.MedlinePlus.Low blood sodium.Stanford Medicine.The basics of CF.Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Sweat test.Baker LB.Sweating rate and sweat sodium concentration in athletes: a review of methodology and intra/interindividual variability.Sports Med. 2017;47(Suppl 1):111-128. doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0691-5
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Baker LB.Physiology of sweat gland function: The roles of sweating and sweat composition in human health.Temperature (Austin). 2019;6(3):211-259. doi:10.1080/23328940.2019.1632145National Kidney Foundation.Hyponatremia (low sodium level in the blood).American Lung Association.Cystic fibrosis symptoms.MedlinePlus.Acute adrenal crisis.Cheshire WP, Fealey RD.Drug-induced hyperhidrosis and hypohidrosis: incidence, prevention and management.Drug Saf. 2008;31(2):109-126. doi:10.2165/00002018-200831020-00002Columbia University.What to do about salty sweat stains.Hackensack Meridian Health.Why is my sweat so salty?Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Summertime tips.MedlinePlus.Low blood sodium.Stanford Medicine.The basics of CF.Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Sweat test.Baker LB.Sweating rate and sweat sodium concentration in athletes: a review of methodology and intra/interindividual variability.Sports Med. 2017;47(Suppl 1):111-128. doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0691-5
Baker LB.Physiology of sweat gland function: The roles of sweating and sweat composition in human health.Temperature (Austin). 2019;6(3):211-259. doi:10.1080/23328940.2019.1632145
National Kidney Foundation.Hyponatremia (low sodium level in the blood).
American Lung Association.Cystic fibrosis symptoms.
MedlinePlus.Acute adrenal crisis.
Cheshire WP, Fealey RD.Drug-induced hyperhidrosis and hypohidrosis: incidence, prevention and management.Drug Saf. 2008;31(2):109-126. doi:10.2165/00002018-200831020-00002
Columbia University.What to do about salty sweat stains.
Hackensack Meridian Health.Why is my sweat so salty?
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Summertime tips.
MedlinePlus.Low blood sodium.
Stanford Medicine.The basics of CF.
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Sweat test.
Baker LB.Sweating rate and sweat sodium concentration in athletes: a review of methodology and intra/interindividual variability.Sports Med. 2017;47(Suppl 1):111-128. doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0691-5
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