Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsStressOther Possible CausesTestingTreatmentHow Rare Is It?Is the Blood Loss Fatal?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Stress
Other Possible Causes
Testing
Treatment
How Rare Is It?
Is the Blood Loss Fatal?
Sweating blood is rare. It may occur in association with extreme physical or psychological stress or without an obvious risk factor. It is also known as hematidrosis, hematohidrosis, and hemidrosis.
Sweating blood is not diagnosed as a medical condition, and the cause is not understood because it is so rare. Medical management focuses on identifying and treating the underlying cause and easing the anxiety that sweating blood causes.
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Physical or Psychological Stress
Some published case reports describe individuals who have experienced sweating blood in association with physical or psychological stress.In these rare documented cases, the symptom of sweating blood does not typically recur.
Some scholars suggest that sweating blood has been documented historically through artistic representations. One of the most well-known incidents is found in the Christian Bible, in which Jesus Christ was observed to be sweating blood at the time of the crucifixion.
A few case reports suggest that there might be other causes or risk factors of sweating blood, including traumatic injuries,bleeding disorders, epilepsy, infections, hormone disruptions, or metabolic changes in the body.
This symptom has been classified as an eccrine sweat disorder, but the exact way that blood leaks into the sweat isn’t understood.
Because cases are so rare, researchers haven’t been able to carefully examine the sweat glands or skin of the individuals who experience bloody sweat to find a trend that could explain the underlying causes.
By definition, hematidrosis describes blood oozing from skin andmucous membraneswithout a bleeding problem.People who had bloody sweat did not experience pain as part of this symptom.
Testing to Rule Out Other Conditions
Sweating blood is such a strange and distressing symptom that you or your child should have a comprehensive medical evaluation if you or your child experience it. No diagnostic test can verify a diagnosis of hematidrosis.
Abnormal vital signs can help determine your diagnosis and treatment.
Additionally, your healthcare team will check for signs of a traumatic injury or a significant health emergency, such as a heart attack. Signs of psychiatric distress, such as an anxiety attack or hallucinations, could also indicate a psychiatric cause of this symptom.
What Causes Sweaty Palms (Palmar Hyperhidrosis)?
Other Conditions You Need to Rule Out
Your healthcare providers would need to rule out medical conditions such as a bleeding disorder, connective tissue disease, vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels), or injury.
What Is Colored or Dark Sweat?Chromhidrosis and pseudochromhidrosis are conditions where the sweat is discolored due to fat material seeping through the sweat. These conditions are not the same as hematidrosis. In fact, the people described in the medical case reports of hematidrosis had blood cells in their sweat, which was verified with microscopic examination.
What Is Colored or Dark Sweat?
Chromhidrosis and pseudochromhidrosis are conditions where the sweat is discolored due to fat material seeping through the sweat. These conditions are not the same as hematidrosis. In fact, the people described in the medical case reports of hematidrosis had blood cells in their sweat, which was verified with microscopic examination.
Sweating blood is very rare, and it’s even more rare to have it recurrently. However, if you have more than one episode of sweating blood, your healthcare providers may obtain abiopsy sample of your skinto identify potential inflammatory changes, vascular changes, or changes in your sweat glands that could lead to this problem.
How Is It Treated?
A few different therapies can treat sweating blood. Because this symptom is rare and each individual’s situation is different, there is no established treatment protocol.
If there is concern about your well-being due to psychiatric symptoms or you are medically unstable, you might need inpatient medical care until you are stable enough to go home and continue your treatment with outpatient care.
Therapies for sweating blood may include:
You might also need bandages to prevent blood from getting on your clothes or bedding, or you may need antimicrobial medication to prevent an infection.
Therapies to treat psychological and psychiatric causes of sweating blood include:
Your treatment for hematidrosis would be tailored based on your underlying conditions and risk factors.
What Is Severe Anxiety?
There is no specific data regarding how often sweating blood occurs. It is so rare that medical literature only offers a few case reports.
Some statistics about sweating blood include:
According to a case series, hematidrosis was located on the:
Sweating blood can occur alongside medical conditions that could be fatal—such as severe physical injuries, excessive physical exertion, or high-risk psychiatric situations.
However, the blood loss in these cases has not been at a high enough volume to be life-threatening. If blood loss leads toanemia(low numbers of healthy red blood cells) orhypotension(low blood pressure), medication or a blood transfusion can restore blood volume.
Summary
Sweating blood is extremely rare, with fewer than 100 cases described throughout existing medical literature. It is associated with severe psychological stress or extreme physical distress, but this symptom can occur without a known cause. If you or your child is sweating blood, seek medical attention immediately. You may need medical tests to identify a possible cause.
Treatments for sweating blood can include managing medical issues, beta-blockers to help stop the sweating, and psychiatric medications and psychotherapy. Having a rare symptom or medical condition can cause significant anxiety—so you might also benefit from talking to a therapist about your symptoms.
