Hot Body Temperature, Sweating, High BP, Heavy Smoker, Light Drinker, Family History Of Heart Disease

Posted on Sat, 2 Jun 2012

Question: My friend is male and thirty seven years old. He is in pretty good shape. He doesnt run or work out he just has good genetics and can eat what he wants and usually stay pretty healthy. His eating habits are not very good. He is five foot eleven inches and about two hundred pounds. A couple of weeks ago he got to hot while canoeing and he suffered heat exhaustion he began throwing up and was dizzy and he became very tired. Since I have known him he has always had a hot body tempeture and he was prone to excessive sweating and he always has clamy hands but now when he gets over heated he gets sick and he his body stays hot. Since the heat exhaustion he will start sweating after doing very little physical activities. I checked his blood preassure last night and it was 188over91 which I know is high. Ive checked it in the past and it has been high. He has been without medical insurance for a long time so I am very concerned that something is wrong and that it has to do with his high blood preassure. His father died of a heart related problem. My friend also has been a heavy smoker up until recenetly when I got him to stop smoking. He doesnt drink much or do drugs. Do you have any suggestions on where we should start in regards to his symptoms. Im worried that him not haveing medical insurance will ultimately be thwe reason he dies because he isnt able to see a doctor. Thank you for any information you can give me.

Answered by Dr. Robert Galamaga (4 hours later)

Hello,

Thank you for submitting a question.

Your question is a very good one and I will work on providing you with good information and recommendations regarding what is going on with your friend.

You have reported that you have observed changes in body temperature as well as a significantly elevated blood pressure. There are two categories which should be considered in trying to figure out what is going on with him. Regarding the blood pressure this certainly can deliver symptoms of changes in body temperature as well as excessive sweating. Elevated blood pressure can also typically create a situation where people complain of headaches.

If the blood pressure you reported is accurate, he certainly needs to see a physician for a thorough consultation as well as appropriate laboratory tests in addition to consideration of medical therapy. I understand he does not currently have medical insurance but at this point it is worth every level of expense and inconvenience to visit with a medical provider for a thorough consultation. If this is extremely difficult I recommend you search for social services as well as medical missions where discounted or free medical care can be provided.

The last consideration I have regarding his body temperature would be thyroid dysfunction. Sometimes if there is a dysfunction of the thyroid it can affect our body's ability to regulate temperature and tolerate heat and temperature changes. This can be evaluated with a physical exam as well as a simple blood test.

I thank you again for submitting your question. I hope you have found my response to be helpful and informative. If you have any additional concerns I am here for you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert

Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad