You've heard of cold sweats, night sweats, and maybe even nervous sweats, but how much do you know about poop sweats? This is the colloquial term for when you sweat and / or feel dizzy during a bowel movement, and while it may seem strange, it is not very rare.
It is also not usually a cause for concern, although it sure can be confusing. Here's what you need to know about poop sweats, from its causes to possible remedies.
What Exactly Are Poop Sweats?
Symptoms associated with poop sweats, including sweating, dizziness or lightheadedness, heat, and sometimes nausea when having a bowel movement, stem from a normal primitive reflex involving the vagus nerve , which runs between the brain and the abdomen.
When something stimulates the vagus nerve, it causes a decrease in heart rate and dilation of blood vessels, which causes a significant drop in blood pressure and, in turn, leads to decreased blood flow to the brain.
This is also known as vasovagal syncope and is the culprit for sweating when pooping. If it's significant enough, it can even cause you to pass out.
What are the causes of sweating when you go to poop?
There is no specific reason for sweating during bowel movements, but one of the most common causes is constipation, which is estimated to be suffered by 33 out of 100 adults over 60 years of age.
As you push, you inhale deeply and push, which decreases the amount of blood that returns to the heart, and therefore the amount of blood that leaves it. Pressure receptors in the blood vessels in your neck detect increased pressure due to exertion and trigger a decrease in heart rate to lower blood pressure. This low blood pressure can lead to sweating, dizziness, and fainting.
If you have certain chronic conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you may be more likely to experience this vasovagal response. People with this syndrome have hypersensitivity to their viscera or organs in their abdomen, which can trigger a hyper-response that leads to a vasovagal response.
Although constipation and IBS are more common triggers, there are other culprits as well. One is the drugs. The classic category are drugs that are described as having 'anticholinergic properties', including blood pressure drugs, spasm drugs, and overactive bladder drugs, to name a few.
Another trigger worth mentioning is the fear of bodily injury or discomfort associated with a bowel movement , which can lead to stimulation of the vasovagal reflex. In fact, extreme emotional distress can lead to vasovagal syncope.
If you recently ate spicy foods, it is also not uncommon to experience sweating during a bowel movement the next day. By the time food reaches the intestines, it still has capsaicin (the active component in chili peppers), which binds to our TRPV1 receptors. These receptors detect heat in various parts of the body, including the anus, signaling to the brain that the body needs to sweat to cool itself.
Are these sweats dangerous?
In most cases, especially in young people, sweating in the stool is a benign phenomenon. Still, it is incredibly important to be aware of your symptoms. If you are over 50, have cardiovascular problems or a pelvic floor abnormality, you should have an evaluation to rule out a more serious condition.
Experts also recommend paying attention to the appearance and frequency of sweats when you go to defecate. If this is something new for you, it is more concerning.
If you're 40 and this happens every time you're constipated and straining from your 20s, this is less likely to be a concern than if it starts between your 60s and 70s. Also, if this is something that happens once every few years , it is less of a concern than if it happens a few times a week.
How to prevent sweating when having bowel movements?
If you think the sweats may be caused by a certain medication you are taking, talk to your doctor. A new medicine can have side effects that can affect your ability to have a bowel movement (defecate) or alter your intestinal mobility.
You may also want to consider how your diet may play a role in contributing to your constipation, if that is the cause of your sweating.
It is recommended to make sure you eat enough high-fiber foods , including fruits like pears, mangoes, and apples, as well as legumes (think beans, peas) and nuts. Fiber can help produce bulkier stools that are easier to pass, which can lead to less straining.
Drinking enough water is also important to help stimulate the flow of your digestive tract.
If you're in the bathroom for several minutes and nothing happens, try not to push, both figuratively and literally. Doing so could provoke an effort that triggers the vasovagal response and leads you to the situation you are trying to prevent.
