Sweating Blood

Ivan Seeking

I happened upon this and had to check it out. Sure enough, it seems that we really can be so scared that we sweat blood.

Hematidrosis (also called hematohidrosis) is a rare medical condition in which a human being sweats blood. It may occur when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress, for example, facing his or her own death.[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hematidrosis#cite_note-0

Abstract
In order to verify the accuracy of the commonly used statement, "I sweat blood," a survey of the literature in the subject of hematidrosis was made. Seventy-six cases were studied and classified into categories according to the causative factor. These were, component of systemic disease, vicarious menstruation, excessive exertion, psychogenic, and unknown. The psychogenic were further subdivided into those that occurred only one time, those that recurred and the stigmatics. Acute fear and intense mental contemplation were found to be the most frequent inciting causes. Hematidrosis is an extremely rare clinical phenomenon with only few instances reported to have occurred within the twentieth century.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8982961

Berkeman is still at the helm but I couldn't let this one go without a post.

*nismaratwork*

Quote by Ivan Seeking

I happened upon this and had to check it out. Sure enough, it seems that we really can be so scared that we sweat blood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hematidrosis#cite_note-0

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8982961

Berkeman is still at the helm but I couldn't let this one go without a post.

It's rare in part, because you tend to have a fatal cardiac arrhythmia or rupture a major blood vessel first. It's also a sign of some VHF's... and a scary one too; only thing is... why not post this in medical?... what's to debunk?

Ivan Seeking

Quote by nismaratwork

It's rare in part, because you tend to have a fatal cardiac arrhythmia or rupture a major blood vessel first. It's also a sign of some VHF's... and a scary one too; only thing is... why not post this in medical?... what's to debunk?

In a lecture, Dr. Zugibe stated: "The severe mental anxiety...activated the sympathetic nervous system to invoke the stress-fight or flight reaction to such a degree causing hemorrhage of the vessels supplying the sweat glands into the ducts of the sweat glands and extruding out onto the skin...

Note that the vessels can hemorrhage as a result of the mental stress.

Why in S&D? At first I didn't believe it and had never seen a credible reference to this before. I just found the answer instead of posting a question.

In principle, this is no different than the Vagina Dentata thread.

*nismaratwork*

Quote by Ivan Seeking

Note that the vessels can hemorrhage as a result of the mental stress.

Why in S&D? At first I didn't believe it. I just found the answer instead of posting a question.

Fair enough, but I'd move it to medical... it's nothing to be debunked. Remember, mental stress with that kind of psychosomatic (and endocrine) drive can kill you... usually with a cardiac arrhythmia, stroke (for those with a bit more goo in the carotid sinus and legs), or some compensatory device such as syncope that is non-lethal.

Still, it DOES happen, and if you've seen (as I'm sure you have

) people, "go red in the face," it's not even that hard to believe. We're a very vascular animal, we humans, and all of those tiny blood vessels can actually LEAK blood without fully "bursting", and cause "bloody sweat".

It's important to check if the bloody sweat is mostly whole leukocytes, or if they're schistocytes, but then, if you're sweating blood, nobody will assume it's stress. This may also explain a mechanism of damage to the follicle that causes stress-related (temporary) alopecia (hair loss), and even the "frightened gray" view.

Ivan Seeking

Quote by nismaratwork

Fair enough, but I'd move it to medical... it's nothing to be debunked. Remember, mental stress with that kind of psychosomatic (and endocrine) drive can kill you... usually with a cardiac arrhythmia, stroke (for those with a bit more goo in the carotid sinus and legs), or some compensatory device such as syncope that is non-lethal.

Still, it DOES happen, and if you've seen (as I'm sure you have

) people, "go red in the face," it's not even that hard to believe. We're a very vascular animal, we humans, and all of those tiny blood vessels can actually LEAK blood without fully "bursting", and cause "bloody sweat".

It's important to check if the bloody sweat is mostly whole leukocytes, or if they're schistocytes, but then, if you're sweating blood, nobody will assume it's stress. This may also explain a mechanism of damage to the follicle that causes stress-related (temporary) alopecia (hair loss), and even the "frightened gray" view.

See, this is why it is death on my clock to even poke my head in here for a moment! It is impossible to not get sucked in!

We explore claims here. This is not just a debunking forum. In this particular case, the claim is true. That serves our purposes. But there may be more to say about it. For example, it may be significant to some claims of stigmata. So while your observation is correct that this is appropriate for Medical Sciences, I would like to keep in the context of S&D for now.

In the case of Vagina Dentata, we kept the thread here because of the provocative nature of the subject. But that claim was also true.

If you want to start another thread about it because it's interesting, don't hesistate. But we often resolve claims in the affirmative here.

*nismaratwork*

Quote by Ivan Seeking

See, this is why it is death on my clock to even poke my head in here for a moment! It is impossible to not get sucked in!

We explore claims here. This is not just a debunking forum. In this particular case, the claim is true. That serves our purposes. But there may be more to say about it. For example, it may be significant to some claims of stigmata. So while your observation is correct that this is appropriate for Medical Sciences, I would like to keep in the context of S&D for now.

If you want to start another thread about it because it's interesting, don't hesistate. But we often resolve claims in the affirmative here.

Nah... just trying to suck you back in.

hbjon

My brother was in the hospital and given some blood thinners for some odd reason. He developed that condition, but it was not chronic. He seems to have healed from it. I would say the phenomenon is caused by a drug. hbjon

Similar Threads for: Sweating Blood
Thread	Forum	Replies
Heat loss by sweating	General Physics	1
Blood pressure to make Blood Flow Thru Artery	Introductory Physics Homework	0
Physics behind blood vessel constriction and blood pressure?	General Physics	6
sweating on line	General Physics	1

hbjon Blog Entries: 1	My brother was in the hospital and given some blood thinners for some odd reason. He developed that condition, but it was not chronic. He seems to have healed from it. I would say the phenomenon is caused by a drug. hbjon