Sweating blood is not fatal, but getting treatment can help alleviate the causes and the symptoms of sweating blood.
6 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.Biswas D, Mondal DK, Biswas R, Halder A.Hematidrosis: a rare entity — case series and review of literature.Indian J Psychiatry. 2022;64(4):423-425. doi:10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_142_22Kluger N.Hematidrosis (bloody sweat): a review of the recent literature (1996-2016).Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Pannonica Adriat.2018;27(2):85-90.Shafique DA, Hickman AW, Thorne A, et al.Pediatric hematidrosis – a case report and review of the literature and pathogenesis.Pediatr Dermatol. 2021;38(5):994-1003. doi:10.1111/pde.14792Alsermani M, Alzahrani H, El Fakih R.Hematidrosis: a fascinating phenomenon—case study and overview of the literature.Semin Thromb Hemost.2018;44(3):293-295. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1608905Matsuoka R, Tanaka M.Hematidrosis in a Japanese girl: treatment with propranolol and psychotherapy.Pediatr Int. 2020;62(8):1001-1002. doi:10.1111/ped.14223Murota H, Kotobuki Y, Yamaga K, Yoshioka Y.Female child with hematidrosis of the palm: case report and published work review.J Dermatol.2020;47(2):166-168. doi:10.1111/1346-8138.15179
6 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.Biswas D, Mondal DK, Biswas R, Halder A.Hematidrosis: a rare entity — case series and review of literature.Indian J Psychiatry. 2022;64(4):423-425. doi:10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_142_22Kluger N.Hematidrosis (bloody sweat): a review of the recent literature (1996-2016).Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Pannonica Adriat.2018;27(2):85-90.Shafique DA, Hickman AW, Thorne A, et al.Pediatric hematidrosis – a case report and review of the literature and pathogenesis.Pediatr Dermatol. 2021;38(5):994-1003. doi:10.1111/pde.14792Alsermani M, Alzahrani H, El Fakih R.Hematidrosis: a fascinating phenomenon—case study and overview of the literature.Semin Thromb Hemost.2018;44(3):293-295. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1608905Matsuoka R, Tanaka M.Hematidrosis in a Japanese girl: treatment with propranolol and psychotherapy.Pediatr Int. 2020;62(8):1001-1002. doi:10.1111/ped.14223Murota H, Kotobuki Y, Yamaga K, Yoshioka Y.Female child with hematidrosis of the palm: case report and published work review.J Dermatol.2020;47(2):166-168. doi:10.1111/1346-8138.15179
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.
Biswas D, Mondal DK, Biswas R, Halder A.Hematidrosis: a rare entity — case series and review of literature.Indian J Psychiatry. 2022;64(4):423-425. doi:10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_142_22Kluger N.Hematidrosis (bloody sweat): a review of the recent literature (1996-2016).Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Pannonica Adriat.2018;27(2):85-90.Shafique DA, Hickman AW, Thorne A, et al.Pediatric hematidrosis – a case report and review of the literature and pathogenesis.Pediatr Dermatol. 2021;38(5):994-1003. doi:10.1111/pde.14792Alsermani M, Alzahrani H, El Fakih R.Hematidrosis: a fascinating phenomenon—case study and overview of the literature.Semin Thromb Hemost.2018;44(3):293-295. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1608905Matsuoka R, Tanaka M.Hematidrosis in a Japanese girl: treatment with propranolol and psychotherapy.Pediatr Int. 2020;62(8):1001-1002. doi:10.1111/ped.14223Murota H, Kotobuki Y, Yamaga K, Yoshioka Y.Female child with hematidrosis of the palm: case report and published work review.J Dermatol.2020;47(2):166-168. doi:10.1111/1346-8138.15179
Biswas D, Mondal DK, Biswas R, Halder A.Hematidrosis: a rare entity — case series and review of literature.Indian J Psychiatry. 2022;64(4):423-425. doi:10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_142_22
Kluger N.Hematidrosis (bloody sweat): a review of the recent literature (1996-2016).Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Pannonica Adriat.2018;27(2):85-90.
Shafique DA, Hickman AW, Thorne A, et al.Pediatric hematidrosis – a case report and review of the literature and pathogenesis.Pediatr Dermatol. 2021;38(5):994-1003. doi:10.1111/pde.14792
Alsermani M, Alzahrani H, El Fakih R.Hematidrosis: a fascinating phenomenon—case study and overview of the literature.Semin Thromb Hemost.2018;44(3):293-295. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1608905
Matsuoka R, Tanaka M.Hematidrosis in a Japanese girl: treatment with propranolol and psychotherapy.Pediatr Int. 2020;62(8):1001-1002. doi:10.1111/ped.14223
Murota H, Kotobuki Y, Yamaga K, Yoshioka Y.Female child with hematidrosis of the palm: case report and published work review.J Dermatol.2020;47(2):166-168. doi:10.1111/1346-8138.15179
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