October 24, 2002
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
My now 44 year old son, who has had type 1 diabetes since he was 11 years of age, sweats a lot when he sits down to eat or even when he is just relaxing. I tell him I think his diabetes is out of whack as he does not take very care of himself, but he says there is nothing wrong with him. He has a rash and sores that do not heal on his legs. Why does he sweat like this?
Answer:
The sweating could be the result of neuropathy. Gustatory sweating has been described as being associated with diabetes.
In addition, he should also have his heart screened. Asymptomatic heart disease, that often occurs with diabetes, can also cause sweating with minimal exercise. Finally, it is important to rule out low blood sugars during these episodes.
JTL