It’s perfectly normal for anyone to sweat during or after consuming hot and spicy foods. However, it’s an entirely different reason if the consumption of just about any kind of food triggers profuse sweating. There is definitely something wrong if thinking or talking about food is also enough to cause sweating!

This article will get you introduced to what’s called gustatory sweating. Below you will come across its causes, symptoms and treatment. Also tackled briefly below is the so-called Frey’s syndrome that tends to produce the same issues associated with gustatory sweating.

Feel free to share this article on your various social media sites afterwards. This is especially true if you have family members are friends who seem to sweat a lot each time they’re at the table.

Causes

Usually, the primary symptom of gustatory sweating which is perspiring heavily shows up when a person who suffers from it is eating. It doesn’t really matter what type of food is being consumed. For instance, he or she may be eating ice cream and still sweat a lot as though what’s being eaten is a bowl of spicy ramen.

Most of the time, however, gustatory sweating also shows up even when the affected individual is not actually eating. Thinking or talking about food is usually enough to make him or her start sweating a lot, too.

According to health authorities, there are different things that can be blamed for gustatory sweating. It’s for this reason why treatment for it can vary tremendously.

Often, it is the result of medical conditions such as shingles, Bell’s palsy and diabetes mellitus. The presence of a growth or tumor somewhere in the face can be blamed for such, too. It’s possible for gustatory sweating to come into being due to an injury to the face.

Do take note that gustatory sweating may also come into being without any apparent reason.

Symptoms

Excessive sweating while eating or simply thinking or talking about food is a telltale sign of gustatory sweating. Again, it doesn’t really matter which types of food are being consumed. A person with gustatory sweating can perspire heavily no matter if what’s being eaten (or thought or talked about) is hot and spicy or frozen.

The scalp, forehead and upper lip are the ones that tend to end up sweaty as a result of gustatory sweating. Oftentimes, the neck of the affected individual also becomes really sweaty, too.

By the way, there is an issue that is very much similar to gustatory sweating and it’s called Frey’s syndrome. They are alike in that they both leave an individual sweaty at the table. However, sweating related to Frey’s syndrome tends to strike only when the person is eating. In some instances, though, thinking or talking about food is also enough to cause excessive sweating to come into being.

In gustatory sweating, both sides of the face tend to sweat a lot. On the other hand, only one side of the face may end up sweaty if the person is suffering from Frey’s syndrome. That’s because it is the result of damage to the parotid gland, and each side of the face has its own parotid gland.

Frey’s syndrome can result from surgery near the parotid gland. In some cases, it can be blamed on an injury or trauma to the face or certain medical conditions that can affect the parotid gland.

Treatment

Because gustatory sweating can be blamed on a variety of things, treatment for it can vary tremendously. It’s important to first establish the root cause in order for the right treatment course to be determined.

Some of the most common solutions for gustatory sweating include the application of creams or ointments that temporarily deactivate the sweat glands in the affected areas of the face and neck. In some cases, botox injections are recommended.