Sweating -- What's it all about?

[SOC]

I understand that humans sweat to cool off the body. But do we sweat for other reasons, and if so, what?

The first sign that I've overdone and can expect some PEM is that I will start to sweat, first and foremost around the hairline until my hair is quite damp. I don't have a fever. I don't feel overheated. I just sweat for no apparent reason.

This is not after any kind of exercise. It can happen just from being on my feet longer than usual, or doing an activity I've done many times without problems. The amount of activity that will cause this sweating varies significantly over time -- there's really no predicting what will start it, but what is predictable is that if I do get a sweaty hairline, I've overdone.

So my question is: what does my body think it's trying to do? Why would this sweating be so closely correlated to PEM?

Is this some metabolic sign? Something to do with aerobic vs anaerobic whatnot?

I'm mystified, but I have a suspicion that if I understood this, I might be better able to anticipate it and avoid the PEM....

 

[anciendaze]

I have also noted that exercise which provokes substantial sweating also produces significant PEM. I believe this is simply due to exceeding some threshold for aerobic exercise. I would love to know how this relates to changes in anaerobic threshold.

Medical doctors can tell me that this is merely diaphoresis. Does that help?

 

[hurtingallthetimet]

i get hot and sweaty off and on and sometmes cold and chills...the low grade temp..benn told its probably from fibro/cfs...i hate when i get hot and sweaty because usally i feel faint and dizzy also..this happens alot when out getging shopping done and stuff..so im wondering if its from the panic attacks but it will happen when im at home which is majority of time....

 

[SOC]

I believe this is simply due to exceeding some threshold for aerobic exercise. I would love to know how this relates to changes in anaerobic threshold.

Me, too. If it's an anaerobic threshold thing, it would mean that, for me at least, the anaerobic threshold is changing significantly over time. That in itself could be indicative of... something.

The Wiki article was interesting. Since sweating is another ANS function, it could be related to ANS dysfunction.

 

[August59]

I feel like I stay in a permanent hot flash 80% of the time with a very low grade sweat. I know our bodies are under a lot of stress from the disease itself, which probably and I imagine a lot of us are under substantial stress from socially having to live with the disease. I avoid situations now that I used to love to go to. If some people invite me to weekend afternoon cookouts it used to be which one to go to, now it's "Sorry, can't make it this weekend". I imagine again it is another one of those symptoms that is part of being sick for an extended period of time and the adrenals are maybe excreting too much adrenaline or epenepherine (I can't keep up with all these hormones anymore as in how to spell them and which one does what).

I'm not saying lifes not fun, but it is nothing compared to what it was 10 years ago

 

[Sallysblooms]

It could be the Autonomic dysfunction many people have. With my POTS (Dysautonomia) I stopped sweating. Some people sweat a lot, can happen either way.

 

[taniaaust1]

When I get sweating without a fever.. Im finding its to do with my autonomic dysfunctions. I know I break out in a sweat when my BP hits 170..

today I started to break out in a sudden orthostatic triggered sweat while my BP wasnt too bad at all but it was when I had narrowing of my pulse pressure happening and my heart rate went irregular, just before the BP monitor couldnt take things no more and errored out (my last pulse pressure before it did was at 9 and it still was probably falling).