DistantNews
Support us
Heat a dangerous foe for those who struggle to sweat
🇵🇦 Panama /Health & Science

Heat a dangerous foe for those who struggle to sweat

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • People with ichthyosis, a rare skin disease causing abnormal or absent sweating, face severe risks during heatwaves due to impaired body temperature regulation.
  • Sufferers like Alberto Gómez struggle with the fear of heatstroke each summer, requiring extreme precautions to manage their condition.
  • The inability to sweat prevents the body from releasing excess heat, potentially leading to fatal heatstroke, a risk comparable to outdoor workers collapsing from heat.

For individuals with ichthyosis, a rare genetic skin disorder, the summer heat poses a significant and potentially deadly threat. The condition prevents or severely limits their ability to sweat, a crucial bodily function for regulating temperature. Alberto Gómez, a 36-year-old physics and chemistry teacher, describes living with the constant fear of heat emergencies each summer.

If you have a hard time, imagine me with everything that entails.

— Alberto GómezA 36-year-old man with ichthyosis, describing his struggle with the heat.

"If you have a hard time, imagine me with everything that entails," Gómez told AFP, explaining that he relies on a series of internal indicators to recognize when his body is failing to regulate temperature. His skin is extremely dry, rough, and red, with scaling from head to toe. While other patients develop sores or blisters, the primary danger for Gómez and others with ichthyosis is the lack of sweating.

We have a series of indicators that something might happen when the body begins to fail to regulate temperature.

— Alberto GómezExplaining how he monitors his body's response to heat.

Dr. Ángela Hernández, a dermatologist specializing in ichthyosis in Spain, where an estimated 300 people have the condition, emphasizes the critical role of sweat in cooling the body. "Sweat protects us when it's very hot because we release heat through sweating," she explained. "If we cannot release heat, our body will heat up, and we can suffer heatstroke." She likens the risk to that faced by construction workers or road crews who can collapse from heat exposure.

Sweat protects us when it's very hot because we release heat through sweating. If we cannot release heat, our body will heat up, and we can suffer heatstroke.

— Ángela HernándezA dermatologist specializing in ichthyosis, explaining the danger of impaired sweating.

Ichthyosis is typically diagnosed at birth and has no cure. Management focuses on constant skin hydration with non-occlusive creams and avoiding sun exposure and heat. Gómez takes extensive measures, using a UV-protective umbrella and avoiding hats that trap heat. While he can sweat in limited areas, he exercises only in air-conditioned spaces, showing the small water beads that appear on his skin as one of his few signs of perspiration.

This can also happen to a patient with ichthyosis if they do not take sufficient precautions.

— Ángela HernándezComparing the risk faced by ichthyosis patients to that of people working outdoors in extreme heat.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog