Like many people in my line of work I am sometimes
rather frustrated at the lack of clinical information given when I am asked to
perform a blood test. Knowing why the patient is having a blood test will give
me insight into exactly what I might be looking for in a blood film; or to
prime me for blood transfusion requirements or help explain anomalous results
that I might have obtained. We all roll our eyes at “T.A.T.T.” (tired all the time)
or “unwell” but today I had two
diagnoses that at first I thought rather unhelpful.
"Sweaty - more than usual"
But I was wrong to be flippant in this case.
Excessive perspiration is a symptom in all sorts of
conditions including
- Spinal cord injury
- Alcohol abuse
- Anxiety
- Diabetes
- Gout
- Heart disease
- Hyperthyroidism - an overactive thyroid gland
- Obesity
- Parkinson's disease
- Pregnancy
- Respiratory failure
- Shingles
- Some cancers, such as Hodgkin's disease
- Some infections - HIV, malaria, TB (tuberculosis)
- Some medications, including some antidepressants, anticholinesterases (for Alzheimer's disease), pilocarpine (for glaucoma), propranolol (for high blood pressure)
- Substance abuse
"Used to live in Canada"
Now this one had me foxed. Were it somewhere
malarious then that might be of relevance. Google couldn’t find me any health
conditions unique to Canada. In fact Google told me that Canadian
health issues are much the same as those I find in the UK.
I wonder what the G.P. had in mind when he
wrote that diagnosis. Perhaps he hoped it might mean something to me. It didn’t,
but it did prompt me to have a look to see if I might learn something.
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